Resources

I don't measure the lengths of most of the trails that I hike, nor do I date the rocks of each place I go. So where do the numbers and facts on this blog come from?

Henry Heatwole's guide to Shenandoah National Park is one of my most useful resources. I used Heatwole's guide to learn the name of all the peaks in the park as well as the names of all of the basic geological formations in the park. His guidebook was my first resource to the park and some of the hiking distances and elevation gains reported here are directly from that book.

Hiking Upward is invaluable to me: I've used it to plan a lot of hikes and I always print out one of their topo maps when I go on a hike. Some hiking distances on this blog are derived from here.

The posts by the folks at Virginia Trail Guide also give me good hike ideas, in both Shenandoah and in the surrounding areas. One of the best resources for long hikes in the South District of Shenandoah is Mid-Atlantic Hikes.

I get much of my geology information either directly from the National Park Service website on Shenandoah, or from the USGS, which has produced a very useful geologic map of the park.

I also enjoy reading these other hiking blogs or sites about the Mid-Atlantic region:

• Silver Spring Wanderer, who covers many hikes in the DC area and always has great updates on Old Rag. 
• Wandering Virginia, for some off-the-beaten-path hikes around Charlottesville

In the Pacific Northwest, the trip reports from the Washington Trails Association website and on the NW Hikers forums are great places to get ideas for hikes.


National Park Entrance Fees

Access to many recreation sites covered on this blog requires admission fees; the following is a list of current entrance fees charged at different recreation areas:

Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia:

Shenandoah National Park, Skyline Drive Access*:
       $25 one-week vehicle access pass
       $50 vehicle access annual pass
Shenandoah National Park, Old Rag or Whiteoak Canyon Access*:
       $10 per person, single visit
       (Shenandoah National Park annual pass can be used to cover up to four visitors)
George Washington National Forest, Crabtree Falls Day Use Area*:
       $3 vehicle parking pass
Great Falls Park*:
        $10 three-day vehicle access pass
        $30 vehicle access annual pass
Harpers Ferry National Historic Park*:
        $10 three-day vehicle access pass
        $30 vehicle access annual pass
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historic Park, Great Falls Area*:
        $10 three-day vehicle access pass
        $30 vehicle access annual pass
Grayson Highlands State Park:
        $5 one-day vehicle access pass for Virginia residents
        $7 one-day vehicle access pass for non-Virginia residents

California:

Angeles National Forest*:
        $5 one-day vehicle parking Adventure Pass
        $30 annual vehicle parking Adventure Pass
Death Valley National Park*:
       $25 one-week vehicle access pass
       $50 vehicle access annual pass
Joshua Tree National Park*:
       $30 one-week vehicle access pass
       $55 vehicle access annual pass
Lassen Volcanic National Park*:
       $25 one-week vehicle access pass
       $50 vehicle access annual pass
Yosemite National Park*:
       $35 one-week vehicle access pass
       $70 vehicle access annual pass

Southwest:

Chaco Culture National Historical Park*:
       $20 one-week vehicle access pass
Bandalier National Monument*:
       $20 one-week vehicle access pass
       $40 vehicle access annual pass
Bryce Canyon National Park*:
       $35 one-week vehicle access pass
       $40 vehicle access annual pass
Zion National Park*:
       $35 one-week vehicle access pass
       $50 vehicle access annual pass

Pacific Northwest:

Glacier National Park*:
       $35 one-week vehicle access pass
       $70 vehicle access annual pass
Makah Nation Recreation Pass:
       $10 vehicle access park for one calendar year
Mount Rainier National Park*:
       $30 one-week vehicle access pass
       $55 vehicle access annual pass
Olympic National Park*:
       $30 one-week vehicle access pass
       $55 vehicle access annual pass
All National Forests in Washington State or Oregon*:
        $5 one-day vehicle parking Northwest Forest Pass
        $30 annual vehicle parking Northwest Forest Pass
All State Parks and Department of Natural Resources lands in Washington State:
        $10 one-day vehicle access pass
        $30 annual vehicle access Discover Pass

Locations denoted * can be accessed with the $80 annual America the Beautiful Pass; those over 62 years of age can obtain a lifetime Golden Age Pass for $80, which carries all the benefits of the America the Beautiful Pass with additional discounts for camping and other park activities.