Shenandoah National Park, just 75 miles from Washington, D.C., offers recreation and re-creation amid cascading waterfalls, spectacular vistas, quiet wooded hollows, Skyline Drive, and picnic areas for families. Its 200,000 acres of protected land provide a haven for deer, songbirds, the night sky, and visitors seeking an escape. Shenandoah experiences four distinct seasons and is best known for its fall foliage, while spring brings wildflowers and trees in full bloom, summer brings lush greens and relief from the hot valleys, and winter can bring snow and ice when surrounding lowlands are experiencing rain. The park's elevation can create as much as a 10 degree temperature difference, making preparation for varying weather a good idea.