Geology & landforms
Three hundred square miles of the Blue Ridge Mountains of the central portion of the Appalachians, lie within Shenandoah giving the park its color and beauty. The landscape of these mountains is almost completely covered in forest. Because all plants go through the process of photosynthesis, the oxygen that the process gives off makes airborne water, which then creates the "faint haze" that represents the name of the mountains. According to nps.gov/Shenandoah, "air is among the resources the staff at Shenandoah National Park is duty bound to protect."
The hardwood forests that almost completely cover the mountains show their history as the result of many outside disturbances, such as old pieces of boreal forest show that glaciers would pass by, and fallen trees represent the damage of past storms. |
The mountain's current highest elevation sits only at 4,051 feet, but geologists believe that these mountains used to be as tall as the Rockies. This amount of weathering and erosion could make them one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world.
The rocks of this park are mostly "ancient granitic and metamorphosed volcanic formations. Most of them are as old as 1-1.2 billion years ago. These can be best seen at Old Rag Mountain and Mary's Rock Tunnel. According to nps.gov, "these are a complex set of igneous and metamorphic rocks whose minerals and textures preserve the story of their long and varied history." Areas that show good rock history include Crescent Rock and Franklin Cliffs. Basalts are common rocks you can find in Shenandoah, which were formed from dried lava flows over 570 million years ago. You can also find sedimentary rocks such as sandstone, quartzite, and phyllite. Other common rocks include feldspar and pyroxene. |
The mountains of Shenandoah are truly amazing in beauty. One of the more famous peaks of the park is Hawksbill Mountain, the highest elevation in the park at 4,051 feet. This mountain is best viewed at Crescent Rock Overlook. Another famous mountain is Stoney Man Mountain, which is currently 4,011 feet all and got its name from the face of the mountain resembling a gloomy looking Indian chief.
There are many other physical features of Shenandoah that give the park its beauty including the water features. The park has over 70 watershed basins and 90 small streams. There are also important rivers that flow through the park.The Shenandoah River stretches 55.6 miles long and is a tributary off of the Potomac River. Other famous rivers in the park include the Rappahannock River, and the James River. |
Waterfalls are also a common feature at Shenandoah National Park, including Jones Run Falls, which falls 42 feet down steep cliffs, and Dark Hollows Fall, which falls 70 feet and was seen the by the president, Thomas Jefferson. Whiteoak Canyon a shaded canyone and is one of the most beautiful sites in the park. It has a total of 6 waterfalls, the highest one of them falls over 86 feet.