Appalachian Trail, Loft Mountain, Shenandoah National Park

One quarter of the 2,174-mile Appalachian Trail cuts through Virginia, following the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah National Park for much of its length. Benton MacKaye proposed the trail in 1921 to offer access to wilderness areas as a respite from the pace and structure of urban life. The trail was completed in 1937.