Fall is here and it has definitely began to show at the Shenandoah National Park. What was made up of mostly green is now littered with red, orange, and yellow hues.
As told by the official Shenandoah website, the fall colors are already beginning to come up in different spots of the park, like Rockfish Gap and Front Royal to name a few. The maple tree at the Meadow Spring Parking at mile 33.5 in particular, features a mix of cherry, orange, and lime too, and is compared to a snow cone for a child that has a hard time deciding on one specific flavor.
Visitors can also find a spot of seemingly tropical plants that are still as green as ever, growing next to other plants that have already turned their leaves into the colors that can only remind everyone of fall. The sumac patch at the Spitler Knoll Overlook at mile 48 is a sight to see, with its varying colors.
The colors change and shift around at the Swift Run Gap as well. A maple tree which is located up north of the Gap resembles an open box of crayons, exhibiting fall colors from varying shades of red to orange to green. A dogwood south of the turnoff for route 33 also displays a similar color swirl, with nearly every shade of red that could rival with the many shades of red lipsticks there would be.
Bacon Hollow Overlook at mile 68.9 has a more Halloween-inspired palette, with gray, silver, and black in the midst of the warmer tones.
With these in mind, it is safe to say that sassafras is taking center stage at this time. Sassafras trees like sumacs are full of tones that can only remind a person of fall. Vibrant hues of red and green in the midst of the more subdued colors.
