Fall colours in Shenandoah National Park
The skyline drive in the Shenandoah National Park is designed to have plenty of overlooks to stop by and enjoy the views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We were fortunate to be here when the colours were changing all around. Green foliage changing to yellow, orange and red and all possible hues in between, was an unparalleled visual treat.
The challenge was to store these visuals in our memory as well as capture these beautiful colours in the camera.
Established in the heart of the Appalachian mountains in 1935, the Civilian Conservation Corps played an important role in the work related to construction, masonry and landscaping. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated Shenandoah National Park to “this and to succeeding generations for the recreation and the re-creation”.
Shenandoah is home to more than 100 varieties of trees and 300 animal species with a significant population of black bear, ground hog and white-tailed deer. American Chestnut and a variety of oak trees dominated this region in the past. Today oak and hickory are the dominant trees.
There are more than 1100 species of flowering plants including 18 varieties of orchids.
We stopped by several overlooks to enjoy the spectacular views of the blue ridge mountains, valleys and the fall colours. We did few hiking trails including the Stony Man trail, which starts near Skyland. The Appalachian trail has more than 100 miles passing through this national park.
It was George Freeman Pollock, a naturalist and conservationist, who established Skyland, way before the national park. We did two more hiking trails, one near Big Meadows and the other near Dickey Ridge Visitor Center. Apart from the few trails that we did, it was a nice feeling that we were able to walk few miles of the famed Appalachian trail.
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