Part 2

The limberlost at the head of Whiteoak Canyon contains hemlocks that are over 400 years old and 3 feet in diameter. The dead trunks of some giant American chestnuts are still standing, but these trees are no longer a part of the Blue Ridge forest—they were killed out by the chestnut blight. The forests of 300 years ago were cut for wood products and to clear land, and their regrowth was prevented by fire and grazing.

Today’s forest contains mostly small trees. The older oaks along the exposed ridge lines have been twisted and broken by ice and wind. In many places open fields are becoming overgrown with scrub pine, black locust, sassafras, and other early invaders. These lead the way for the return of the climax oak forest that will again someday clothe the mountains.

The changing seasons make the variety of Shenandoah’s woody plants conspicuous. The flowers of redbud, dogwood, wild cherry, black locust, azalea, and mountain laurel make spring a veritable fairyland. The autumn color parade begins with black gum and red maple, varied and added to by hickories, dogwood, ash, and sassafras, until the climax of oaks makes the slopes blaze with red and orange, then subside to russet and brown. The gray of winter branches is relieved only by the dark green of pine, spruce, fir, and hemlock.

From March to November, you will find flowers blooming in the Blue Ridge. So many kinds: 80 different flowering plants can be identified in a day’s walk.

In the spring, hepatica and masses of violets, bluets, and marsh marigolds brave the uncertain weather of March and April, followed by the bloodroot, trillium, and jack-in-the-pulpit. Summer brings great clumps of goldenrod and Queen Anne’s lace, asters, daisies, and black-eyed-susans along the roadside. In the fields look for columbine, the showy turks-cap lily, and the purple thistle.

Autumn’s brilliant leaves compete with the flower displays, but many varieties hold their own—goldenrod, asters, chicory, yarrow, fireweed, and ironweed. To all these are added the bright fruits of the dogwood, white baneberry, sumac, and mountain ash. It is no wonder that October draws more visitors to the park than any other month except July.

WILDLIFE

_Birds._

This park is an exciting place for birdwatchers who could, if they had time and patience, spot more than 100 different species at the height of the spring migration (April and May). Other migrants bring the year’s total to 200.

You will notice first of all the soaring birds—buzzards, vultures, and ravens—because they are constantly “floating” over mountaintops and valleys. Take a few minutes to watch the raven do his stunts. He’s the acrobat of the park’s bird population. Like a highly maneuverable aircraft, he dives and stalls, somersaults and soars for hours on end, apparently with no aim but to have a good time.

On the roadside, watch for the indigo bunting and junco, the ruffed grouse, and, in the southern part of the park, the wild turkey. Along the trail you will hear the towhee call his name; the hammering of the woodpecker; the call of the whip-poor-will and the mourning dove; the screech of the jay.

The woods are filled with songbirds; if you listen closely, you may hear oven-birds, red-eyed vireoes, nuthatches, chickadees, catbirds, wrens, brown-thrashers, and black-throated blue warblers.

Bring your bird guide along. You will find your hikes and walks greatly enriched by being able to identify the birds you see and hear, and you may introduce the whole family to a new interest that will reward you wherever you travel.

_Mammals._

Because the Blue Ridge was dominated by man for over 200 years, wild animals both large and small became scarce. Now, under park protection, deer and bears, bobcats and foxes are increasing in number. Of these, most likely you will see the white-tailed deer in the early morning or evening in open meadows. Watch for them at Skyland, near the Whiteoak parking area, at Big Meadows, and at the edge of the forests, particularly in the northern part of the park.

The woodchuck feeds all day long on the shoulders of the drive, but because he is the same color as the rocks, you may miss him. The friendly, noisy chipmunk you will find in camp and picnic grounds. Gray squirrels are numerous in the woods and cottontails in meadows and clearings. Flying squirrels are active only at night.

Also, after dark be on the lookout for the pert, masked face of the raccoon. He, as well as the familiar black-and-white coat of the skunk, may turn up in the glare of your headlights.

_Fishes._

An interesting assortment of native fishes lives in quiet pools and turbulent riffles of park streams. In cooler headwaters, brook trout find a favourite home. Suckers, shiners, dace, bass, and sunfish join the trout in warmer waters farther downstream. More than 20 kinds of fishes inhabit the park waters. The American eel makes its long migration from the Shenandoah streams to the Atlantic Ocean to spawn and then return upstream.

