Shenandoah Valley Trip Day 4

For the 4th day [May 22], we headed up to Skyline Drive from Luray, destination Big Meadows. We have wanted to camp there for a few years, but our timing was poor. This time, mid-week prior to the Memorial Day Holiday, all campgrounds had spaces except Mathews Arm, which did not open until Friday the 25.

Deer seen from Skyline Drive:

At one of our favorite overlooks just south of Thornton Gap [Rt 211 crossing], we encountered some stark trees:

We settled in at a campsite just 5 steps from the Appalachian Trail, with this view:

As I walked a nearby section of the A-Trail going south, I observed a number of blooming rhodendron, ferns, and other wildflowers. This time was just a week and a half after the Wildflower Festival on Skyline Drive: