Hiking Shenandoah National Park: a guide to the park's greatest hiking adventures

265 Pages·2016·12.643 MB·English

by  Gildart, Jane;Gildart, Robert C

HHiikkiinngg
SShheennaannddooaahh
NNaattiioonnaall PPaarrkk
A Guide to the Park’s Greatest Hiking Adventures
Fifth Edition
Bert and Jane Gildart
i
For our children and their children: May you always find
enchantment and beauty in places such as Shenandoah
An imprint of Rowman & Littlefield
Falcon and FalconGuides are registered trademarks and Make Adventure Your Story is a trademark of
Rowman & Littlefield.
Distributed by NATIONAL BOOK NETWORK
Copyright © 2006, 2012, 2016 by Rowman & Littlefield
Previous editions of this book were published by Falcon Publishing, Inc., in 1998 and 2000.
All interior photographs by Bert and Jane Gildart unless otherwise noted.
Maps: Alena Pearce © Rowman & Littlefield
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical
means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher,
except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Information available
ISSN 1556-7958
ISBN 978-1-4930-1684-6 (paperback)
ISBN 978-1-4930-1685-3 (e-b ook)
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard
for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.
The authors and Rowman & Littlefield assume no liability for accidents happening to,
or injuries sustained by, readers who engage in the activities described in this book.
Contents
Acknowledgments ...............................................................................................vii
Introduction ..........................................................................................................1
Human History of Shenandoah National Park ..............................................1
Natural History of Shenandoah National Park ..............................................3
Seasons and Weather ......................................................................................4
Fees and Permits ...........................................................................................5
Be Prepared: Backcountry Safety and Hazards ...............................................5
Backcountry Essentials ................................................................................10
Hiking with Children .................................................................................11
Leave No Trace ...........................................................................................12
Hiker’s Checklist .........................................................................................13
How to Use This Guide ......................................................................................14
Hike Finder .........................................................................................................16
Map Legend ........................................................................................................20
North District (Skyline Mile 0.0 to 31.5) .........................21
1 Dickey Ridge Trail, Skyline Mile 0.05 ........................................................24
2 Fox Hollow Trail, Skyline Mile 4.6 .............................................................27
3 Snead Farm–Dickey Ridge Trail Loop, Skyline Mile 4.6 .............................30
4 Lands Run Falls, Skyline Mile 9.2 ...............................................................33
Compton Gap Hikes (Skyline Mile 10.4) .........................36
5 Fort Windham Rocks–Indian Run Spring, Skyline Mile 10.4 ....................37
6 Compton Peak, Skyline Mile 10.4 ..............................................................40
7 Mount Marshall Trail and Beyond, Skyline Mile 12.35 ................................43
8 K eyser Run Fire Road–Little Devils Stairs Lariat, Skyline Mile 19.4 ..........48
9 S ugarloaf–Keyser Run Fire Road–Hogback Mountain Lariat,
Skyline Mile 21.0 .......................................................................................51
10 Traces Trail, Skyline Mile 22.2.....................................................................55
11 Tuscarora–Overall Run Trail Loop, Skyline Mile 22.2 .................................59
12 Thornton River, Skyline Mile 24.0 .............................................................63
13 Knob Mountain–Jeremys Run Lariat, Skyline Mile 24.0.............................66
14 Byrds Nest Summit and Byrds Nest Shelter No. 4, Skyline Mile 28.5 .........71
Central District (Skyline Mile 31.6 to 65.5) ......................75
15 Pine Hill Gap–Broad Hollow Loop, Skyline Mile 31.5 ...............................77
16 Old Rag, Skyline Mile 31.5 ........................................................................80
17 Marys Rock North, Skyline Mile 31.6 .......................................................87
18 Marys Rock South, Skyline Mile 33.5 ........................................................90
19 Buck Hollow–Buck Ridge Trail Loop, Skyline Mile 33.5 ...........................93
20 Hazel Falls and Cave, Skyline Mile 33.5 ......................................................97
0 Kilometers 10
Shenandoah National Park Overview
0 Miles 10
To Winchester and
Hypsometry WEST Hagerstown, MD 340
66
4,500 VIRGINIA 522
3,500
2,500 81
1,500 TToo WWaasshhiinnggttoonn,, DDCC
500 Front Royal
0
Front Royal
Elevation (feet) Entrance Station 522
11
NNOORRTTHH
DDIISSTTRRIICCTT
340
VIRGINIA
CCOOMMPPTTOONN
Luray GGAAPP HHIIKKEESS
522
