Virginia Pictures (6 pictures)
Shenandoah has some neat trail maps at
http://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/mapshiking.htm
or you can pick them up at the visitor centers in the park.
Turk Mountain - Shenandoah National Park
Directions:
In Shenandoah National Park, take Skyline Drive to
mile 94.1 (south end) for the Turk Gap Parking area.
The trail starts on the west side of the road.
No facilities.
$15 per week (for a car load) or National Parks Pass
Trails:
Cross the road and the trail heads left for a little
ways along the Appalachian Trail - a short down and
then up to the junction. At the junction, take a
right and the one-person width dirt trail heads at
a slight down for a bit. The trail then heads up at
a mild climb. The trail gets rockier as you get
closer to the peak. At the summit post, continue
across the rocks a little bit for some better views
of the northwest (not spectacular, though). The
trail is in the trees until you reach the peak.
Trail Length:
1.1 miles one-way to peak
Area:
Woods, tree covered mountains
Picture
When I did the hike:
Friday, September 21, 2007
Recommendation:
A nice little hike, nothing stunning.
Chimney Rock- Shenandoah National Park
Directions:
In Shenandoah National Park, take Skyline Drive to
mile 90 (south end) for the Riprap Trail Parking
area.
No facilities.
$15 per week (for a car load) or National Parks Pass
Trails:
Head right on the Appalachian Trail for .4 miles
as the trail heads a mild up to the junction. At
the junction, take a left. The one-person width
trail heads down a ways, then up a rocky slope to
an overlook - the first rock outcrop you come to.
The trail continues on for a mild bit and small
up along the ridge. My guess is that the big
rocks in the middle of the ridge (no views) is
the Calvary Rocks. Continue on as the trail
heads down through the trees and reaches another
rock outcrop - (my guess is) the Chimney Rock.
I turned around there. You can continue on the
Riprap Trail and make a long 9.8 mile loop hike.
Trail Length:
1.7 miles one-way to Chimney Rock
9.8 miles loop
Area:
Woods, tree covered mountains
When I did the hike:
Friday, September 21, 2007
Recommendation:
Pretty, nice views of the Shenandoahs (but the
tree-covered mountains aren't stunning).
Doyles River Falls and Jones Run Falls - Shenandoah National Park
Directions:
In Shenandoah National Park, take Skyline Drive to
mile 83 (south end) for the Browns Gap Parking area
on the west side (trail starts on the east side -
this is the way I did the loop (thus the last 1.2
miles is downhill)) or mile 84 for the Jones Run
Parking area or (for a there-and-back for just
Doyles River Falls) mile 81.2 for the Doyles River
Cabin parking area on the east side.
No facilities.
$15 per week (for a car load) or National Parks Pass
Trails:
From the Browns Gap Parking area, cross the road and
head down the Browns Gap Fire Road - the packed-dirt
road was overrun with weeds so it was more like two
side-by-side trails rather than a road. You head
down the road for 1.9 miles to the junction for the
Doyles River Run trail. Take a right at the
junction and you are on a true trail - a wide packed
dirt trail with rocks and roots. The unimpressive
upper falls (28 feet tall) is just .3 miles ahead
(and still heading a mild down). And the little
larger (and only a little more impressive - not
saying much) lower falls (63 feet tall) is another
.3 miles ahead. If you are doing the loop, the next
falls isn't for 1.3 more miles. The trail continues
heading a mild down for .6 miles. When the trail
turns and starts heading up, you are on the Jones
Run Trail and are going to head up all the way to
the road - mostly a mild up, but a couple of steep
ups. .7 miles ahead is the Jones Runs Falls. The
42-foot tall falls was more just wet rock than
flowing water when I was there. The road is 1.7
miles and 1320 feet up ahead. After the trail
crosses the creek, the trail is a harder up all the
way to the Appalachian Trail junction (right in
front of the Jones Run parking area). Take a right
onto the Appalachian Trail for a mild 1.2 miles
(slight down) to complete the loop.
Trail Length + Elevation:
Loop: 6.7 miles, 1320 feet
Doyles River Cabin parking:
1.2 miles to Doyles River Upper Falls
.3 miles upper to lower falls
Jones Run parking:
1.7 miles, 1320 feet to Jones Run Falls
Area:
Woods, tree covered mountains, small falls
Picture
When I did the hike:
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Recommendation:
Unless the water is a lot heavier when you are
there, not worth the effort as the falls were no
very pretty and little more than a trickle.
Lewis Falls - Shenandoah National Park
Directions:
In Shenandoah National Park, take Skyline Drive to
mile 51.3 (middle of park - near the Byrd Visitor
Center) for the parking area for Big Meadows parking
on the east side of the road or the very small (only
3 spots) parking area on the west side of the road
just south of the meadows - the trail starts in
front of the small parking area.
$15 per week (for a car load) or National Parks Pass
Trails:
From Skyline Drive, the trail heads down for .2
miles on the gravel road to the true trail junction.
Then it is .7 miles down with some switchbacks to
an observation area to the side near the top of the
falls (no trail to bottom).
Trail Length + Elevation:
.9 miles one-way from Skyline Drive
1.6 miles one-way from Big Meadows amphitheater in
the campground
Area:
Woods, tree covered mountains, small falls
When I did the hike:
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Recommendation:
The view of the falls is not that great and this
was the one buggy hike (near the falls) I had in
Shenandoah.
Dark Hollow Falls - Shenandoah National Park
Directions:
In Shenandoah National Park, take Skyline Drive to
mile 50.7 (middle of park - near the Byrd Visitor
Center) for the parking area for Dark Hollow Falls
on the east side of the road.
No facilities.
$15 per week (for a car load) or National Parks Pass
Trails:
The wide gravelish trail heads down (so you have
an up on the return) next to a stream. After the
fence at the top of the falls, the trail
switchbacks down to the falls base. You can
continue down about .2 miles to the fire road
junction and a thin falls to the right (not
exciting, so skip it).
Trail Length + Elevation:
.7 miles, 440 feet one-way
Area:
Woods, tree covered mountains, small falls
Picture
When I did the hike:
Friday, September 21, 2007
Recommendation:
Nice short little hike to pretty falls. Popular
hike.
Hawksbill Mountain - Shenandoah National Park
Directions:
In Shenandoah National Park, take Skyline Drive to
mile 46.7 (middle of park) for the Upper Hawksbill
Parking area (easier hike) or mile 45.6 for the
Hawksbill Gap Parking area.
No facilities.
$15 per week (for a car load) or National Parks Pass
Trails:
From the Upper Hawksbill parking area, the wide
gravel trail heads a mild up for .7 miles to the
fire road junction. Take a right onto the fire
road (the road is similar to the trail, but a bit
wider) and head at a little steeper up for .3
miles to the day shelter. The peak is to the
left and short ways ahead of the shelter - a rock
outcrop with plenty of spots to sit on and enjoy
the mountain and valley views (including
populated areas).
Trail Length + Elevation:
1 mile, 520 feet from Upper Hawksbill parking
.8 miles (steeper) from Hawksbill Gap parking
Area:
Woods, tree covered mountains
Picture
When I did the hike:
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Recommendation:
A pretty view area of the Shenandoahs (but the
tree-covered mountains aren't stunning).
White Oak Canyon Falls - Shenandoah National Park
Directions:
In Shenandoah National Park, take Skyline Drive to
mile 43 (northcenral area of park) for the
Limberlost parking area on the east side of the
road (there is a Whiteoak Canyon Parking area at
mile 42.6, but that just gives you a little bit
longer of a hike at the start through the trees).
No facilities.
$15 per week (for a car load) or National Parks Pass
Trails:
From the Limberlost parking area, head for a short
bit on the Limberlost Trail (wheelchair accessible)
to the junction for the White Oak Canyon Trail -
take a right onto that trail. The dirt and rocky
trail heads mild for a ways before it starts
heading down. It is not a hard hike to the
upper falls viewpoint (from above). From there,
the trail gets much rockier and steeper and the
trail heads down on cement and rock steps. At
the warning sign, you can hook a right (off-trail)
through the trees to an unmaintained trail and
make your way right to the base of the upperfalls.
Continuing down on the real trail, .4 miles from
the upperfalls is a nice smaller falls that you
can rest at the base of (a better turning around
point than the upperfalls if you need a shorter
hike). Another falls is visible from the trail
a short ways ahead (but you don't get close to it
and the view is only marginal). The trail
continues heading down. There is a mild section
along a ridge (with even some mild up) as the
stream continues heading down - which means you
have a hard, steep down ahead. And it is steep
for a bit and then it switchbacks down the rest
of the way and ends at a pretty waterfall. The
sign for the "Lower Falls" is actually a short
bit ahead at a very small fall under the bigger
one, but the bigger one is the one where you
want to rest and enjoy the view. And rest some
more as it is a tough hike back out.
Trail Length + Elevation:
Total: 6.3 miles
1.8 miles to Upper falls
1.3 miles Upper falls to Lower falls
Area:
Woods, tree covered mountains, several falls
Picture
When I did the hike:
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Recommendation:
Yes. My favorite hike in the park - and these
falls actually were worth the hike.
Fox Hollow Trail - Shenandoah National Park
Directions:
In Shenandoah National Park, take Skyline Drive to
mile 50.7 (north end of park) for Dickey Ridge
Visitor Center. Take the grass path directly in
front of the visitor center and cross the road for
the trailhead.
Flush toilets.
$15 per week (for a car load) or National Parks Pass
Trails:
The grassy trail heads left along the Dickey Ridge
trail to the Fox Hollow Trail junction - take a
right and it is a dirt trail. Although the trail
description describes homesites and a cemetery,
the only indication of the homesite is small 1 to
2 feet tall rock wall/fences and the cemetery is
little more than a small square of the rock fences
with a couple of small rectangle rocks (no writing
visible) inside. So instead of being a look at
the past, it is more of nature having reclaimed
what was once someone's home. The rest of the
loop is just a walk through the trees.
Trail Length:
1.2 mile mild loop
Area:
Woods, tree covered mountains
When I did the hike:
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Recommendation:
A waste of time.