Downed trees across Shenandoah National Park in the wake of Winter Storm Riley left crews with lots of work to do/NPS
Crews were busy Monday in Shenandoah National Park cleaning up after Winter Storm Riley downed trees across the park.
Only a portion of Skyline Drive was open, due to downed trees. While some crews toting chainsaws worked to remove trees that fell across roads, others were out inspecting buildings, campgrounds and other infrastructure in the park, Shenandoh spokeswoman Sally Hurlburt said.
Winter Storm Riley left trees downed across roads in Shenandoah National Park/NPS
"We were able to get Skyline Drive open in the Central District, but we're still working on the North and South districts. We are also out assessing the trails, administrative roads and backcountry cabins, shelters and huts," she wrote in an email. "There are 500 miles of trails in the park, so it's a huge endeavor! Fortunately, we have the help of volunteers from the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club to help us assess and remove downed and hazardous trees on the 101 miles of the Appalachian Trail that pass through the park."
Ms. Hurlburt added that hikers in the park need to keep an eye out for hazardous trees and branches, and if they spot any trees downed across trails they should notify rangers.
