Located roughly 2 hours East of Washington DC is the vibrant wilderness of Shenandoah National Park, a land of prominent mountains, deep valleys, and rushing rivers.
My visit to Shenandoah National Park officially marked the completion of year one of my journey to become a travel photographer. One full year of countless flights, endless drives, and brutal hikes all to capture the beauty of this world we live in. From the mountains of New Zealand to the deserts of Arizona to the forests of California, I’ve had a chance to see the best of every type of terrain that exists, and I look forward to seeing what year two will bring!
About Shenandoah National Park
The creation of Shenandoah National Park is both a story of environmentalism as well as displacement: starting in 1930, the Commonwealth of Virginia began to purchase and condemn (using imminent domain) over 3000 individual parcels of land in Shenandoah Valley, forcing over 500 families to move away from the homes they had lived in for generations. These 3000 parcels of land were then combined and handed over the Federal Government who after several years of deliberation would officially make Shenandoah a National Park in 1935.
Where is Shenandoah and How Do I Get There?
Shenandoah National Park is located roughly 2 hours dead east of Washington D.C., or an hour and half North East of Richmond, VA. I flew to Dulles airport and drove up, staying in the small towns of Ruckersville and Luray. The Park is quite large- so consider staying in multiple locations (on each side of it) during your visit.
Top Things to do in Shenandoah National Park
• Old Rag Mountain: An innocent looking 3 mile hike through the woods ends with an epic 1.5 mile scramble over large, exposed rock faces to reach the summit. I would highly recommend getting an early start on this hike, as it can get quite crowded.
One of the many boulder scrambles on Old Rag Mountain
• Dark Hollow Falls: Easily one of my favorite waterfalls I’ve seen since I started my National Park journey. Located at the end of a relatively easy 1.5-mile hike.
That’s all for now. Next up I am headed back to my former stomping ground of Southern Florida to see the Everglades!
-MB
Bonus Images:
