Shenanoah National Park Research Paper

Last Fall my family visited Shenandoah National Park. It is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. It is only 75 miles outside of the nation’s capitol, Washington D.C. The first traces of humans on the land that would later become the park are estimated to be almost nine thousand years ago. Native Americans visited these Appalachian Mountains seasonally to hunt, collect nuts and berries, and to gather stone to construct tools. Europeans did not start to settle the land prior to three hundred years ago. First came hunters and trappers, then people began to settle in the lower valleys close to rivers that run through the park. In the early 20th century congress called for more national parks in the east, but Shenandoah wouldn’t be established …show more content…
Located inside the park are 516 miles of hiking trails. 101 miles of the trail runs through the renowned Appalachian Trail, which starts in Katandin, Maine in to Springer Mountain, Georgia. The park has more than sixty peaks including two Stony Man and Hawksbill that are over 4,000 feet in elevation. The lowest peak is at the north entrance with an elevation of 561 feet. The park is comprised mostly of the Blue Ridge mountains which is one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world. Inside the park there are reams of activities to enjoy including hiking, biking, camping, fishing , kayaking, and even becoming a Junior park ranger. My family stayed in the park in one of the many cabins you can rent. I went horseback riding in the park on the first day we were there. It was such a splendid experience. It was highly informational because we were led by a park ranger who knew about the land and animals who inhabit the region. She taught us about animals such as the Nerodia sipedon snake and the more commonly known cotton tailed rabbit. Later in the evening we went fishing to try to catch some of the local aquatic