Located in the state of Virginia, approximately 120 km (75 miles) west of Washington, DC, Shenandoah National Park lies astride a beautiful section of the Blue Ridge, which forms the eastern rampart of the Appalachian Mountains between Pennsylvania and Georgia. In the valley to the west is the Shenandoah River, from which some feel the Park gets its name, and between the north and south forks of the river is Massanutten, a 40-mile-long mountain. To the east is the rolling Piedmont country. Providing vistas of the spectacular landscape is Skyline Drive, a winding road that runs along the crest of this portion of the Blue Ridge Mountains through the length of the Park.Blue Ridge ParkwayThe meaning of the name Shenandoah remains uncertain. Some say it means "daughter of the stars". Open year round, the peak visitation is in August, but over 400000 people visit the Park in October when the Autumn foliage is at the height of color. The Park contains about 800 km (500 miles) of trails that crisscross Skyline Drive and along the Appalachian Trail that can be enjoyed year round.
Shenandoah National Park was authorized in 1926 and established in 1935 to provide a peaceful refuge for nearby urban populations. The creation of the park has allowed natural forces to restore an area of scenic mountain terrain to much the way it was found by early settlers. Today, visitors from around the world come to Shenandoah to enjoy the natural beauty. Total acreage is 196,466.19, including 79,579 acres of the designated Wilderness area. Elevations range from 160 m (530 ft) at the valley floor (northeast corner of the park) to more than 1200 m (4000 ft) at Hawksbill Mountain.
The Blue Ridge Parkway extends 469 miles through the southern Appalachians of Virginia and North Carolina, linking Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountain National Parks along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Designed as a scenic drive, the Parkway provides both stunning scenery and close-up looks at the natural and cultural history of the mountains. The parkway follows the Appalachian Mountain chain and provides seemingly endless views of many parallel ranges connected by cross ranges and scattered hills.Nantahala ForestAs early as 1909 a visionary project had been planned and the actual survey work begun for a pleasure road along the summit of the Blue Ridge. Actual construction of the Parkway didn't begin until late in 1935, although the plan had been in the works for two years. The 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway was officially dedicated on September 11, 1987, fifty-two years after the ground breaking, although various sections had already been in use for decades.
The greatest visitation is during summer holidays and during the fall color season in mid-October. The Parkway offers 100 trails ranging from short "leg-stretcher" walks to the Appalachian Trail. The Parkway ranges from 200 m (650 ft) above sea level to over 1800 m (6000 ft) at Richland Balsam. The weather is generally mild, but summertime temperatures can be over 30 C (90 F) and winter can produce extended periods of low temperatures, ice, wind, and snow.
"Nantahala" is the Cherokee word meaning "land of the noonday sun," a fitting name for the deep valleys and gorges where the sun only penetrates to the valley floor when directly overhead at midday. With over a half million acres, the Nantahala is the largest of the four national forests in North Carolina.Great Smoky MountainsOccupied for hundreds of years by the Cherokee Indians and their predecessors, this region was first settled by European pioneers in the early 1800s. They gradually forced the Indians deeper into the hills and, in 1838, the U. S. Army escorted most of the tribe to a reservation in Oklahoma, over the infamous "Trail of Tears." A few stayed hidden in the hills until they could legally occupy the land, but final negotiations were not resolved until 1973.
The Nantahala National Forest lies in the mountains and valleys of western North Carolina between Waynesville and Murphy. Elevations in the Nantahala National Forest range from a high of 1770 m (5800 ft) at Lone Bald in Jackson County, to a low of 360 m (1200 ft) in Cherokee County along the Tusquitee River below Appalachian Lake Dam.
The Cherokee people called this area Shaconage, or "Place of blue smoke." The bluish mist, which clings to the mountainsides and fills the valleys, gives the area its name and remains its most distinctive feature. The national park, in the states of North Carolina and Tennessee, encompasses 2050 square kilometers (800 square miles) of which 95 percent are forested. World renowned for the diversity of its plant and animal resources, the beauty of its ancient mountains, the quality of its remnants of American pioneer culture, and the depth and integrity of the wilderness sanctuary within its boundaries, it is one of the largest protected areas in the east.The most visited national park in the National Park System, with over nine million visitors a year. The park is open year-round and the peak months are June to August and October during spectacular autumn color. More than 1200 km (800 miles) of trails provide opportunities ranging from ten-minute saunters on quiet walkways to week-long adventures deep in the forest. There are about 270 km (170 miles) of paved roads and over 160 km (100 miles) of gravel roads. The "backroads" offer a chance to escape traffic and enjoy the more remote areas of the park.
The Park movement survived the ups and downs of local and national politics and the Great Depression, and on June 15, 1934, Congress established the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to protect the last remnant of the southern Appalachian forest, which once covered more than four million acres but was virtually eliminated by logging and fire. Stewardship was turned over to the National Park Service. Land acquisition continued and on September 2, 1940, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt officially dedicated the park. Elevations in the park range from 240 m (800 ft) to 2025 m (6643 ft) at Clingmans Dome.
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