Projects You Support

Electric Car Charging Stations

Enhancing Visitor Experience - Past Projects

Donors like you have supported electric charging stations currently in operation at Byrd Visitor Center.

Over 1.5 million people visit Shenandoah each year simply to take in the sweeping views of our region as they drive down Skyline Drive. Electric cars offer more than just environmental benefits, they also reduce noise pollution – making for a more pleasant park experience for all.

Despite the 6-week closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the park saw a 15.4 % increase in visitation during FY2020 which undoubtedly resulted in an increase in use of the EV Charging Station.

The Electric Vehicle Charging Station is located at Byrd Visitor Center (mile 51 on Skyline Drive) in the Big Meadows area. This is a very popular visitor center at the center of the 105 mile long Skyline Drive. There are only two electric vehicle charging stations in the park. One at Skyland Lodge and one at Byrd Visitor Center. Electric powered vehicles are a new technology that is becoming popular and the park is happy to be able to offer this service to visitors who drive electric cars. The Trust has agreed to pay for the electricity that we provide to the visitors because the park service is not allowed to give the electricity away for free. This arrangement is temporary while the park researches a mechanism to charge visitors for the electricity they draw while charging their car.

This electric vehicle charging station is a new technology that the park service fully supports. Without this charging station, visitors who own electric cars would not be able to drive them to the park. The Trust is helping us provide this service until we can implement a way to charge visitors for their electrical use. We applaud the Trust for being the bridge that helps us make this technology available to the public now rather than waiting until we have our payment methodology worked out.

The Electric Vehicle Charging Station was installed with funds from a grant we received from the Department of Energy and Virginia Clean Cities.

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Help us keep bears wild!

Keeping bears wild starts with keeping them away from human food sources. The most effective way to do that is through bear-proof storage lockers, or “bear boxes.” Right now, only 63% of the park’s campsites have a bear box at the site, leaving nearly 140 campsites without safe food storage. The Trust has committed to making that 100% by funding the purchase and installation of these boxes at every single campsite in Shenandoah National Park. 

A black bear peeks around a tree.   

Each box comes with a $2,000 price tag, and the Trust has set a goal of raising $280,000 to purchase and install the remaining 138 boxes, ensuring that visitors stay safe, and bears stay wild.