Gazing across the horizon from the peaks of Shenandoah National Park, it is hard to believe you are just 75 miles from the bustle of our nation’s capital. Skyline Drive, the park’s scenic byway, has over 75 overlooks providing spectacular views. 500 miles of trails lead hikers to waterfalls, vistas, and the quiet of the woods. Plan a Shenandoah experience today!
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Gazing across the horizon from the peaks of Shenandoah National Park, it’s hard to believe you are just 75 miles from the bustle of our nation’s capital. Skyline Drive, the park’s scenic byway, has over 75 overlooks providing spectacular views. 500 miles of trails lead hikers to waterfalls, vistas, and the quiet of the woods. Plan a Shenandoah experience today!
Plan a visit to Shenandoah in 2011 to join in the 75th Anniversary Celebration. Special events in the park and surrounding communities will commemorate the past and anticipate another 75 years of the Shenandoah experience! Visit the official 75th Anniversary website for details on special events and much more.
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a US National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and an International Biosphere Reserve that straddles the border between Tennessee and North Carolina. Because of its substantial size, its location within a few hundred miles of several large cities, its year-round accessibility, and of course its general appeal to a wide variety of people, it consistently ranks the most-visited national park in the USA, with 9-10 million visits per year.
Click on the picture for video. Click here for Pictures.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a US National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and an International Biosphere Reserve that straddles the border between Tennessee and North Carolina. Because of its substantial size, its location within a few hundred miles of several large cities, its year-round accessibility, and of course its general appeal to a wide variety of people, it consistently ranks the most-visited national park in the USA, with 9-10 million visits per year.
The Park was established on June 15, 1934 after a long process of land purchases starting in with Congress’ authorization in 1926. Rockefeller family donated $5 million. This great deed was honored by the erection of a memorial at Newfound Gap. The park was officially dedicated on September 2, 1940 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Travelling by car is the best method to visit the park. The most popular entrance into the park is from the North through Gatlinburg, Tennessee. You can also enter from the South on the North Carolina side of park, through Cherokee, Maggie Valley, or Bryson City.
There are no entrance fees charged for visiting this park thanks to restrictions imposed when the park was established. Take your car or backpack. Yes, you can walk through the park on the Appalachian Trail.
The park has several visitor centers inside the park as well as some in the surrounding areas. These centers offer various ranger-led programs, facilities, services, and exhibits. Visitors can get information to help plan their visit to the park and get answers to their questions from park rangers. There are two main ones:
* Sugarlands Visitors Center Serves the Tennessee half of the park with a gift shop, small museum, and theater
* Oconaluftee Visitors Center Serves the North Carolina half.
In addition, there are visitors centers outside the park in Gatlinburg and Townsend.
* A drive around Cades Cove, an historic farming valley, is very popular due to the frequency of wildlife. However, due to congestion and “deer jams,” the effective speed on this 11 mile (17 km) one-way loop is very slow – allow a few hours.
* Take the walking path to the top of Clingmans Dome (6643 feet / 2025 m), it is the highest point in the park, the highest point in Tennessee, and the third highest point east of the Mississippi river. From the Sugarlands Visitors Center, go south 13 miles on Newfound Gap Road, to the also stunning Morton Overlook, and west 7 miles to the parking lot, before hiking a fairly steep path .5 mile to a concrete overlook.
* Morton Overlook En route to Clingmans dome.
* The easiest waterfall hike is 2.5 miles round trip to Laurel Falls. The trail is paved and accessible even to strollers.
* US Highway 441 (Newfound Gap Road) runs north to south through the park connecting Gatlinburg, Tennessee to Cherokee, North Carolina. The road has steep grades and some tunnels as it winds through the mountains. There are many pull offs offering different views of the park, including the road to Clingmans Dome.
* Bears The park is home to more than 1,000 black bears.
* Snakes Twenty-three (23) types of snakes make their home in the park’s lands, but only two varieties are venomous: Timber Rattlesnakes and Copperheads.
* Waterfalls Do not climb on the falls.
* Hypothermia Be cautious when in the park’s streams.
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Gazing across the horizon from the peaks of Shenandoah National Park it’s hard to believe you are just 75 miles from the bustle of our nation’s capital. Take Skyline Drive along the crest of the mountains through the woods and past spectacular vistas. Hike in the shade of oak trees along the Appalachian Trail, discover the stories from Shenandoah””s past, or just relax in the wonder of wilderness.
A visit to this quaint, historic community, at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, is like stepping into the past. Stroll the picturesque streets, visit exhibits and museums, or hike trails and battlefields. There’s a wide variety of experiences for visitors of all ages, so come and discover Harpers Ferry.
New Bedford is in Massachusetts on the southern coast. New Bedford’s excellent harbor made it a natural fishing and whaling center. It was the world’s premier whaling port in the nineteenth and for a time “the richest city in the world” and “the city that lit the world” because of whale oil production.
A visit to this quaint, historic community, at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, is like stepping into the past. Stroll the picturesque streets, visit exhibits and museums, or hike trails and battlefields. There’s a wide variety of experiences for visitors of all ages, so come and discover Harpers Ferry.
The Appalachian Trail runs through Harpers Ferry. A short walk along the trail from the lower town to the C&O; Canal will take you from West Virginia to Maryland in just a few minutes.
Join a guided ranger tour, buy a book at the Historical Association’s bookshop or just explore on your own. A short walk takes you into the town of Harpers Ferry where you will find some restaurants and shops.
Harpers Ferry is also known for John Brown’s attack on slavery and the largest surrender of Federal troops during the American Civil War. A day trip or weekend getaway to this region is a great way to combine a love of history and nature. Park covers over 2,300 acres and crosses into 3 states: West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia.
The historic town of Harpers Ferry is located along U.S. Route 340 in Jefferson County, West Virginia, about 90 minutes from Washington, DC. Public transportation is available by Amtrak or MARC Rail.
* River Riders is a White Water Guide Service. Rafting, Tubing, Kayaking, Canoeing, Biking, Fishing, Team Building and Summer Camp.
* Harpers Ferry Toy Train Museum & Joy Line Railroad,Route 3, 937 Baker Road.
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