Sky Meadows State Park

Infobox_protected_area | name = Sky Meadows State Park, Virginia, USA
iucn_category =

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caption = Fall in Sky Meadows State Park
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location =
nearest_city =
lat_degrees = 38
lat_minutes = 59
lat_seconds = 5
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 77
long_minutes = 57
long_seconds = 31
long_direction = W
area = 1862 acres (7.54 km²)
established =
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Sky Meadows State Park is a convert|1862|acre|km2|0|sing=on park in the Virginia state park system. It is located in extreme northwest Fauquier County, Virginia, near Paris, Virginia. It is about an hour outside of the Washington, D.C. metro region.

The park was formed when Paul Mellon donated convert|1132|acre|km2|0 of land in 1975. It hashas expanded its borders twice since then. convert|248|acre|km2|1 were added in 1987containing the Appalachian Trail. In 1991 Mellon donated an additional convert|462|acre|km2|1,bringing the park to its present size.

It is located near Paris, Va off US 17, one mile (1.6 km) south of US 50 and seven miles (11 km) north of Interstate 66.

It starts in a valley between the foothills and the Blue Ridge Mountains then has meadows and forests strecthing up to the ridge of the mountain and the Appalachian Trail.There is a primitive walk in campground, over 12 miles of hiking trails and convert|6|mi|km|0 of bridal trails. The horse trails are East of US 17 and the hiking trails (and most of the park) is West of US 17

With a combination of meadows, grazed fields, forest, scrub and streams it has a wide variety of ecological zones.Most of the year there are monthly "astronomy nights" where amateur astronomers bring their telescopes and use them to show attendees various celectial objects. Normally an astronomer from the Smithsonian Institution is among the leaders.

Sky Meadows is a year-round bird watching site. Itis known for a colony of Red-headed Woodpeckers that live in an Oak grove just past theContact Station. Depending on the time of the year, it is almost certain that this and theother six species of Woodpeckers—Downy, Hairy, Red-bellied, Yellow-belliedSapsucker Pileated and Northern Flicker, commonly found in this part of Virginia will bepresent.

Except for "astronomy nights" the park closes at dusk and campers must be in the park and others out of the park at that time.

External links

* [http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/sky.shtml Official website of Sky Meadows State Park]
* [http://www.unep-wcmc.org/wdpa/sitedetails.cfm?siteid=80678 Sky Meadows State Park in World Database on Protected Areas]
* [http://www.asnv.org/hotspots/ASNV_HOTSPOT_SKYMEADOWS.pdf Audubon Society of Northern Virginia (ASNV) Birding Hotspot Factsheet]