Shenandoah National Park is a long, narrow protected landscape in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, extending 105 miles between near Front Royal and Waynesboro and centered on Skyline Drive along the ridgeline. Its nearly 195,000 acres include peaks above 4,000 feet, ancient rock formations, and a large federally designated wilderness area. Authorized in 1926, the park was created through Virginia’s assembly of thousands of privately held parcels rather than direct federal purchase. That process, strongly backed by state leaders, brought fundraising, eminent domain, resistance from residents, legal disputes, and forced removals. Shenandoah is significant both for its nationally important scenery and for the difficult human history tied to its creation.