Fifteen minutes have passed since I left the Whiteoak Canyon trail head in Shenandoah National Park, and the only sound has been that of my own footsteps. Where is everybody? I wonder. Then I hear the rustling leaves and snapping twigs that signal another presence. But as I round the bend, I find not the expected hikers, but two white-tailed deer, feeding on the budding leaves that are sprouting throughout the park.
This is Shenandoah in springtime: a sanctuary of leaves, ferns and moss-covered rock so green to the eye it hurts. And I am alone, virtually unheard of during the park’s more widely publicized fall foliage season. The autumn vistas in the park are breathtaking, but I prefer the spring, when traffic and people can be left behind and nature appreciated as intended—in peace and quiet.
The lands in and around the park were originally settled by Europeans in the mid-18th century, and a significant portion of the forest cleared for lumber, tanbark, farming and pastureland. When the park was established in 1935 and dedicated by President Franklin Roosevelt the following year, more than 400 families were forced to vacate. Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was then tasked with returning 25,000 developed acres in the park to their natural state. Most vestiges of human presence were dismantled or burned, tens of thousands of trees planted and the park left to heal.
The CCC also was instrumental in developing the park’s only thoroughfare, the majestic Skyline Drive. Completed in 1939 after eight years, the road traverses the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains for 105 miles from Front Royal, Va., south to I-64 at Rockfish Gap. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it exceeds 3,000 feet in elevation, offering stunning vistas of the forested hillsides and valleys.
My view, however, is close up rather than panoramic. Once I pass the two deer, I continue two miles farther down the deserted trail to the Whiteoak’s upper falls, the park’s tallest at 86 feet. The Whiteoak trail head begins at milepost 42.6 on Skyline Drive, and totals 4.6 well-worn miles round trip. Nearly three hours will pass before I see any fellow humans here.
Signs of spring abound. The forest’s early bloomers—pink and white trillium, May apples and purple geraniums— dot the hillsides. The forest floor’s prolific interrupted fern unfurls from its tightly wound spiral to dominate any piece of ground with sufficient sunlight. Its fossil record dates back 200 million years, making it the oldest known living fern.
Farther down the trail, the sound of running water interrupts the silence as the stream—known as a run—flowing along the path of the trail begins to drop more precipitously and picks up speed.
At this point, the trail veers away from the run and continues down a steep incline toward the falls’ viewing area. Like most hikes in the park, the Whiteoak Trail leads inexorably downhill from the trail head, something I failed to note several years back. I made an all-too-common mistake and underestimated the hike up after the relatively easy trip down. When I finally stumbled into one of the park’s gift shops, I devoured and drank whatever I could get my hands on. Today, I’m well stocked.
As the trail emerges from the confines of the forest onto an outcropping of rock, it’s as if a curtain has opened onto a stage. And what a stage: Amid an expanse of mixed hardwood forest arrayed in its green spring glory, Whiteoak Falls gushes from the canyon and plunges down a sheer rock face. Later in the year, many of the park’s falls will become trickles. But in spring, the water is big. With my feet dangling over the cliff’s edge and not another soul in sight, I enjoy a front-row seat at the show.
After a while, I consider heading farther down the trail to the canyon’s lower falls. But it’s another 1.5 steep miles each way, and I’m looking forward to sampling more of the park’s 500 miles of trails in the coming days. So I head back.
About halfway up, and nearly three hours after beginning my hike, I finally see my first humans. But they don’t see me, as they peer intently through binoculars at something high above.
Birders can be a serious bunch, so I approach quietly and whisper, “What are you looking at?”
“Nothing, I’m afraid,” one of them says, laughing out loud. “We heard it, but we can’t find it.”
“What did you hear?” I ask. “We’re not sure,” comes the reply.
More than 200 species of birds frequent the park, 30 of which are year-round residents. Despite my trail mates’ bad luck, springtime is a good time for bird-watching. Come summer, when the forest canopy fills in, “we heard it, but we can’t find it” becomes a frequent refrain.
I continue up the trail as a steady trickle of late-morning hikers heads in the opposite direction. Four hours after setting out, I’m back at my car. There are more vehicles in the parking lot now, but still far fewer than during peak foliage season. I pull onto Skyline Drive, and head up the road to the Skyland Resort.
