Hiking in the Northern Shenandoah Valley can be an exciting experience, but interpretive trails can also educate hikers along the way by telling stories of the area during the course of the trail. The Lee Ranger District of the George Washington National Forest is home to several of these interpretive trails.

• The Discovery Way Interpretive Trail, in the forest, is paved and runs .2 miles. It details the geology and plant life along the trail.
• The Lion's Tail National Recreational Trail, in the forest, was built in cooperation with the Lion's Club and is designed for the visually impaired. Hikers can learn about forest ecology on this .5 mile loop trail.
• The Massanutten Storybook Trail, in the forest, explains the building of the Massanutten Mountain Range along the .25 mile paved trail.
• The Pig Iron Trail, in the forest, is a .25 mile, self-guided interpretive loop trail that describes the pig iron industry of the 19th century. It winds past the remains of Elizabeth Furnace and tells the story of the furnace community.
• The Charcoal Interpretive Trail, in the forest, is a .5 mile self-guided interpretive trail, that tells about charcoaling, a companion to the pig iron industry, by describing the lives of the workers and the impact of the industry on the forest. www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj/recreation/hiking/index.shtm
• The Fishers Hill Battlefield, south of Strasburg, is also home to an interpretive trail. The Strasburg Guard, Sons of Confederate Veterans, developed the interpretive trail at the 195-acre site of the 1864 battle. (866) 515-1864