South River Picnic Grounds: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Shenandoah National Park
Killion J and Marques R. 2025. South River Picnic Grounds: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Shenandoah National Park. Cultural Landscapes Inventory Report. 300125. National Park Service. NPS Northeast Regional Office, Boston, Massachusetts / CRIS-CL Database
South River Picnic Grounds is a recreational area within the boundaries of the 196,000-acre Shenandoah National Park (NP) in Virginia. The site encompasses around fifteen acres and is located at milepost 68.2 along historic Skyline Drive, a designated National Historic Landmark that traces the park’s ridgeline and offers panoramic views of the Piedmont Plain to the east and Shenandoah Valley to the west. The picnic grounds are situated around a picturesque knoll that rises from the south and east to an elevation of 2985 at the center and then slopes gently to the north toward Skyline Drive. The surrounding forest extends into the site and provides a mature canopy of trees overhead, but admits enough sunlight to support a large area of grass and scattered masses of shrubs. The grassy picnic spaces are defined by a curving loop road and series of parking lots that connect to winding asphalt paths. A log comfort station built in 1937 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) is located at the east end of the site, and nearby is smaller non-historic year-round privy. Historic stone water fountains are located along the paths, around which are the familiar elements of a picnic area, including picnic tables and grills. In addition to the beauty offered by the Skyline Drive views, the site serves as a popular trailhead to other nearby attractions such as the Appalachian Trail and the South River Falls.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Killion, Jeff; Marques, Rose
- Date of Issue
- 2025
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- NER , SHEN
- Keywords
- Architecture, Civilian Conservation Corps, Comfort Station, Conservation of Natural resources, Entertainment, hiking trail, Historic Designed Landscape, Landscape architecture, Leisure, mill, Recreation The 1930s: Era of Public Works, Skyline Drive, The Great Depression, The New Deal, Transportation, Virginia