Note: Some of the NPS website details (and mileage markers along the actual trail) were a little outdated as of summer 2011, as they refer to the hike distance before the park service closed the upper parking lot in April of 2010.

Large boulders near the summit of Old Rag. Below: Adam walking along the road headed toward the Ridge Trail's start; Views from the summit of Old Rag; Adam drops down into a narrow passage between the rocks.

Christine Says…

After two and a half years, we’re finally getting around to covering Virginia’s most popular, most well-known hike – Old Rag. I’ll make an outright confession.  Old Rag, as beloved as it might be by (seemingly) everyone else, is not my favorite hike.   But, when you have a Virginia hiking website, you’re practically obligated to have a write up about this mountain.  So, on to the post!

We’d been tossing around the idea of hiking Old Rag for the blog for well over a year.  Adam would suggest it and I’d invariably tell him that it was too hot, too cold, possibly wet and slippery, I heard there was ice, my feet hurt, I don’t feel like driving that far, etc.  Basically, I floated every excuse in the book to delay the hike.  But then I went and did something incredibly stupid and it really blew up in my face!  I had a day off work coming up.  It was going to be a beautiful August day – crisp and unseasonably cool!  I had visions of getting up early, doing a photo shoot in the park, maybe eating some donuts and then taking myself to a matinee movie.  But before I could stop myself, I found that I had blurted out “Tomorrow would be a GREAT day to hike Old Rag!”  I assumed this was purely hypothetical because Adam had to work.  But he immediately responded “Yeah!  Let’s go!  I’m taking tomorrow off too!”  Ugh – I didn’t see that one coming!  I don’t like to back out on plans, so the next morning we were up before dawn, snacks stashed and Camelbaks filled.

We got to the parking lot before 8:00 a.m..  Getting to Old Rag early is something I consider to be a necessity.  The trail is always crowded – even on weekdays.  The Old Rag parking lot is actually my first point of contention with the hike.  It used to be if you got up early, you could always get a parking spot in the small upper parking area located right at the trailhead.  In April of 2010, a couple years after our last hike up Old Rag (fall of 2008 – see photos), the park service closed the upper lot to all vehicles.  Now, all vehicles must park in the lower lot, which is just a shade under a mile from the trailhead.  The added mile follows a paved road uphill to the beginning of the Ridge Trail. I’m not going to make any apologies; I just don’t like road walking on outings that are supposed to be hikes.

The first section of rock scramble is just a little sampling of what is ahead. Below: Giant boulders along the trail; Christine climbing up the Ridge Trail; Christine taking in the view; A view of the valley; A dog who has panhandling all figured out!

Once we got to the Ridge Trail, things improved a bit.  The trail climbed upward for about two miles. It’s not terribly steep or difficult climbing, but it is steady uphill.  There are occasional switchbacks, lots of gigantic boulders along the trail and even some glimpses of views through the trees.

The higher you climb, the better and more open the views become.  After the first real panoramic view, you get your first little sample of the extensive rock scrambling you’re about to encounter.  The first pass is short, but requires hoisting yourself up through a small opening, then across a flat pancake of rock.  At this point, my boot slipped and I almost toppled over backwards.  Luckily, I was able to hang on long enough for Adam to give me a hand up.

Shortly after that little scramble, you’ll come to what I think is the nicest view on the hike.  Instead of overlooking mountains with a distant peek at Skyline Drive, this viewpoint overlooks the valley below.  The vista is dotted with little farms and winding country roads.  It’s really pretty!  At this point of our hike, we encountered an emaciated, but super-friendly dog.  He had a collar but there didn’t seem to be any human to claim him.  Dogs are not allowed on Old Rag’s hiking trails, so we figured someone brought a dog up anyhow, and then abandoned him when he could no longer follow along the rock scramble.  The dog looked so pitiful and hungry that we ended up sharing some cashews and half a Luna Bar.

The dog followed us along until the scramble began in earnest.  He looked sad to see us go, so we decided to report him to park rangers at the end of our hike, in hopes that they could send someone up to retrieve him and lead him back down to the base of the mountain.

After saying goodbye to the dog, we began nearly one-mile of rock scrambling required to reach the summit of Old Rag via the Ridge Trail.  Anyone wishing to reach the summit without the scramble can follow the Saddle Trail (accessed by either the Weakley Hollow or Old Rag fire roads).  The scramble is the part of this hike that I enjoy most, but also simultaneously fear.  I have vertigo, so there are a couple passes that play tricks on my visual and balance centers.  Otherwise, the scramble is a lot of fun!  It’s almost like a hiking puzzle.  You have to look at each obstacle and plan the best strategy for traversing it.  The scramble is tough – it’s not so much a cardio challenge as it is a strength challenge.  There are lots of places where you’ll rely on  both your upper and lower body strength to carry you across the rocks.  It’s nice to have at least one hiking buddy to help you along.  One particularly steep place, I had to shove Adam up (one hand on each butt cheek) and then he had to tow me up behind him.

Near the beginning of the scramble, you have to drop down into this narrow passage. Below: A variety of obstacles along the rock scramble. Below: Adam shinnies down into the narrow passage pictured above (note the blaze is numbered R22. Each blaze on the scramble is numbered to help rescuers find injured people more quickly); More scenes along the scramble.

The summit of Old Rag is beautiful and decorated with many large and interesting boulders.  It’s the perfect place to enjoy a snack while taking in the view.  We watched the clouds clearing away, ate cheese and trail mix and watched falcon soaring on the breeze.  It may have been a peregrine, as they are known to nest on Old Rag, but we’re really not sure.

After leaving the summit, the hike becomes sort of tedious.  Yes, it’s all downhill, and you’ll pass a couple interesting trail shelters (Byrd’s Nest and Old Rag).  Both are available for day use only.  There is one more decent view.  But right after passing the Old Rag Shelter, you’ll reach the Berry Hollow fire road.  You’re only on that for a short while, until you meet the Weakley Hollow fire road.  You’re on that road for the remainder of the loop until you come back to the paved road at the trailhead.  Honestly, everything after the scramble on this hike is just not fun to me – too many miles of featureless road walking.   All in all, the Old Rag hike has close to 4.5 miles of road walking (over half the hike).  Adam and I were eager to finish up our hike, so we jogged most of the way back along the fire road and paved road.

Adam pretends to balance a giant boulder. Below: More scenes along the scramble.

When we got back to the car, we told the ranger at the check-in station about the skinny dog.  She laughed and said “Oh, him!  He’s our resident Old Rag beggar!”  Apparently the dog belongs to a local family.  He likes to take daily hikes to solicit treats from people climbing the mountain.  He sure tricked us!

The parking lot had really filled up since we arrived!  We were glad to be done, and on out way to get some lunch (fried chicken – yay!).

When I reflect back on hiking Old Rag, and what could be done to improve the experience, I can think of a few things.  One idea I think would work well is to issue a finite number of permits per day to hike the mountain.  Perhaps limiting numbers on weekends would be enough.  I think if they could limit hikers, they could reopen the upper lot and eliminate almost two miles of road walking.  Another thought is to limit the number of people allowed per hiking party.  So many church youth groups and college clubs hike Old Rag in huge crowds.  This causes massive ‘traffic jams’along the scramble.  No fun!  I also think that limiting hikers would go along way toward alleviating the trail damage and erosion on Old Rag.  The trail is crumbling, lots of rocks on the scramble have been worn to a smooth polish under years’of boot traffic, and sadly there is garbage everywhere.  It’s a trail that would benefit greatly from being enjoyed by fewer people.

That said, I think every lover of the outdoors in Virginia should hike Old Rag at least once!  The scramble is truly without compare.

Adam Says…

Well, Christine summed it up nicely describing the pressure that I have been putting on her to tackle Old Rag.  We last did this hike together shortly before we started this blog.  The logo that we use for the website is actually taken from a photo of Old Rag, so it was a must do.  About every year, I put together a list of hikes that we have talked about doing in Virginia and we hang it on our refrigerator.  After we finish the hike, we have a ceremonial highlighter that we use to highlight the hikes we’ve finished.  For the last few years of printing a new list, Old Rag has been one of the few that has not been highlighted before the latest version is posted.  I let Christine do the honors of marking Old Rag off the list – and she was happy to do so.

Adam on the Summit. Below: Summit scenery; Some kind of bird of prey.

I would also agree with Christine that Old Rag is very overused.  One thing that makes this hike particularly challenging during the rock scramble is that the rocks are so smooth, you could easily slip.  When it has just rained, you know you will have no footing whatsoever.  Many of these boulders have no handholds or footholds, so you do have to be creative with how you will get through the scramble.  I would recommend that you do this hike with someone else to help you through the scramble.  I think Christine especially enjoyed the opportunity of putting both of her hands on my butt and shoving with all of her might.  It’s not very often that she gets to do that.

The Old Rag day-use shelter. Below: Adam takes in the last nice view on the way down; The Byrd's Nest day-use shelter; The crowded Old Rag parking lot.

