Fact Sheet

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History

  • May 22, 1926 – Date Authorized
  • December 26, 1935 – Date Established
  • July 3, 1936 – Park dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Park Size:

  • 197,438.76 acres (includes 79,579 acres of wilderness area)

Weather:

  • Temperatures range from 10 to 100 degrees
  • Precipitation Average: 40-50 inches annually

Topography:

  • Over 60 peaks with elevation over 3,000 feet
  • Highest peak – Hawksbill at 4,051 feet
  • Lowest elevation – 561 feet near the north end

Geology:

  • Three primary bedrock types:
    • granitic
    • siliciclastic
    • basaltic

Historic Designations

  • The park includes two National Historic Landmarks (Rapidan Camp and Skyline Drive Historic District)

Roads & Trails

  • 236 miles of roads (including 105 miles of Skyline Drive)
  • 75 overlooks
  • 518 miles of hiking trails (including 200 miles of designated horse trails and 101 miles of Appalachian Trail)

Lodging & Dining

  • 3 lodging facilities (286 rooms total):
    • Skyland – 179 rooms
    • Big Meadows Lodge – 97 rooms
    • Lewis Mountain – 10 rooms
  • 3 waysides
  • 5 food service outlets – 530 seats
  • 6 merchandise outlets
  • 1 service station
  • 3 public showers/laundries
  • 1 stable for trail rides

National Park Service Facilities

  • Four Entrance Stations:
    • Front Royal at U.S. 340
    • Thornton Gap at U.S. 211
    • Swift Run Gap at U.S. 33
    • Rockfish Gap at I-64 / U.S. 250
  • Two Visitor Centers
  • One Information Station
  • 2 boundary contact stations (weekends only)
  • 4 campgrounds
    • Mathews Arm Campground 172 family sites; 3 group sites
    • Big Meadows Campground 220 family sites; 2 group sites
    • Lewis Mountain Campground 30 family sites
    • Loft Mountain Campground 220 family sites; 3 group sites
  • 7 picnic grounds

Hydrology:

  • Over 90 streams
  • Highest waterfall: Overall Run at 93 feet
  • Most visited waterfall: Dark Hollow Falls at 70 feet

Flora, Fauna & Forest

  • 1300+ species of plants
  • 267 species of trees and shrubs
  • 95% of park forested
  • 50 species of mammals
  • 1 species of ungulate
  • 1 species of bear
  • 32 species of fish
  • 27 species of reptiles
  • 18 species of snakes
  • 2 species of poisonous snake
  • 5 species of turtles
  • 3 species of skunks
  • 1 species of lizard
  • 24 species of amphibians
  • 10 species of toads and frogs
  • 14 species salamanders and newts
  • 1 federally endangered salamander
  • Over 200 species of bird

 

There’s so much to see!

So,  what should I do first?

We know there is a lot to see and do in the Park.  So we decided to create a seasonal top 10 lists for those who have only limited time. We asked park rangers to give us their best recommendations. Learn more about what they suggested: the Top 10 Things to Do in Shenandoah National Park.