The Big Meadow PaintingShenandoah National Park

To me, Shenandoah National Park is mostly about its seemingly never-ending supply of waterfalls and about the stunning distant views of the mountains and valleys down below from Skyline Drive.

Waterfall chasing in Shenandoah is outstanding, with most of the trails to waterfalls leading along the streams and their cascades that serve as appetizers for what is to come. Most of the hikes are rather challenging. Despite their seemingly short distance of three to six miles for a roundtrip, the challenge comes from the elevation drop on the way out and gain on the way back since the hikes start at the top of the mountains. And the drop is a thousand feet or more based on the hike you choose. All in all, that makes the final sight so much more rewarding and provides a chance to enjoy the creekside. It also filters out the crowds, maybe with the exception of the very popular Dark Hollow Falls Trail.

Sunsets and sunrises are wonderful from Skyline drive as it offers views in both directions, east and west. And daytime views can also be wonderful, depending on the air quality. For that, I prefer the edges of the day since the often hazy view works really well with the mood then.

And then there is the Big Meadow. The only area in Shenandoah National Park that is now wooded. Its wide open area bursts with colors and patterns in the fall and I really enjoyed looking for those. Unlike all of my other photography in the park I switched lenses and used my 80 - 400mm telephoto scanning the land and looking for areas that represented the wonderful natural painting. It seemed so chaotic on one hand, with random grasses, bushes, and a few trees. It also all seemed to makes sense, with every element playing its role.

Have fun!

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PS: Other Shenandoah National Park photographs