Near Luray in Page County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Gaps in the Story

Shenandoah National Park

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 17, 2019

1. Gaps in the Story Marker

Inscription. Imagine it’s 1740. You're traveling west, and you've arrived at this point on Pass Mountain. You have to cross that next mountain on the other side of the valley, and there are no roads to guide you. Where will you cross? Most people would choose the gap, or low spot in the mountain, you see about 16 miles off in the distance. Called New Market Gap today, that natural passageway makes traveling from one side of the mountain to the other easier, faster, and cheaper, even today. Look at your Park map. How many gaps can you find in Shenandoah? Consider how many people have traveled across those places through the centuries.

You Are Here (marker background image caption)
Looking back at Shenandoah National Park from New Market Gap (west), you can see the notch of Thornton Gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the first obstacle westward travelers had to overcome on their way from the east to the Shenandoah Valley and beyond.

Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Parks & Recreational Areas • Roads & Vehicles • Settlements & Settlers.

Location. 38° 40.512′ N, 78° 20.066′ W. Marker

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is near Luray, Virginia, in Page County. Marker is on Skyline Drive (at milepost 30.1), 1.4 miles north of Lee Highway (U.S. 211), on the left when traveling north. Marker is located at the Pass Mountain Overlook in Shenandoah National Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Luray VA 22835, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. William Randolph Barbee (approx. 1.3 miles away); Thornton Gap (approx. 1.3 miles away); Rappahannock County / Page County (approx. 1.3 miles away); The Greatest Single Feature (approx. 1.3 miles away); Rocks Older than Mankind (approx. 2 miles away); Marys Rock Tunnel (approx. 2.1 miles away); Shenandoah National Park (approx. 2.2 miles away); Pass Run and Thornton Gap (approx. 2.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Luray.

Marker detail: Thornton Gap image. Click for full size.

2. Marker detail: Thornton Gap

To get to New Market Gap from here, travelers first crossed Thornton Gap, a half mile south of here. The old footpath became a road, and then a turnpike in the 1700s. Travelers paid a toll to use smooth roads free of mud and ruts.

Marker detail: Ramey's Filling Station, Rt. 211, 1935 image. Click for full size.

3. Marker detail: Ramey's Filling Station, Rt. 211, 1935

Turnpike owners and local residents profited from travelers through inns, and later, filling stations. Travelers that stopped by Ramey's filling station on Rt. 211 in 1935 could purchase ten-cent ham sandwiches, drinks, ice, cider, and handmade baskets.

Gaps in the Story Marker (<i>wide view • overlooking Shenandoah Valley & Blue Ridge Mountains</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 17, 2019

4. Gaps in the Story Marker (wide view • overlooking Shenandoah Valley & Blue Ridge Mountains)

The New Market Gap from the Hogback Overview wayside site image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Larry Gertner, June 14, 2019

5. The New Market Gap from the Hogback Overview wayside site

As mentioned in the wayside text.

Credits. This page was last revised on November 2, 2020. It was originally submitted on May 25, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 301 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 26, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 5. submitted on January 20, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.