The only collection of photographs devoted to one of America's natural treasures, Shenandoah: Views of Our National Park documents one man's decades-long fascination with this uniquely beautiful region in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains.

With the Commonwealth of Virginia's Public Park Condemnation Act of 1928, the state surveyed for and acquired three thousand tracts of land that would become Shenandoah National Park. The Commonwealth condemned the homes of five hundred families so that their land could be "donated" to the federal government and placed under the auspices of the National Park Service. Prompted by the condemnation of their land, the residents began writing letters to National Park and other government officials to negotiate their rights and to request various services, property, and harvests. Typically represented in the popular media as lawless, illiterate, and incompetent, these mountaineers prove themselves otherwise in this poignant collection of letters. The history told by the residents themselves both adds to and counters the story that is generally accepted about them. These letters are housed in the Shenandoah National Park archives in Luray, Virginia, which was opened briefly to the public from 2000 to 2002, but then closed due to lack of funding. This selection of roughly 150 of these letters, in their entirety, makes these documents available again not only to the public but also to scholars, researchers, and others interested in the region's history, in the politics of the park, and in the genealogy of the families. Supplementing the letters are introductory text, photographs, annotation, and oral histories that further document the lives of these individuals.

A history of this national park written in conjunction with its 50th anniversary.

Shenandoah National Park, established in 1935 and lying astride the Blue Ridge Mountains in northwestern Virginia, is a special place in the Middle Atlantic region of the United States. In this guide, Dr. John A. Conners, an environmental geologist, identifies, describes and explains many of the important contributions of geology, geomorphology, weather, climate, flora, fauna and human history to the Shenandoah landscape. Dr. Conners also provides a visitor's guide to sites of scientific and historic significance along the Skyline Drive and to the more important hiking trails in the Park. This book is illustrated with 78 figures, including 28 topographic maps that span the entire length of Skyline Drive. Sources of additional information about the natural and cultural history of Shenandoah are included. -- From publisher's description.

Completely updated, this edition provides detailed descriptions and maps of fifty-nine of the best hikes in the park. From easy day hikes to strenuous backpacking trips, this guide will provide readers with all the latest information they need to plan virtually any type of hiking adventure in the park..

Completely updated, this edition provides detailed descriptions and maps of the best hikes in the park. From easy day hikes to strenuous backpacking trips, this guide will provide readers with all the latest information they need to plan virtually any type of hiking adventure in the park.

Fully revised and updated, this full-color edition of Hiking Shenandoah National Park features fifty-nine of Shenandoah's finest trails - from short day hikes to overnight adventures. With this comprehensive guide, veteran hikers Bert and Jane Gildart provide all the information you need to get the most out of hiking Virginia's majestic Shenandoah National Park. Look inside to find: Hikes suited to every ability Mile-by-mile directional cues Difficulty ratings, trail contacts, fees/permits, and best hiking seasons An index of hikes by category - from easy day hikes to hikes to waterfalls Invaluable trip-planning information, including local lodging and campgrounds Full-color photos throughout Full-color GPS-compatible maps of each trail

This field guide dedicated to wildlife of Shenandoah National Park is an information-packed, pocket-sized book that introduces park visitors to animals, plants, insects and more that reside in the Shenandoah Valley in a colorful and portable package. Including full-color photos and easy-to-understand descriptions and with full cooperation from the park association, this book will appeal to the 1.1 million visitors who travel to Shenandoah every year.

Embracing the rolling hills, quiet hollows, meandering streams, and verdant forests of Northern Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah National Park offers its nearly two million annual visitors solace and adventure. This handy, portable guide points visitors to the park's many outdoor activities and details useful travel information for families and backcountry explorers alike. Including two PopOut maps and seven detailed maps of the park and its environs, including Skyline Drive and the Appalachian Trail, outdoor activities including hiking and camping, as well as seeing the sites from Skyline Drive, what's available outside the park, including places to stay and dine, activities just for families and additional resources to the area.

