Shenandoah National Park & New River National Park


 Image credit: Author 

 National Parks in the eastern U.S. differ quite a bit from those in the western ones, due largely to how populated different parts of the country were at the time National Parks were being established. 

 The eastern parks are more patchwork, with park areas surrounded by and including developed areas, as opposed to the wide-open, vast expanses more characteristic of the western parks. The eastern parks are also generally more accessible to heavily populated areas, with Shenandoah NP in particular being located within a day's drive for 2/3 of the U.S. population. Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Baltimore in particular are a short distance from this park.  

 Image credit: Author

This results in different usage patterns, with the western parks containing some nearby residents out for a day trip, the vast majority of users have come from other states and nations. Trail design is also different in the eastern parks. Many of the trails in the east use techniques from 100+ years ago, where trail designers generally chose a destination such as a viewpoint or waterfall and carved the trail in the most direct route to the trailhead to the destination. This often results in steep trails with noticeable human-designed features such as steps, rock walls, and water bars. These are present in western parks as well, but less ubiquitous. Western parks feature switchbacks and meandering trails following natural contours of the terrain to a greater extent. 

This is by no means a detraction from the eastern parks, it makes for a different experience and a great perspective on the history of trail design to see the different approaches. 


 Image credit: Author  

Shenandoah National Park is best known for two features, the scenic Skyline Drive and containing a 100-mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail. Stretching almost 2,200 miles from Georgia to Maine. But there are also plenty of Adventurish trails for those desiring an hike shorter than many months. These Shenandoah trails contain shorter climbs directly to viewpoints, waterfalls, and some with rock scrambling, in addition to many longer trail options. One note on visiting in winter, the Skyline Drive was closed due to snow and ice about half the time I visited, and it is challenging to access the park without the use of this road. 

 

 Image credit: Author

The highlights of New River Gorge National Park are, well, the Gorge and the New River. Beautiful views abound, along with more trails involving climbing along the spectacular New River. This park is dispersed amid residential and commercial areas and requires some driving to get from one part of the park to another. A featured aspect of the park is the New River Gorge Bridge, the longest steel span in the Western Hemisphere. Visitors can walk along the underside of the bridge as part of a tour, or can visit during the annual Bridge Day, where the bridge is closed to vehicles and well beyond Adventurish individuals BASE jump, rappel, and zipline off the bridge. 


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