South District Fall
In the south district, fall's colors flow from the mountain slopes into the Shenandoah valley below.
Shenandoah Sumac Panorama
A colorful hillside of red sumac and fog on a late autumn day.
Fog and Fire
After the Rocky Mount fire has long been extenuished, springs green emerges through the fog, contrasting with the eery black ash of an adjoining ridge.
Waterfall Wonder
Lower Doyles Falls 2016
South River Falls 2012 II
Rarely crowded, South River Waterfall is one of the Park's most impressive falls in the rainy season. It is also one with the most snakes!
South River Falls 2016
A small cascade drains the basin below South River Falls.
Sunset over the Shenandoah Valley
A gentle sunset of purples, pinks and magentas color the evening sky this spring in 2016.
Big Meadow Ferns
A growing patch of ferns adds to the texture and patterns of color that make Big Meadows a visual treat that offers something different every season, indeed, every day.
Snowy Entrance
The entrance into Shenandoah is coated in a heavy snow.
Driving Through the Scars
The southern district of Shenandoah tends not to get as much snow as the higher regions further north. Here a light snows contrasts with the lasting scars of last year's wildfires.
Autumn Curve on Skyline Drive
On a wet day, Skyline Drive glistens and the colors of fall dazzle.
Fall Brilliance on Skyline Drive 2016
The fall colors of Shenandoah are almost always more spectacular when there is a bit of fog and rain.
Autumn Ferns
Shenandoah has numerous tremendous patches of ferns that in summer exhibit all shades of green but in fall, as the temperatures first dip into the 30s, turn a radiant gold before going brown.
Bear Feeding in a Tree
A black bear feeds near Loft Mountain.
Fall's Fallen Leaves
Maple leaves color the autumn floor on a stretch of the Whiteoak Canyon trail.
Fog Over Stony Man Mountain
Fog blows across Little Stony Man Mountain as fall's color reaches peak.
Bear Curiosity
A black bear is intrigued by sounds only he can hear from the slopes below.
Maple Glory
This maple never disappoints, turning a vibrant orange, every fall on an eastern slope north of Thorofare Mountain.
Autumn Panorama 2016
A colorful bouquet of oranges, reds and yellows transform this vista into one of the finest autumn views in Shenandoah, but you have to hike to get to it. It is not at an overlook.
Lofty Bear
A large black bear peers down from his tree limb.
Up Above
A black bear feeds in a tree immediately above the road just 20 feet above the vehicles the pass, most never even spotting him.
Bear Up Above
A black bear stares down from the tree where he has been feeding on spring's early growth.
I Hope He Doesn't Fall
Through a moon roof I manage a quick photo and pray this bear does not fall!
Big Meadows Bear
A black, mother of two cubs, feeds near Big Meadows.
Big Meadows Bear II
A black bear looks across the meadow.
Black Bear On a Rock
A black bear climbs across a large boulder to give herself a better view of her two cubs.
Two Cubs at Big Meadows
Two black bear cubs alternate between foraging and play while mom leads them from the meadow.
Black Bear Cub
A young black bear cub scrambles across a boulder.
Family Climb
A family of three bears climb a hillside near Big Meadows.
Goldenrod in Big Meadows
A walk through a wild display of goldenrod in Big Meadows against blue skies, amidst a mild din from the thousands of bees and insects busily collecting nectar and nourishment in the last days of summer.
Cleaning Time in the Meadow
A does cleans her young fawn in Big Meadows, where deer frequently graze in the early hours of dawn.
Fawn Perspective
A fawn looks above the late spring grasses.
Fawn Watch
A fawn watches her mom intently.