We concluded our April 2016 visit to Shenandoah National Park with a drive on Skyline Drive. Just after passing the Loft Mountain Wayside, we came to a "bear jam." For those not familiar with the phrase, think of a traffic jam with motorists mesmerized by the actions of one or more bears. When we returned to the area later, the bears were still there. This time, three of them decided to cross the road about 100 feet in front of us. While we saw other people get out of their vehicles to pursue better photo opportunities, note that all of my pictures were taken from inside the vehicle. Luckily, we met these wild animals in this manner instead of while hiking along the Appalachian Trail. Further along the scenic drive, we passed several deer grazing beside the road including one that completely ignored us while continuing to graze. Finally, we stopped at a couple of the overlooks to watch the sunset before heading back down to the valley.
A Shenandoah National Park entry fee of $20 per vehicle, $15 per motorcycle or $10 per person is valid for seven consecutive days. Other fee payment options include the America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes including the Annual Pass ($80), Senior Pass ($10 for lifetime), Access Pass (free with documented disability) and Military Annual Pass (free for active duty personnel).
The Shenandoah National Park website is https://www.nps.gov/shen/index.htm.
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail website is https://www.nps.gov/appa/index.htm.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy website is http://www.appalachiantrail.org/.
No comments:
Post a Comment