All 4 in 3 days here: ~50%
Shenandoah National Park
🇺🇸 United States
Appalachians, United States 513 spp. recorded
Shenandoah National Park sits in the Blue Ridge Mountains of the Appalachians, United States. It is a temperate forest of oak, hickory, and maple, with rolling ridges and shaded hollows that differ from coastal parks. The park is known for its vibrant birdlife and deer that roam the meadow edges.
38.729° N 78.300° W
🦜 Nature
312 Species sighted
138,226 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Aug Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
🌙 Most active after dark
+ 288 more species with insufficient data
Challenges you can complete here
All 3 in 3 days here: ~30%
All 3 in 3 days here: ~30%
All 4 in 3 days here: <5%
Recent sightings in Shenandoah National Park
LIVEiNaturalistSighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
29Jan
28Feb
43Mar
61Apr
80May
90Jun
84Jul
91Aug
82Sep
60Oct
40Nov
29Dec
🏕️ Experience
Essentials
Entrance
Paid
Tourism
High
Typical stay
1
dayTrails
Hard
World Heritage
No
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
0.0 Good
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
Very goodHow rich is the wildlife?
4.2
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 338
🐒 Mammals 74
🦎 Reptiles 50
🐸 Amphibians 51
513 Total Species
828 Global average across 316 parks
21 Threatened 95 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
GoodHow likely to see animals?
2.9
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
60% 📊
Coverage (150 species at ≥5% of 513 in the inventory)
29% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (10 bird, 1 mammal, 1 amphibian)
39% 🔭
Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)
85 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
2 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
26 🏕️
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
2.9
Climate Mixed Medium
Entrance Paid Low
Tourism High Low
Trails Hard Low
World Heritage No —
What visitors say
Following my brief foray into the visitor’s center, I was armed with more information about where to see different deer, black bears, foxes, and birds.
I caught sight of an industrious squirrel escaping with an acorn in its mouth, and a rider coming up the hill on a horse who didn’t seem too happy about having to do all the hard work.
Other than deer and lots of squirrels that we had to also dodge hitting on the road, I really did not see any other wildlife including any fawns.
Before you go
What animals can you see in Shenandoah National Park?
513 species
Shenandoah National Park has 513 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are White-tailed Deer (about 80%), Carolina Wren (about 70%), American Goldfinch (about 60%), Northern Cardinal (about 60%) and Tufted Titmouse (about 60%). Among reptiles, the most-seen is Common Box Turtle (about 50%); among amphibians, Eastern Red-backed Salamander (about 60%).
When is the best time to visit Shenandoah National Park for wildlife?
Any time of year
Wildlife is about as easy to see all year: the park's 12 most-seen species average about 60% on a given day in every month with enough records. The driest month is November (about 65 mm of rain) and the wettest September (about 120 mm).
Can you see an American Black Bear in Shenandoah National Park?
Yes
About 40% of wildlife watchers report an American Black Bear sighting in Shenandoah National Park on a given day, based on 126 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is June to October (about 40%).
Can you see a White-tailed Deer in Shenandoah National Park?
Yes
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a White-tailed Deer sighting in Shenandoah National Park on a given day, based on 848 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is November (about 90%).
Can you see a Shenandoah Salamander in Shenandoah National Park?
Yes
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Shenandoah Salamander sighting in Shenandoah National Park on a given day, based on 183 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is October (about 40%).
Can you see a Northern Cardinal in Shenandoah National Park?
Yes
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Cardinal sighting in Shenandoah National Park on a given day, based on 3,738 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is April (about 80%).
Is Shenandoah National Park good for wildlife watching?
3.2 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, Shenandoah National Park rates 3.2/5: 255th of 316 parks worldwide and 44th in North America. 36 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
