Civil War Trail Signage Upgrades in Shenandoah County
Aug 1, 2023
Our conversation today for Tourism Tuesday - Shenandoah County edition - featured Drew Gruber, Executive Director for Civil War Trails. Drew gave us an update on two new signage upgrades that recently happened in Shenandoah County. We talked about where the signs were (and are now) as well as the reasons behind the upgrades. He explained the tourism value civil war signs provide to the localities where they're located.
From their recent press release:
Late last month two of Strasburg’s Civil War Trails sites
received significant upgrades. The new
stories dovetail with the Historic Downtown Walking Trail and two
hikes associated with Signal
Knob. The project will bring new travelers to Strasburg and
encourage them to stay longer as
they lace up to take a historic hike.
The project was the result of work between Shenandoah County
Tourism and Economic
Development, The Town of Strasburg, Shenandoah County Library and
Virginia Civil War
Trails, Inc. The two new signs are located at the Strasburg Museum
at 440 E. King Street and the
Strasburg Town Park at 295 Park Rd. off E. Queen Street.
Each Civil War Trails site is networked together with over 1,400
others across six states and are
marketed internationally by state, regional, and municipal tourism
offices. This means that the
signs, while educational, are part of a much larger economic
development mission.
The Strasburg Museum is the first stop along the Historic
Downtown Walking Trail. The 1.6
mile-long trail winds you easily through the beautiful town as you
explore each of the ten sites.
A great resource for families or older travelers, you will get a
slice of local history alongside
great restaurants, shops, and more. For a bit more of an off-road,
yet easy stroll the new Civil
War Trails site at Strasburg Park is located along the Riverwalk
trail. This crushed gravel
path follows the North Fork of the Shenandoah River for
approximately one mile.
For the more adventurous, the new Signal Knob Civil War Trails
sign offers directions to the
Signal Knob trailhead. This 10.5-mile loop is strenuous but offers
unparalleled views of the
Shenandoah Valley as you stand in the footsteps of Civil War
soldiers who used the same
vantage point to spy on the opposing army.
For more information about visiting Strasburg or taking a
historic hike of your own contact the
Strasburg Visitor Center at 540-465-5884. Snap a #signselfie when
you visit. For more information about Shenandoah County visit their
website: VisitShenandoahCounty.com
Civil War Trails® has been working with communities since 1994 to share their stories and connect visitors with small towns and big stories across a network that now spans six states. Travelers look to Trails to put them in the footsteps of the generals, soldiers, citizens, and the enslaved who found themselves in the midst of this Civil War. Learn more on their website: https://www.civilwartrails.org/