Album: Scenic Views from Skyline Drive

Shenandoah National Park

Mountaintop views have always beckoned humans. To stand at the top—to see as far as the eye allows, to take in the vastness of our world—is to be awed and humbled and inspired all at once. Shenandoah National Park, established in 1935 before skyscrapers and air travel were commonplace, was designed to give millions the opportunity to travel Skyline drive and see extraordinary views from the top. Over the past few decades, the average distance a visitor to Shenandoah National Park can see has improved dramatically, from 35 miles in 1990 to 75 miles in 2015. Credit for this improvement goes largely to the US Clean Air Act amendments of 1977 along with improvements by industry in air pollution control technology. Still, it is important to remember that without any air pollution, average visibility at the park would be 121 miles. So, we still have a long way to go.