Top Trails: Shenandoah National Park saves readers the time and frustration of finding the perfect hikes to suit their desires. Not only are there hundreds of miles of trails running like veins down and along a narrow mountain spine, but with millions of guests annually, Shenandoah National Park is a heavily visited destination. This book was conceived to make the backcountry majesty of Shenandoah more accessible to visitors. This easy-access, reference type guide presents a variety of hikes from which to choose. The majority of the hikes steer you toward the most scenic areas, giving you the opportunity to enjoy your time on the trail instead of behind someone’s car. Most hikes seek solitude to maximize your Shenandoah experience. However, as the subtitle of this book suggests, there are some “must do” hikes that are popular. Consequently, a few hikes traverse popular and potentially crowded areas. Each hike has a “best times” that will help you manage the trails to your advantage. Day hiking is the best and most popular way to “break into” the Shenandoah wilderness. But for those with the inclination to see the mountain cycle from day to night and back again, many hikes in this book can be used by backpackers as well. Backpackers must follow park backcountry camping regulations and practice “leave no trace” wilderness-use etiquette. Backpackers can capture the changing moods of the mountains as day turns to night, as weather cycles with the sun, as the permanent park residents go about their business of surviving and reproducing. With the Top Trails winning formula of easy-to-follow maps for every hike, trail-feature charts, feature icons, "don't get lost" trail milestones, and GPS waypoints, readers can easily identify the right trail for their interests, abilities, and available time.

This book presents more than 30 day hikes. Classic hikes, such as Rose River Loop and Whiteoak Canyon, are included. However, though the majority of these hikes are not as well known, they offer as much solitude and equally scenic sights––like Lost Cliffs and Furnace Mountain––as the more popular hikes. This will give you the opportunity to get back to nature on your own terms. Often, park sightseers randomly pick a hike without knowing where it will lead, or they follow the crowds wherever they go. Choosing a hike at random in Shenandoah, where many trails drop steeply off the Blue Ridge, may result in a rigorous return to the car with no rewards to show effort. Two types of day hikes are offered: one-way and loop hikes. One-way hikes lead to a particularly rewarding destination and return via the same trail. The return trip allows you to see everything from the opposite vantage point. You may notice more minute trailside features the second go-round, and returning at a different time of day may give the same trail a surprisingly different character. But to some, returning on the same trail just isn’t enjoyable. The loop hikes provide an alternative. Most of the hikes offer solitude to maximize your Shenandoah experience, although portions of some hikes traverse potentially popular areas. It should also be noted that loop hikes are generally longer and harder than one-way hikes, but a bigger challenge can reap bigger rewards. Day hiking is the best and most popular way to "break into" the Shenandoah wilderness. But for those with the inclination to see the mountain cycle from day to night and back again, this book offers ten overnight hikes with the best locales for camping. The length of these hikes–– three days and two nights––was chosen primarily for the weekend backpacker. Backpackers must follow park regulations and practice "leave no trace" wilderness-use etiquette. Each day and overnight hike contains four key elements to help readers plan and enjoy the perfect trip: • GPS-based trail maps • GPS-based elevation profiles • directions to the trailhead • trail descriptions Each trail description offers precise commentary on what to expect along the way and rates each hike for: • scenery • trail condition • difficulty • accessibility for children • solitude Designed to fit easily into a back pocket, this guide leads hikers and backpackers to sites of exceptional beauty and solitude.

* 75 trails and 70 scenic overlooks in Virginia's Shenandoah National Park* Guidebook includes maps and hiking descriptionsShenandoah National Park lies along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains of northeast Virginia, encompassing 196,000 acres, including 80,000 acres of federally designated wilderness. The trails in this thorough guidebook will take hikers along the peaks of the Blue Ridge, past waterfalls, and down into lush canyons. In addition to the detailed trail descriptions, you'll find information about park history, plants and animals, geology, and human history, plus some highlights of the 105-mile Skyline Drive.

This guide features twenty-seven of the best short hikes in Shenandoah National Park. Accurate maps and detailed directions make this pocket-sized handbook both easy to use and authoritative.

For more than twenty-five years, FalconGuide has set the standard for outdoor recreation guidebooks. Written by top outdoors experts and enthusiasts, each guide invites you to experience the endless adventure and rugged beauty of the great outdoors.Best Easy Day Hikes Shenandoah National Park includes concise descriptions and easy-to-follow maps for twenty-six short hikes on well-defined trails through some of the most spectacular scenery and largest red spruce trees within the park.Featuring: Half-hour strolls to full-day adventuresEasy hikes for everyone, including familiesAll hikes easily accessible from paved roads