THE SEASONS

Shenandoah National Park is open the year round. However, you may occasionally find Skyline Drive closed for short periods because of ice, snow, or heavy fog. Big Meadows Campground is open the year around, and lodge and cottage accommodations are available from April through October; exact dates depend on the weather. Entrance fees are suspended during the winter.

_Spring._

When the buds turn red on the maple trees, you know that spring is on the way to the Blue Ridge. Soon, the pale-green veil of new leaves begins to creep slowly—about a hundred feet a day—up the slopes from the valley floor until the mountainsides are painted with the color of spring. In the woods, the violets and marsh marigolds are blooming together in clumps beside the springs, and tiny blossoms appear everywhere in sunny patches on the forest floor. The air is crisp and fresh. Except for a few mild days, it is cold in the park until June. Along the drive, the dogwood and redbud bloom early, followed by azalea and black locust, and in early June by the delicate pink and white of laurel.

_Summer._

These are the hazy, lazy days that often bring afternoon thunderstorms and spectacular waves of fog that sweep across the mountaintops and hide the valleys. Temperatures are a comfortable 15° lower than those in the valley—mid-80’s in the daytime, mid-40’s at night. At midday, the air is heavy with the damp, earthy smell of the woods, and the sweet scent of wildflowers in the fields. It is a good time of year to go for a leisurely walk in the woods, where shade is everywhere, or to pluck blackberries and blueberries in the Big Meadows. And if a shower catches up with you, you’ll be dry again before you get back. We suggest that you take a short walk out to Stony Man or Crescent Rock and gaze at the incredible patchwork of farm and field in the valley below. Field glasses will add to your enjoyment of this view.

_Autumn._

This time of year brings the “down-flowing” of autumn color from mountaintops to the coves and hollows. By mid-September the foliage has begun to change, starting with the Virginia creeper. Exquisite patches of color—the blood-red of the gum, the red and yellow of the maple—appear in large areas of green, and soon whole mountainsides have “caught fire.” There is a series of “color-peaks” as varied as the different latitudes and altitudes within the park, but the most lavish displays usually occur between October 10 and 20. This is hiking weather, and campfire-picnic weather.

_Winter._

Do not discount the beauty of the Blue Ridge in winter when the trees shed their leaves and open up new vistas. Now, you can see long distances in every direction. The cold crisp days are brilliant, and the evergreens stand out like bright-green exclamations against the snowy white of the hillsides. After a storm, with the roads freshly cleared, you can come up and inspect Stony Man, who will be wearing a frosty beard. Gleaming icicles cascade over a cliff like a frozen Niagara. On crisp winter mornings observe the ghostly fog “fingers” that protrude from branches like ruffled white plumes.

HUMAN HISTORY

There is no record—except for isolated artifacts—of Indian inhabitants in Shenandoah National Park. The Shawnee and the Moneton, Saponi, and Manahoac were reported in the valleys during the 17th century, but they wandered into the mountains only occasionally to hunt.

It is not surprising, then, that John Lederer found only deer, bears, and wolves when he arrived in the present area of Big Meadows with his Indian guides. Virginia’s Governor, Sir William Berkeley, had sent him, in 1669, to explore the unknown mountains. Lederer is the first known white man to venture into the uncharted Blue Ridge.

In 1716, Gov. Alexander Spotswood, also seeking westward expansion for Virginia, led 50 men on horseback through Swift Run Gap and down the western slope to see the Shenandoah Valley, where they camped by the river they called “Euphrates.” After their return home Spotswood proclaimed them “Knights of the Golden Horseshoe,” and presented each a tiny gold horseshoe.

Shortly afterward, English, German, and Scotch-Irish pioneers began to settle in the valleys. They gradually moved up into the coves and hollows of the Blue Ridge. By 1760, roads were being built, and grist mills, sawmills, cider presses, and tanneries were common sights. The first toll turnpike, in 1785, crossed the mountains at Thornton Gap (Panorama). It was named for Francis Thornton, who settled there in 1733. Other important roads crossed at Swift Run and Browns Gap, in the southern section of the park.

In the early years, the settlers of the Blue Ridge coves and hollows wrested a comfortable living from their farms and domestic industries. They sold lumber products and tanbark to the lowland settlers for cash and thus could buy things they could not produce.

For some 20 years before the Civil War, there was iron and copper mining in the Blue Ridge. The mountain people were not much affected by this short-lived industry and by the time the war came, the ores had been worked out. You can see remnants of the old copper mines on the Stony Man Nature Trail.

