National public lands day is coming up!
Shenandoah National Park will celebrate the 30th anniversary of National Land Day on September 23rd.
National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest, single-day volunteer effort for public lands.
Volunteers in the park will demonstrate this year’s nationwide theme of 30 Years of Care and Community through a service project near Big Meadows.
Entrance fees for the park will be waived on Saturday, September 23rd.
This year’s events will take place over three days, September 22-24 and registration is required.
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Shenandoah National Park encourages safety this weekend
Shenandoah National Park realizes the Labor Day Weekend will be busy, and you’ll be having fun!
But, you can’t have fun without some rules.
Read up on fire safety, no fires in the back country and only build fires in park-built fire rings.
The speed limit in most areas of Skyline Drive is 35 mph.
The Park law enforcement is working with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to enforce the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign this weekend.
Stay on trail when you’re hiking in the park.
And finally, don’t play with or feed the wildlife.
Keep the park’s animals safe and give them space.
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Skyline Drive fully reopens
Shenandoah National Park announced that the entirety of Skyline Drive is once again open to through access.
National Park Service crews and volunteers from the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club worked diligently to clear the southern section of the Drive between mile 65.5 at the Swift Run Entrance Station to mile 105.5 at the Rockfish Gap Entrance Station.
The winter storm in December began closing stretches of Skyline Drive due to downed tree limbs, ice blocking Mary’s Rock Tunnel, and other roadway hazards.
Click here to view some pictures of the crew’s hard work to clear the Drive.
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Portions of Skyline Drive reopen
Skyline Drive has reopened from the Thornton Gap Entrance Station at mile 31.5 to the Swift Run Entrance Station at mile 65.5.
The stretch from the Front Royal Entrance Station at mile 0 to mile 5 at the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center is also open.
All other sections of Skyline Drive remain closed to all visitors including vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles, and horses.
This differs from regular park policy due to the dangerous nature of the work taking place in the closed areas.
The clean-up and work taking place stems from the ice storm earlier this winter.
The Shenandoah National Park Facebook page will continue to update the situation.
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Hiker falls 30 feet at Shenandoah National Park
Rockingham County Fire and Rescue (RCFR) report the rescue of a hiker who had fallen in the Shenandoah National Park.
The hiker was discovered unconscious by Park Rangers after he had fallen approximately 30 feet from the backside of his campsite near Loft Mountain.
Rangers called RCFR to assist in the rescue effort Fri. morning Aug. 5.
National Park personnel then worked with the RCFR’s Tactical Rescue Team to reach the person and treat him for immediate injuries.
The person was pulled from the site after he was stabilized and airlifted to the UVA for trauma care.
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Two buildings damaged by fire on Skyline Drive
Six Units and 21 firefighters battled high winds and below freezing temperatures Apr. 18 fighting a fire at Big Meadows on the Skyline Drive.
No injuries were reported but approximately $500,000 in damage was done to the Blackrock Lodge and a maintenance building along with several vehicles.
In addition a Page County EMS unit crashed in route according to the Page Valley News the crash remains under investigation.
Because of the terrain it took responders 22 minutes to reach the fire to find the buildings fully involved.
Low water pressure at the scene hampered fire suppression efforts as well.
National Park Officials labeled the lodge and maintenance building historic.
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Search for 18 year old continues in SNP
More than 15 search teams with five dog teams and a helicopter are actively searching for 18 year old Ty Sauer.
The young man was last seen at mile marker 35 on the Skyline Drive Thursday Apr. 22.
He was wearing grey and black Nike shorts and calf high white socks and yellow hospital booties.
Anyone who has any information is asked to call 1-800-732-0911.
The National Park appreciates the offers of assistance in the search but the operation is fully staffed with trained search and rescue personnel.
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