211 211 211 To
Washington, DC
340 EnTtrhaonrcnet oStna Gtioapn and 6 6
BUS
340 Skyline
Drive
522
CENTRAL
33 HHaarrrriissoonnbbuurrgg DISTRICT
340
SHENANDOAH
11
Elkton NATIONAL PARK
81
33
Swift Run Gap
Entrance Station 29
SSOOUUTTHH
DDIISSTTRRIICCTT
To
Roanoke 33
LOFLToft
MMOoUuNnTtAaIiNn Stanardsville
340 Drive
kyline 15
S
To 29
Staunton
Waynesboro
Rockfish Gap
Entrance Station
250
64
CChhaarrllootttteessvviillllee
To Blue Ridge
Parkway
15
64
33
29
250
To
Richmond
iv Hiking Shenandoah National Park
21 C orbin Cabin Cutoff–Nicholson Hollow–
Appalachian Trail Loop, Skyline Mile 37.9 ................................................101
22 Stony Man Trail, Skyline Mile 41.7 ...........................................................105
22-A Little Stony Man Trail, Skyline Mile 35.9 ..................................................108
23 Millers Head, Skyline Mile 42.5 ................................................................110
24 Limberlost, Skyline Mile 43.0 ...................................................................112
25 Cedar Run–Whiteoak Canyon Loop, Skyline Mile 45.6 ..........................116
26 Hawksbill Summit, Skyline Mile 45.6 .......................................................122
27 Rose River, Skyline Mile 49.4 ..................................................................127
28 Dark Hollow Falls, Skyline Mile 50.7 .......................................................130
29 Story of the Forest Trail, Skyline Mile 51.0 ...............................................134
30 Big Meadows, Skyline Mile 51.0 ...............................................................139
31 Lewis Spring Falls Trail, Skyline Mile 51.2 ................................................142
32 Blackrock, Skyline Mile 51.2 ....................................................................146
33 Rapidan Camp–Laurel Prong–Hazeltop Loop, Skyline Mile 53.0 .............148
34 Bearfence Mountain, Skyline Mile 56.4 ....................................................152
35 Lewis Mountain Trail, Skyline Mile 57.5 ...................................................156
36 Pocosin Trail, Skyline Mile 59.5 ................................................................158
37 Saddleback Mountain, Skyline Mile 62.8 ..................................................161
38 South River Falls, Skyline Mile 62.8 .........................................................164
South District (Skyline Mile 65.5 to 105.4) ....................169
39 Hightop Mountain Lariat, Skyline Mile 69.9 ............................................171
40 Powell Gap, Skyline Mile 70.0 ..................................................................175
41 Simmons Gap, Skyline Mile 73.2 ..............................................................178
42 Rocky Mount–Gap Run Lariat, Skyline Mile 76.2 ..................................181
43 Brown Mountain–Rocky Mountain Run Lariat, Skyline Mile 76.9 .........185
44 Ivy Creek, Skyline Mile 77.5 ....................................................................189
Loft Mountain and Other Hikes from the
Loft Mountain Complex (Skyline Mile 79.5) ..................192
45 Loft Mountain Loop, Skyline Mile 79.5 ....................................................194
46 Frazier Discovery Trail, Skyline Mile 79.5 .................................................198
47 Big Flat Mountain Loop, Skyline Mile 79.5 ..............................................202
48 Big Run Loop, Skyline Mile 81.1 .............................................................205
49 Doyles River Falls and Jones Run, Skyline Mile 81.1 ................................208
50 Austin Mountain–Furnace Mountain Loop, Skyline Mile 83.0 .................211
51 Rockytop, Skyline Mile 83.0 ....................................................................215
52 Blackrock Summit, Skyline Mile 84.8 .......................................................219
53 Trayfoot Mountain–Paine Run Loop, Skyline Mile 87.4 ..........................223
54 Moormans River, Skyline Mile 87.4 .........................................................226
55 Riprap Trail, Skyline Mile 90.0 .................................................................231
56 Turk Mountain, Skyline Mile 94.1 ............................................................236
57 Jarman Gap to Beagle Gap, Skyline Mile 96.8 ...........................................239
CCoonntteennttss vv
58 Bear Den Mountain, Skyline Mile 99.5 ....................................................242
59 Calf Mountain, Skyline Mile 99.5 .............................................................246
Appendix A: For More Information ..................................................................248
Appendix B: Further Reading ...........................................................................251
Appendix C: Where to Stay ...............................................................................252
Hike Index ........................................................................................................254
About the Authors.............................................................................................255
Help Us Keep This Guide Up to Date
Every effort has been made by the authors and editors to make this guide as accurate and
useful as possible. However, many things can change after a guide is published—trails are
rerouted, regulations change, facilities come under new management, and so forth.