Skyland is the oldest of three lodging alternatives in the park. Originally a failed copper mining venture, the Skyland parcel was developed for recreational use as early as 1890. The original cabins established the rustic architecture still seen in the park today. Twelve historic structures remain, but my accommodations are more up-to-date. My cabin room, at $106 a night, includes a bathroom, heat and electricity. A telephone and TV are thankfully absent.
After briefly washing up in my cabin, I secure a window seat in the resort’s dining room, which is perched atop a bluff overlooking the Shenandoah Valley. I enjoy some well-earned calories—the Page County pork barbecue sandwich, house salad and Virginia’s own Dominion Root Beer—in a restaurant that’s less than half full.
Back in my room, I stretch out on my bed to rest up for a shorter afternoon hike. The springs creak a bit, but the comfort of a bed is directly proportional to my level of fatigue. And in minutes, I fall asleep.
Getting There
Shenandoah National Park’s centrally located Thornton Gap entrance is less than a two-hour drive from Bethesda. Head west on I-66 from the Beltway to Gainesville, Va., go south on Route 29 to Warrenton and then head due west on Route 211 to the entrance station. The park’s north entrance is in Front Royal, Va. (off I-66), and there are two southern entrances, Swift Run Gap and Rocky Gap, accessible from the Charlottesville, Va., area via Route 33 and I-64, respectively. A $15 entrance fee is good for one week.
Places to Stay
In addition to the Skyland Resort, rustic, but clean, accommodations can be found inside the park at the Big Meadows Lodge and the Lewis Mountain Cabins (www.visitshenandoah.com). For those who associate the word “rustic” with uncomfortable, there are a number of full-service inns and lodges, as well as B&Bs, within easy driving distance of the park. The tony Inn at Little Washington (www.theinnatlittlewashington.com), the Foster Harris House (www.fosterharris.com) and Fairlea Farm (www.fairleafarm.com) are located in Washington, Va., just a 15-minute drive from the Thornton Gap entrance. The pastoral Jordan Hollow Inn (www.jordanhollow.com) lies 15 miles west of Thornton Gap in Stanley, Va.
Places to Eat
In addition to fine dining at the inns listed above, other choices nearby include Griffin Tavern (www.griffintavern.com), 15 miles from the park’s Front Royal and Thornton Gap entrances, and Sperryville’s Thornton River Grille (www.thorntonrivergrille.com), just five miles from Thornton Gap. Farther afield, and perhaps worth a stop on the way to or from the park, are: Claire’s at the Depot on Route 211, 30 miles east of the park in Warrenton, Va. (www.clairesrestaurant.com); and the acclaimed Foti’s Restaurant, 25 miles east in Culpeper, Va. (www.fotisrestaurant.com).
Activities
Recommended hikes include Whiteoak Canyon (4.6 miles at mile 42.6), Limberlost (1.3 miles at mile 43), Cedar Run (2.5 miles at mile 45.6), Dark Hollow Falls (1.4 miles at mile 50.7), Lewis Falls (2.5 miles at mile 51.4), Mill Prong (4.1 miles at mile 52.8) and South River Falls (2.6 miles at mile 62.8).
The Mill Prong trail ends at Rapidan Camp, the summer retreat of President Herbert Hoover. Three of the camp’s original 13 buildings still stand. The president’s cabin, The Brown House, has been refurbished to its 1929 appearance. A recently opened exhibit in The Prime Minister’s cabin highlights the Hoovers’ lives at the campsite.
Ranger-guided hikes and programs are offered each season. Days, times and trails for these programs and hikes are listed in the park brochure and online (www.nps.gov/shen). The spring schedule for 2010 is due out in March.
In addition to hiking, the park offers cycling, fishing, horseback riding and camping. The park hosts its annual Wildflower Weekend the second weekend in May (www.nps.gov/shen for more information). Nearby Luray, Va., is home to the famous Luray Caverns, a geologic wonder of cave-dwelling stalactite and stalagmite formations (www.luraycaverns.com).
For history buffs, the New Market Battlefield lies 22 miles west of the park’s Thornton Gap entrance. Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello is in Charlottesville, 23 miles east of the park’s southernmost Rockfish Gap entrance.
Daniel Schreiber is a freelance photographer living in Bethesda.
