SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK

preserve of 193,537 ac (78,322 ha) in the Blue Ridge section of the Appalachians, in northern Virginia, U.S., formed in 1935. The park is noted for its scenery, which affords some of the widest views in the eastern states. Skyline Drive runs the length of the park, winding among the peaks and through valleys and gaps. This accessibility is due to the great age of the mountains, which have been rounded and worn down by millions of years of erosion. Except for a few grassy meadows along the crest, Shenandoah National Park is heavily forested with both hardwoods and conifers. From spring to autumn a succession of brilliant wild flowers bloom. Wildlife includes deer, foxes, squirrels, and other mammals, along with numerous birds, some of which migrate south in winter.