I spent Saturday morning in Shenandoah National Park. This was my first visit to the park, and I was very impressed. This section of the Appalachians is not particularly tall, but what it lacks in height it makes up for in beauty. The views were fabulous.

I was able to sneak in two short hikes (~2 miles each) before a storm rolled in. First was the Upper Hawksbill Trail, which is said to have the best views in the park.

Next I stopped by Bearfence Mountain, which I thought did have the best views in the park.

While I was there, I couldn’t really get enough. I texted a friend to see if he would be interested in doing an ultra run through the entire park on the Appalachian Trail (AT), which totals 101 miles. We will see if that happens.

Then came the storm, so I made the drive back to Washington DC to see my friend Brad.

Shenandoah marks my 19th National Park. It is one I definitely will return to.