Shenandoah News

Shenandoah National Park officials have awarded the first contract to improve park facilities with federal stimulus money.The contract awarded to Firvida Construction of Fairfax includes an estimated $1 million to repave roads, parking areas and trail heads. Work is expected to begin in the next week or so and should continue until the end of November.Visitors should expect closures in the work areas, but officials said they will last no more than a week and will not be in effect on weekends.

SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK - If the first half of this year is any indication, Shenandoah National Park could break a decade-long cycle of declining visitation.So far this year, Shenandoah National Park has had 545,393 visitors, up nearly 8 percent over the same time last year, said Karen Beck-Herzog, the park's public affairs officer.

At this moment it’s likely someone is thinking about, preparing for, or actually visiting a certain dear friend.

If a GPS unit talks in the woods, will anybody hear it?

The Shenandoah National Park trust is t

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today joined volunteer and youth groups at Shenandoah National Park as part of a national kickoff for President Obama’s new “United We Serve” campaign. The Secretary helped the groups remove nonnative plants that have invaded the natural ecosystem adjacent to Big Meadows Swamp. 

 If ever you thought that you wanted to take your children on a hike but feared that they would be unsafe or even bored then this is the event for you! Shenandoah National Park is offering a seminar designed to teach parents how to keep their children safe and interested while hiking. From 11 a.m. to 1 p. m. expert hiker and author of A Walk for Sunshine, Jeff Nolt, will be leading this seminar.

On my quest to find the perfect apple cake recipe, I stumbled upon The Inn at Narrow Passage’s Shenandoah Apple Cake. Ellen Markel, innkeeper with husband Ed Markel at the Inn, claims this is the best apple cake recipe she’s found, and has been using it for atleast 30 years! I put Ellen’s claim to the test, and our team unanimously agrees—Shenandoah Apple Cake will have you coming back for seconds!

Residents and visitors expressed surprise, but not a fear for their safety, a day after a law enforcement officer fatally shot a man at the entrance to Shenandoah National Park in Warren County.

Legendary film maker Ken Burns has brought the greatest American stories to life on public broadcasting stations for more than 25 years. This fall, he shares the story of the national parks.Burns' films are often historical narratives but when we caught up with him last week in Staunton, he gave a grim warning about the future of the Shenandoah National Park and others like it.

February isn't always the ideal month to go hiking at Shenandoah National Park."Normally at this time of year it is fairly quiet just because most people don't make plans to come out this time of year. We've seen a few people here and there," said Andrew Bargielski, who was hiking today. 

For the past 10 years, attendance at Shenandoah National Park has been declining and last year was no different.The park saw about 1.09 million visitors in 2008, down 2.8 percent from the previous year, according to Karen Beck-Herzog, the park's public affairs officer. 

Shenandoah National Park asked for comments on a study it did on how people affect rock outcrops and the rare vegetation that grows on them. Visitors have damaged some popular rock outcrops and the park is trying to decide how to best protect pristine areas while still allowing visitors to enjoy them.

Although it has been 10 days and counting, family members of 49-year-old Earl Funk, missing in Shenandoah National Park since Sept. 29, are still hoping the lifelong woodsman will be found alive.

A new project at Shenandoah National Park involves creating podcasts that will range from virtual hikes to features on flora, fauna and history. Another is the offering of hand-held "GPS Ranger" view screens that will not only guide visitors along park hikes, but display video clips as they reach spots along the way.