During the Civil War, both the Piedmont and the Shenandoah Valley became battlegrounds; Browns Gap was used by Jackson as an important thoroughfare in the Campaign of 1862, and Signal Knob became a major communications point. You can see Signal Knob from the Shenandoah Valley Overlook.

When the railroad came to the Shenandoah Valley, heavy machinery and larger, more efficient industry came with it. Many mills and tanyards that served small communities through the skill and energy of one man or family became quiet, then decayed into the landscape. Demand for the mountaineers’ crafts decreased. They had little cash income left except from moonshining and chestnuts. By 1915, the fungus chestnut blight had destroyed most of the chestnut trees.

Isolated from the rapidly changing lowlands, and with their forest and soil resources depleted, the mountain people were reduced to subsistence farming.

As the years passed, the population of the mountains east of the Shenandoah dwindled. However, there were still over 2,000 people living on the lands which were acquired by the State of Virginia for Shenandoah National Park. Before the land was deeded to the Federal Government, these people, more than 400 families, moved to new homes. The self-sufficient families moved without assistance. The very old and the disabled were helped by the State Welfare Department. About 300 families were moved into homesteads by the U. S. Resettlement Administration. Here each family had the use of a house and small farm with the privilege of long-term purchase.

A PARK EMERGES

The first official act in forming the park was the appointment of the Southern Appalachian National Park Committee. The Secretary of the Interior appointed the committee to survey the Blue Ridge and other eastern regions as sites for future National Parks. After hearing the report, local groups were formed to promote the project.

The Shenandoah National Park Association, formed in 1925, became an instrument of this movement. In 9 months its members raised $1,249,000. Twenty-four thousand Virginians pledged this amount to buy up the necessary property at $6 an acre. The Virginia Assembly voted an additional million dollars to help buy up the 3,870 private tracts, and in 1926 Congress formally authorized establishment of the park.

Eight years went by before the land was totally acquired. In the interim the Skyline Drive, which early had been visualized as one of the major attractions of the park, was begun in 1931. In 1934 the first section was opened to the public.

At Big Meadows, on July 3, 1936, Shenandoah National Park was dedicated “to present and succeeding generations of Americans for the recreation and the re-creation” they were to find there.

PRESERVING THE PARK

You may wonder why dead trees and fallen logs are not removed, why streams are not dammed for swimming, and why certain plants and animals are not brought into the park and others removed.

The answer is in the fundamental policy of the National Park Service to maintain the National Parks in their natural state. The landscape scars—remnants of roads and fences, and grazed-over land—will disappear in time. The forests will come back to cover the farmlands, and in its own way the wildlife will balance and adjust to this forest ecology. These are the things you see taking place in your National Parks all over the country.

And so we ask you not to disturb the flowers or trees in any way, and not to collect rock specimens. You can help to protect the wildlife by driving carefully. Hunting is prohibited anywhere in the park.

PREPARING FOR YOUR VISIT

_Books and Maps._

Knowing something about the park before your visit will help you enjoy it more. You can order books and maps from the Shenandoah Natural History Association (a nonprofit organization), c/o Shenandoah National Park, Luray, Va., or buy them at the visitor center or at park headquarters. The association will send you a list of titles and prices. The following publications are representative.

The book, _Skyland, Heart of Shenandoah National Park_, based on the autobiography of George Freeman Pollock, contains early photographs. _The Mammals of Shenandoah National Park_ describes the wildlife in the park with stories and photographs. The illustrated book, _101 Wildflowers of Shenandoah National Park_, is an excellent flower guide. Topographic trail maps of north, central, and south sections of the park and a booklet describe _20 Circuit Hikes_.

Describing not only Shenandoah, but all of our parks, is Freeman Tilden’s _The National Parks_.

_What To Bring._

Summer sportswear for daytime; sweaters and topcoats for evening (tuck in a raincoat, too). Bring sturdy shoes for walking; non-skid soles are good for rocks and slippery trails. Binoculars, or field glasses, will double your appreciation of the park, especially of its birds and animals. Do not forget your camera; film is available at the lodges.

HOW TO REACH THE PARK

There are four main entrances to the park along the Skyline Drive. These are:

_North Entrance_ (Front Royal, Va.): From U.S. 340 and Va. 55 and 522.

