Fall Means Facilities Starting To Shutter For The Winter At Shenandoah National Park

October 4, 2014
Alternate Text
Fall colors soon will be sweeping down the flanks of Shenandoah National Park/Kurt Repanshek

As fall colors begin to sweep down the Eastern seaboard, units of the National Park System are beginning to move to their winter hours. At Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, many facilities will begin closing in late October with many more shutting down for the winter by the end of November. 

Fall means it's also time for the weekly Fall Color Report, which provides some observations from around the park. Visitors can now find these reports at this page on the park's website or listen to them on the park's main phone line in English or Spanish at 540-999-3500 option 6. The Fall Color Report is updated each Friday through the end of October.

If you can't visit but want to see the fall color progression check-out the park's Mountain View webcam.

The mountains are a particularly good place to view fall colors because the steep slopes afford visitors an opportunity to view the kaleidoscope of color that moves down from the peaks to the Shenandoah Valley or Virginia Piedmont below.

As night falls more quickly toward the end of October, park facilities will begin closing for the season.

A complete list of seasonal closures follows:

 

2014 Fall/Winter Facility Schedule

Facility

Skyline
Drive Mile

2014 Closing
Dates

Visitor Centers

   

Dickey Ridge Visitor Center

4.6

Sunday 11/30/14

Byrd Visitor Center

51

Change to weekend hours only: 12/01/14

     

Campgrounds

   

Mathews Arm Campground

22.2

Sunday 10/26/14

Big Meadows Campground, Showers/Laundry

51.2

Sunday 11/16/14

Lewis Mountain Campground

57.5

Sunday 11/02/14

Loft Mountain Campground, Showers/Laundry

79.5

Sunday 10/26/14

     

Picnic Grounds

   

Dickey Ridge Picnic Grounds

4.7

Sunday 11/23/14

Elkwallow Picnic Grounds

24.1

Open year round

Pinnacles Picnic Grounds

36.7

Open year round

Big Meadows Picnic Grounds

51.2

Sunday 11/16/14

Lewis Mountain Picnic Grounds

57.5

Sunday 11/02/14

South River Picnic Grounds

62.8

Open year round

Dundo Picnic Grounds

83.7

Open year round

     

Concessions Facilities

   

Elkwallow Wayside

24

Sunday 11/09/14

Skyland Resort

41.7 and 42.5

Sunday 11/30/14

Big Meadows Lodge

51.2

Sunday 11/02/14

Big Meadows Wayside

51.2

Sunday 11/30/14

Lewis Mountain Cabins and Campstore

57.5

Sunday 11/02/14

Loft Mountain Campstore

79.5

Sunday 10/26/14

Loft Mountain Wayside

79.5

Sunday 11/09/14

 

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