By Gary Frederick • Conservation Chair, Raritan Valley Group
Among our great national parks, Shenandoah lies within a day’s drive of New Jersey and contains some of the most pristine forested wilderness areas on the East Coast. During this past fall, when foliage colors were at their peak, I spent a few days with my wife and friends hiking the park’s magnificent trails and enjoying breathtaking views across the Shenandoah Valley.
Imagine a panorama of chestnut and red oak treetops, carpeted across the hills with their leaves turned red and gold from the chill of the autumn air. To the west are 3,500-foot views of the fertile Shenandoah Valley; to the east, the rolling hills of Virginia Piedmont.
On trails that were blanketed with golden fallen leaves, we hiked one day through quiet woods, first ascending steeply to Hawksbill Mountain with its 4,050 foot elevation and views of the valley. The next day we hiked down the Dark Hollow Falls trail to see its majestic waterfalls and then continued on for several miles to Rose River Falls. Along the way we followed fast-moving streams cascading over boulders and paths dappled with sunlight, eventually emerging from the forest onto a wider carriage-type road, which then wound back into the woods. We ended our visit with an easy hike along the Loft Mountain Loop, a 2-mile route with an elevation gain of 500 feet.
Shenandoah is known for its great hiking trails, including 101 miles of the Appalachian Trail, which meanders its way for 2,194 miles from Georgia to Maine. A white rectangular blaze marked on trees told us when we were on the famous trail. In total, Shenandoah has more than 500 miles of trails, plus numerous campgrounds and lodges for multiday visits. We stayed at Big Meadows Lodge, located at the midway point of the 105-mile long Skyline Drive. The lodge, dating back to the park’s dedication in 1936 by President Franklin Roosevelt, is a rustic throwback to simpler times. No TVs in the rooms in the main lodge building, finicky radiator heat, and sketchy Wi-Fi at best. But in a way, it seemed perfect for our time with nature.
For those who want to see the entire park on their trip, a drive along Skyline Drive provides many awesome vantage points throughout its entire length from Front Royal, VA, in the north to Rockfish Gap, its southernmost point. But for me, hiking will always be the most fulfilling way to see a great space like Shenandoah. Hiking through quiet woods, away from traffic, congestion, and noise, is calming and rejuvenating. There’s no feeling like it, and I can’t wait to go back and hike some more.