Shenandoah National Park is well-known for the fabulous Skyline Drive and for it's spectacular Fall foliage. But the leaves are long-gone off the trees and Skyline Drive has been closing off and on this Winter due to inclement weather. So, why go now?

Shenandoah National Park Public Affairs Officer Karen Beck-Herzog says that the winter is actually her favorite time of year at the park. The air is crystal-clear and those bare trees allow for greater views of the lowlands, as well as the many wild animals that make their home there. Of course, she quickly cautions to always make a little extra preparation.

The biggest mistake that winter visitors can make, she says, is simply to fail to call ahead to see if the park is open, particularly if plans include a trip along Skyline Drive. Although the Drive has been opening and closing all Winter long due to successive snow storms and thaws, the rest of the park is open at all times and it is still possible to hike in - either from the entrance stations or at points along the park boundaries.

Although many of the park's winter visitors are often die-hard types, such as the many people who hike the Appalachian Trail at this time of year, there are families and other kinds of folks who want to come just to get out in the woods for a bit of adventure. Beck-Herzog says that, because visitation is lower in the winter, the wilderness experience is enhanced. You may never see another soul the entire day.

"I think the forest is so awesome, when it's so quiet, and you're listening to your footsteps crunching through the snow, and you just really do have Shenandoah National Park to yourself," she says.

The weather up on top of the Blue Ridge Mountains is fickle and relatively cooler any time of the year, but even more so in cold months. That fact makes it so important to always come prepared. Temperatures can be anywhere from 10 to 20 degrees cooler from Valley floor to mountain peak, and there is nearly always a wind chill factor. And what may be rainfall at lower elevations is often ice or snowfall up in the park.

Beck-Herzog recommends layering up with lots of clothing and taking along plenty of food and water, even more than you think you may need. Be sure to fill up the fuel tank before heading there, and don't expect to rely on your cell phone -- reception is spotty throughout the park. However, there are emergency phones at the park entrances and at various places in the park. The Locations, current weather conditions and update emergency alerts are posted on the park's Web site, www.nps.gov/SHEN. The park emergency number is 1-800-732-0911.

Although Beck-Herzog says that the incidences of serious problems among winter visitors are relatively rare, if you do get into trouble, you should try to get to an emergency phone. Or, if you are lucky to be in cell-range, call 9-1-1. She says that, even though there are few visitors in the park, the park employees keep busy there all year round. After making contact with a park employee, she says, simply follow the instructions you are given.

Very few of the park facilities, such as restaurants and lodging are open at this time of year. Still, a winter hike in Shenandoah National Park can be a memorable time. It's even become a tradition with many people, such as some who have hiked Old Rag Mountain every New Years Day for 30 years. It's very likely that, no matter where you go, you'll see a lot more at this time of year.

"You can see areas in the Valley that you wouldn't normally be able to see, because there may have been shrubs or the leaves on the trees are completely obscuring that," Beck-Herzog says. "So you actually have new or more views of the Valley than you would have in the past, during the spring, summer or fall."

Karen Beck Herzog is interviewed on the Jan. 8, 2010 edition of the Shenandoah Valley Radio program.