_Thornton Gap_ (Mile 31.6): From U.S. 211.

_Swift Run Gap_ (Mile 65.7): From U.S. 33.

_South Entrance_ (Rockfish Gap): From U.S. 250, and from the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The Blue Ridge Parkway, when completed, will link Shenandoah National Park with Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a distance of 469 miles. A unit of the National Park System, the parkway is more than two-thirds complete. Short detours are well marked. Information on road conditions can be obtained at the entrance stations.

_Bus service_

is available at nearby towns all year. Virginia Trailways, Charlottesville, Va., operates tours to and through the park from late May through October. Call Trailways terminals for reservations and information.

PARK REGULATIONS

_Traffic._

The speed limit is 35 miles per hour. Park rangers, in charge of traffic control, investigate all accidents. When necessary they gather material for preparation of court cases to be heard before a park commissioner.

Signal when crossing the road to overlooks. Drive slowly on curves and in rainy weather when roads are slippery. In fog, observe “Travel Not Advised” warnings; they are posted for your safety. If you must proceed, use your driving lights.

The solid centerline in the road is for your safety. Keep to the right. Pass only when your sight distance permits.

_Fires._

Build fires only in fireplaces at picnic areas and campgrounds. Be sure your campfire is out! Be careful with cigarettes; do not throw them from your automobile or along the trail. Remember, fire is the forest’s greatest enemy.

_Pets._

Dogs and cats must be on a leash at all times, or otherwise confined.

_Litter._

You will find trash receptacles in all parking and picnic areas. Deposit your refuse there—do not throw it along the road like a litterbug!

_Camping_

is limited to 14 days in any one year. Campsites cannot be reserved; when they are filled, rangers will direct you to temporary campgrounds.

_Fishing._

A Virginia license is required. Trout fishing only permitted. A 3-day-$3 nonresident trout fishing license is available at all concession units in the park. Obtain a complete set of fishing regulations from a park ranger at the entrance station as you come into the park, or write to the superintendent for a set.

_Firearms._

Assembled firearms and similar devices, including air pistols and rifles, bows and arrows, and slingshots, are prohibited. Shenandoah National Park is a sanctuary for all wildlife, and the hunting, killing, wounding, frightening, or capturing of any wildlife is prohibited.

VISITOR-USE FEES

Vehicle permit fees are collected at entrance stations. If you arrive when an entrance station is unattended, you must obtain a permit before leaving the park. Fees are not listed herein because they are subject to change, but the information may be obtained by writing to the superintendent.

Fee revenues are deposited in the U.S. Treasury; they offset, in part, the cost of operating and maintaining the National Parks.

ADMINISTRATION

Shenandoah National Park is administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

The National Park System, of which this park is a unit, is dedicated to conserving the scenic, scientific, and historic heritage of the United States for the benefit and enjoyment of its people.

Development of this park is part of MISSION 66, a 10-year conservation program to unfold the full potential of the National Park System for the use and enjoyment of both present and future generations.

The administrative offices of Shenandoah National Park are located 4 miles west of Thornton Gap and 4 miles east of Luray, Va., on Lee Highway (U.S. 211). If you have questions or comments about the park, send them to the Superintendent, Shenandoah National Park, Luray, Va.

_Park Rangers_ are the protective force of the park, and are assigned to enforce park regulations, and to help and advise you during your stay. Consult them if you are in any difficulty, or need information. Ranger stations are indicated on the map on pages 10-13.

_Park Naturalists_ are here to help you understand and enjoy the park’s features. You will meet the naturalists at the visitor center, at evening campfire talks, and on conducted walks. They welcome your questions and comments.

AMERICA’S NATURAL RESOURCES

Created in 1849, the Department of the Interior—America’s Department of Natural Resources—is concerned with the management, conservation, and development of the Nation’s water, wildlife, mineral, forest, and park and recreational resources. It also has major responsibilities for Indian and territorial affairs.

As the Nation’s principal conservation agency, the Department works to assure that nonrenewable resources are developed and used wisely, that park and recreational resources are conserved, and that renewable resources make their full contribution to the progress, prosperity, and security of the United States—now and in the future.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

Revised 1963 U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1963—O-676410 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C.—Price 15 cents

Transcriber’s Notes

—Silently corrected a few typos.

—Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook is public-domain in the country of publication.

—In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by _underscores_.

End of Project Gutenberg's Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, by Anonymous