Shenandoah National Park Prepares for Fall Travel Season

Shorter days and cooler nights signal the arrival of fall in Shenandoah National Park. Every autumn is different, and park staff is looking forward to a wonderful fall season. Some of the trees and other plants are already putting on their autumn colors.

Fall means it's also time for the weekly Fall Color Report which provides some observations from around the park. Visitors can now find these reports on the park's website or listen to them on the park's main phone line at 540-999-3500 option 6. The Fall Color Report is updated each Friday through the end of October. If you can't visit but want to see the fall color progression you can check-out the park's Mountain View webcam.

The mountains are a particularly good place to view fall colors because the steep slopes afford visitors an opportunity to view the kaleidoscope of color that moves down from the peaks to the Shenandoah Valley or Virginia Piedmont below. Superintendent Jim Northup said, "We look forward to the many visitors who come from around the world to experience the incredible fall color show while stopping at overlooks along Skyline Drive, hiking through the park's wilderness, or just relaxing with friends and family." October is the park's most heavily visited month of the year.

As night falls more quickly toward the end of October, park facilities will begin closing for the season. A complete list of seasonal closures can be found here.



Jeff
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