Just a few hours’ drive from Washington, Shenandoah National Park lies at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is a long and narrow national park covering an area of 805 km2 in the state of Virginia in the United States of America. The mighty Shenandoah River flows through the valley in the western part of the park, after which the park got its name. The east is more hilly, but the ridges are not at all high. The highest hill in the entire national park – Hawskbill measures 4051 feet above sea level.
Although the park was founded by President Franklin D. Roosevelt back in 1935, it is not one of the most famous and sought-after parks. However, its advantage is its proximity to Washington, so most people associate its visit with a tour of the US capital. The nature of this national park is not overwhelming compared to other parks, but it is very pleasant and ideal for relaxing trips. The park is 95% forested and up to 100 different types of trees can be found in the deep forests.
A road called Skyline Drive passes through the park, which is 169 km long, runs along the main ridge and crosses the park along its entire length. The hilly views along the road are magical, which is why 88 viewpoints have been built here. The truth is that most visitors don’t even go into the national park’s forests, but just drive through this road and stop here and there to take a few “nature” photos. But that’s a big shame. Skyline Drive is part of the Blude Ridge Parkway, which stretches like a ridge through a beautiful landscape for a total length of 469 miles.
The first settlers arrived in the area in 1716 and began to slowly push out the original Native American population. Today, this area is home mainly to brown bears, of which there are said to be around one thousand. Their food is mainly roe deer, of which numerous herds run here. In the park, be careful not to leave food in the tent, store it either in the car or in special plastic boxes designed for this purpose. Bears have a very good sense of smell, and such an alarm clock with a bear in the tent would not be very pleasant.
According to iamaccepted, the park is home to two hundred species of birds, tall and many smaller mammals. The local rivers and streams are widely sought after by anglers mainly due to the presence of trout. Shenandoah National Park is also home to many waterfalls of various sizes. It is possible to camp in several campsites reserved for this purpose, which are mostly located along the road. In summer, however, it is possible to spend a maximum of 14 days here.
Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail
The Star – Spangled Banner National Historic Trail is a reminder of a military campaign that took place during the War of 1812. The trail stretches for 467 km and its name is also the name of the American national anthem. The trail is made up not only of land, but also of waterways and runs from Tangier Island, Virginia, through southern Maryland, the District of Columbia, the Chesapeake Bay to Baltimore, Maryland. It was designated a National Historic Trail on May 8, 2008. The Star-Spangled Banner NHT connects towns, homes, ancient battlefields and landscapes along the Chesapeake Bay.
The trail is a memorial to the War of 1812 and the birthplace of the American National Anthem. The lyrics of the anthem were written by lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the garrison of Fort McHenry in Baltimore successfully resisting heavy shelling from the sea on the night of September 13-14, 1814 during the Anglo-American War. Key’s poem “The Defense of Fort McHenry” was first printed on September 17, and again three days later, but this time under a new title. It was also set to the tune of the English Anacreon song “To Anacreon in Heaven” by John Stafford Smith. This song became the anthem of the United States of America by a decision of Congress on March 3, 1931. The decision was signed by President Herbert Hoover.
