Fishers Gap
Encyclopedia
Fishers Gap is a wind gap of the Blue Ridge Mountains
located on the border of Madison County
and Page County
in Virginia
in the Shenandoah National Park
. Both Skyline Drive
and the Appalachian Trail
pass across the gap.
, the tallest in the park, to the north and 300 feet (91.4 m) below Big Meadows
and Stony Man Mountain
to the south. The Rose River flows down the hollow on the gap's east face and Little Hawksbill creek does the same down its west face.
and Gordonsville
with the central Page Valley
, crossed the Blue Ridge. The road was originally incorporated as the Blue Ridge Turnpike in 1850, but the thoroughfare itself dates back to the 1790s. The road was abandoned by the creation of SNP and is now the Rose River and Redgate fire roads in the park.
In November, 1862, during the American Civil War
, Confederate
General
Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson
led his army through the gap en route to Fredericksburg
, where he played a significant role in the Battle of Fredericksburg
a month later.
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...
located on the border of Madison County
Madison County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,520 people, 4,739 households, and 3,521 families residing in the county. The population density was 39 people per square mile . There were 5,239 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile...
and Page County
Page County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 23,177 people, 9,305 households, and 6,634 families residing in the county. The population density was 74 people per square mile . There were 10,557 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile...
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
in the Shenandoah National Park
Shenandoah National Park
Shenandoah National Park encompasses part of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the U.S. state of Virginia. This national park is long and narrow, with the broad Shenandoah River and valley on the west side, and the rolling hills of the Virginia Piedmont on the east...
. Both Skyline Drive
Skyline Drive
Skyline Drive is a 105-mile road that runs the entire length of the National Park Service's Shenandoah National Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, generally along the ridge of the mountains. The scenic drive is particularly popular in the fall when the leaves are changing colors...
and the Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately long...
pass across the gap.
Geography
The gap is approximately 2000 feet (609.6 m) above the surrounding countryside. The gap is nearly 1000 feet (304.8 m) below Hawksbill MountainHawksbill Mountain
Hawksbill Mountain is a mountain with an elevation of . Marking the border between Madison County and Page County in Virginia, the summit of Hawksbill Mountain is the highest point in Shenandoah National Park, as well as the highest point in both Madison and Page counties.The north face of...
, the tallest in the park, to the north and 300 feet (91.4 m) below Big Meadows
Big Meadows
Big Meadows is a recreational area of the Shenandoah National Park in Madison County and Page County, in the US state of Virginia. The meadow is located on the Skyline Drive at Milepost 51 and contains the park's Harry F. Byrd Visitor Center, a lodge, camp store, and camping area...
and Stony Man Mountain
Stony Man
Stony Man is a fictional clandestine anti-terrorist organization featured in the Executioner series of action-adventure novels first published in 1982 by American Gold Eagle publishers.-History:...
to the south. The Rose River flows down the hollow on the gap's east face and Little Hawksbill creek does the same down its west face.
History
Prior to the creation of Shenandoah National Park (SNP), Fishers Gap was where the Gordonsville Turnpike, connecting the towns of MadisnMadison, Virginia
Madison is a town in Madison County, Virginia, United States. The population was 210 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Madison County.-Geography:Madison is located at ....
and Gordonsville
Gordonsville, Virginia
Gordonsville is a town in Louisa and Orange counties in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 1,496 at the 2010 census.-History:Nathaniel Gordon purchased in 1787 and in 1794, or possibly earlier, applied for and was granted a license to operate a tavern...
with the central Page Valley
Page Valley
The Page Valley is a small valley geographically and culturally associated with the Shenandoah Valley. The valley is located between the Massanutten and Blue Ridge mountain ranges in western Virginia.-Geography:The valley is approximately long...
, crossed the Blue Ridge. The road was originally incorporated as the Blue Ridge Turnpike in 1850, but the thoroughfare itself dates back to the 1790s. The road was abandoned by the creation of SNP and is now the Rose River and Redgate fire roads in the park.
In November, 1862, during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson
Stonewall Jackson
ຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...
led his army through the gap en route to Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Fredericksburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia located south of Washington, D.C., and north of Richmond. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 24,286...
, where he played a significant role in the Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
a month later.