Shenandoah National Park Nature Articles

Shenandoah National Park Guide: Nature

If you're a birder, grab your field glasses and reference books and head for Shenandoah National Park. A prime stop on the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail, it's year-round home to 30 bird species and stopover for 170-plus others.
To sample the birdlife, cruise the park's spine, Skyline Drive, by car and pause at the overlooks to scan the bushes, trees, and skies. Watch and listen for warblers in the spring, hawks in the fall, and ravens any time.
To more actively find birds, roam the trails along which they're generally common. Best bets include the South River Falls Trail (great for warblers), the Stony Man and Dark Hollow Falls trails (think ravens), and the open Big Meadows area.
Ascend the park's highest peaks, Hawksbill and Stony Man, on the chance you'll see the resident peregrine falcons arcing spectacularly across the sky. If you don't see them, visit the park's webcam trained on the birds' cliffside nesting site.

By Travel Expert: Paul Elliott