We welcome your comments concerning your experiences with this guide and how
you feel it could be improved and kept up to date. While we may not be able to respond to
all comments and suggestions, we’ll take them to heart, and we’ll also make certain to share
them with the authors. Please send your comments and suggestions to the following address:
FalconGuides
Reader Response/Editorial Department
246 Goose Lane
Guilford, CT 06437
Or you may e-mail us at:
[email protected]
Thanks for your input, and happy trails!
vi Contents
Acknowledgments
No book is ever written and completed without the help of others, and this guide
is no exception. We have many people to thank for their help and valuable informa-
tion about this special park. Greta Miller, director of the Shenandoah National Park
Association, who has always aided with logistics and friendship; Karen Taylor, who
reviewed the book, for her suggestions; Dan Hurlbert, map specialist, was an invalu-
able help; Rolf Gubler, wildlife biologist, for sharing some of his vast knowledge;
Mara Meisel and Enedina Gasaway, great flower identification ladies; Ranger Bill
Jones, for sharing park stories; and Mequette Gallegos, geology intern. We attempted
to incorporate all their thoughts, suggestions, and ideas, and hope we have correctly
interpreted their comments.
We want to thank Bill Schneider, founder of Falcon Publishing, Inc., who initially
got us to Shenandoah in 1998; Jess Haberman of Globe Pequot, who got us back
in 2010; and to both Katie Benoit and Evan Helmlinger, who got us back in 2015.
We also want to thank Julie Marsh, with whom we have worked on previous Fal-
conGuides. We have known her for almost twenty years, and during those years she
has greatly improved our work. She has also helped us ride out several “storms” that
extend beyond the business of communications, so, again, Julie, we thank you.
Last but not least we want to thank our special friends Susan and Adam Maffei,
who at one time hiked virtually all the trails with us.
vii

Introduction
I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out ’til sundown, for
going out, I found, was really going in.
—John Muir
Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of northern Virginia, Shenandoah National
Park is both a hiker’s challenge and a delight. Hiking the park is a challenge because
of its generally precipitous nature, but a delight for the same reason. Long and narrow,
this 197,411-acre park straddles a ridge crest that courses over 100 miles north and
south, embracing rolling hills, quiet hollows, meandering streams, and verdant forests.
More than 79,000 acres of the park are designated wilderness.
To some, it seems all the trails in Shenandoah either ascend or descend, but not
every park trail is steep or rocky. With more than 500 miles of trails, the park offers a
wide variety of terrain and insights into the park’s past.
The famous Appalachian National Scenic Trail (AT) is a major route through
Shenandoah National Park. From Skyline Drive, the AT leads 1,280 miles to its
northern end atop Mount Katahdin in Maine. Each year about 150 people trek the
entire AT. Not everyone will want to hike from Maine to Georgia, but many who
come to Shenandoah do hike the 101 miles that pass through the park, many of
which combine the AT with park trails.
Human History of Shenandoah National Park
“Shenandoah” is an Indian name, probably from the Iroquois language. There are sev-
eral translations of the term, including “river through the spruces” and “big flat place.”
The most common translation, however, is “daughter of the stars.”
The wilderness of Shenandoah National Park never presented much of an obsta-
cle to European explorers. In his book The Undying Past of Shenandoah National Park,
Darwin Lambert wrote, “For almost two centuries, more than a dozen gaps or passes
of the park-l and had roads that followed packhorses, which followed Indian paths,
which followed elk and bison, which followed mastodons.”
John Lederer was the first European trailblazer to explore what is now Shenan-
doah National Park and leave a record. In 1669, sixty- two years after the founding of
Jamestown, this German adventurer—assisted by Monacan and Manahoac Indians—
climbed either Hightop or Hawksbill (no one is sure which) and gazed down into the
valley below. Other explorers followed, and they were impressed by the valley’s rich,
fertile land. They wrote favorable reports of the area, and their writings—combined
with expanding population pressures—prompted settlement.
Shenandoah’s hikes are an ideal combination of natural beauty and exercise.
1