Shenandoah National Park

Arriving at sunrise is definitely a must at this park. The sky lit up in ways I never imagined it could. Similar to Big Bend, this park did not disappoint. Continuing down the scenic drive on the way to Blackrock Summit trail, some bucks, a doe, and a little baby decided to cross the road. Luckily with my camera still ready from sunrise shots, I quickly reached for it and got a few pictures before the wondered back into the forest. 

Once on the Blackrock Summit, I began the quick 1-mile hike to the point where it began to merge with the Appalachian Trail. It was an incredible view with the rolling mountains sprinkled with the remnants of fall foliage. Returning to the car, I made my way to Dark Hollow Falls trail next.  

Dark Hollow Falls was quite the hike. While it was 1.5 miles, it starts off easy with a decline to the falls and turns challenging with the ascent back to the car. However, you enjoy tiny waterfalls on the way down to the large waterfall. The view at the waterfalls were serine with the best and biggest one being just before the end of the trail. The massive waterfall was so close to the trail that you can practically touch it and take a relaxing break next to the cascading waters before beginning the ascent back.

For the final stop at the end of the day, I stopped at The Point Overlook to try and catch the sunset. Hiking down a few yards to get to the edge of the cliff provided some outstanding views. Sadly, the sky was overcast and the setting sun was not visible. However, with the little snow flurries continuing to fall from the sky, it was still just as breathtaking as the sunset would have been.