Shenandoah National Park
N 38° 31.079 W 078° 26.206
17S E 723469 N 4266402
More than 10,000 members of the CCC helped build and develop a national park in Virginia.
Waymark Code: WM6TBN
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 07/17/2009
Views: 17
A statue of 'Iron Mike' stands at the Harry F. Byrd Sr. Visitor Center at Big Meadows on Skyline Drive as a symbol to the thousands of boys of the CCC who helped to develop Shenandoah National Park.
Between 1933 and 1942, 10 CCC camps were established on or near the land of what would become Shenandoah NP. Some of the first projects included building Skyline Drive, trails, fire roads and towers, and picnic grounds
Eventually operations expanded to include engineering, landscaping, and clean up including the removal of vestiges of family homes that once occupied the land. Their facilities grew to include a sawmill, blacksmith shop, a sign shop, and nurseries.
A more comphrehensive history of the Civilian Conservation Corps at Shenandoah NP and pictures from the archives can be viewed at this NPS site. The Visitor Center contains interactive displays and artifacts which chronicle the history of the CCC.
Today, only remnants and traces of their camps remain as nature reclaims the land. There are signs along Skyline Drive indicating the location of where their camps and facilities once stood, but only the adventurous will see any physical evidence. Yet the fruits of their hard labor are seen and enjoyed by thousands of visitors yearly. Iron Mike stands in tribute to the boys of the CCC who were instrumental in building Shenandoah National Park.