It’s official – the federal government says Shenandoah National Park is closed.
Shenandoah is the largest national park on the east coast – nearly 200,000 acres, but Kristen Brengel with the National Parks Conservation Association says that wasn’t big enough in the age of COVID-19.
“Many national parks continue to have high visitation, especially on the weekends, and this is just a breeding ground for COVID-19,” she says.
It’s partly by design, she says, that so many people were finding their way to the same places.
“Skyline Drive is a great feature within Shenandoah. It takes you to the overlooks. It takes you to the trails and meadows,” Brengel explains.
And it’s partly due to the fact that the park is just 75 miles from Washington D.C. Whatever the reason, Shenandoah is closed until further notice.
