After descending back to the Ridge and Valley Province of the Appalachians, we traveled to the northeast, crossing the New River twice as it flowed toward the Ohio Valley and also crossing the James River, which flows to the Chesapeake Bay. Our destination was Shenandoah National Park, in Virginia, which stretches for 105 miles atop a segment of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Early this morning, fog shrouded much of the scenery but rapidly burned off in the bright October sunshine. On our winding journey northward, we stopped for two hikes but also pulled off at dozens of overlooks that are spaced along Skyline Drive. The scenery was spectacular but the crowds were significant, especially for a Monday in late October.
As at all National Parks, tourism is overwhelming the resources and stressing the natural ecosystem; the central road, overlooks, trails and visitor centers were all heavily congested. Furthermore, as scenic as the Park may be, there is little variety over the course of the day-long journey and wildlife viewing is almost nonexistent due to the widespread human activity. When it comes to experiencing nature, I'll take a secluded, unheralded refuge over a National Park any day.