The hike begins from the parking lot and consists of walking up a paved and then gravel road for about .9 miles until you reach a smaller blocked off gravel lot (with a portable toilet) and a sign for the trailhead to the left.  This begins the Ridge Trail.  The trail starts off as a gradual ascent through the forest.  At about 2.3 miles, you reach the first of several switchbacks.  There isn’t a lot of note on the main portion of the trail as you are just walking uphill through the woods, without any notable views.  At about 3.2 miles, you reach a nice overlook.  As soon as you leave this spot, the rock scrambling will begin.  You have about one mile of rock scrambling until you reach the summit.  This path is quite dangerous as you have to navigate down tight crevasses, around boulders open to large drop-offs, and up other boulders with slick surfaces.  The summit marker will indicate the end of the tough climbing.  There are several places to take in the panoramic views at the top and some of the more adventurous will climb up some of the large boulders at the top.  Once you are done taking in the views backtrack to the trail and then take a right on to the Saddle Trail.  At about 4 miles you reach, the Byrds Nest Shelter No. 1, a day-use only shelter.  Continue down the steep trail and at 4.5 miles, you will reach another day-use Old Rag shelter.  Continue down the trail and at 4.9 miles, you reach the junction with the Weakley Hollow fire road.  Take a right on this fire road and you have about 3 miles of this fire road to walk down before you reach a few bridges and finally the smaller blocked-off Old Rag gravel lot.  Go back the way you came and you should reach your vehicle around 8.8 miles.

I do think we have put a lot of warnings about this hike, but the reason that this hike is likely so popular is due to the challenge and the amazing views.  The summit of Old Rag does provide some of the best views in Virginia.  Some people even do rock climbing at the top to rappel over the edge and make their way back up.  On a clear day, you can see for miles of countryside and layers of mountains.  I know most people do put this on their list of must-hikes in Virginia.  I recommend to tackle this hike as early in the morning as possible to beat the crowds.  If you wait until the middle of the day, you will likely face people-jams as the navigating through the rock scramble takes a while.

For any of those interested in geocaching, there are two geocaches nearby the trail:

• Old Rag Cache
• Old Rag Mountain – earthcache that requires a photo and some answers to questions to prove you found the cache

For further reading about Old Rag and its history, check out the Climber’s Guide to Old Rag Mountain with some interesting information about the history of the area and the USGS’Hiker’s Guide to the Geology of Old Rag.

I really have to hand it to Christine for confronting her vertigo and facing Old Rag.  I told her I wouldn’t bother her again to do the hike since we now officially have it on the blog, but I will probably do it again sometime.  I think this hike does have about 1.5 miles of very exciting climbing and wonderful views, but the rest of the hike (especially the way back on the fire roads) seems a little boring and you will look forward to seeing your car in the parking lot after the long hike back.  The last time we did this hike was on a fall day at the peak of fall color.  If you can find a day like that to tackle this hike, you won’t regret it.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 8.8 miles
  
• Elevation Change – about 2600 feet total.
  
• Difficulty – 4.  The uphill climbing is gradual and never terribly steep, but the scramble requires good upper and lower body strength.
• Trail Conditions – 2.  I think the trail is eroded and worn smooth in many places due to years of overuse.
  
• Views – 5.  The views are wonderful and include both mountain and valley views.
• Wildlife – 3.  There have been a fair number of bear sightings on Old Rag.  You also have a good chance of seeing birds of prey on the summit.
  
• Ease to Navigate – 4.  Follow the signs.  This well-traveled trail is well-marked. Distances on the markers are out-of-date and refer to mileage when the upper lot was still open.
  
• Solitude – 0.  Can I give this a negative score?
  

Directions to trailhead:  From Sperryville, Route 211, turn onto Route 522 and follow it south for .8 mile. Turn right on Route 231, follow 8 miles, turn right onto Route 601 and follow signs to the parking area, approximately 3 miles.
From Madison, Route 29 Business,  turn onto Route 231 and follow it for 12.8 miles. Turn left onto Route 602.
Follow signs for the parking area. Old Rag parking is approximately 3 miles from the turn onto Route 602.

Adam walks under a fallen, gnarled tree on the Saddleback Trail.

Adam Says…

Sorry it has been awhile everyone.  We’ve had a crazy fall and haven’t been able to get out as much as we had hoped.

We have had a plan this winter to try and do sections of the Appalachian Trail through Shenandoah National Park.  We thought we would start with a shuttle trip to cover the section from Swift Run Gap to Lewis Mountain.  We made our way up to the Swift Run Gap entrance to Shenandoah Park and talked to the ranger at the gate.  He told us that the entire drive was closed, but we could do some day hikes around the area.  He said there was snow and ice on the road and they were also worried about more bad weather moving into the area later that night.  Boooo!  We went back to the car, upset that our plans couldn’t work out the way we wanted.  Rather than admitting total defeat, we decided to try a loop hike that included Saddleback Mountain.  It was close enough to the entrance gate that we could walk into the park from Route 33.

Skyline Drive Closed for Snow. Below: The trailhead had a small amount of snow; The trees overhead were all bare; We saw a little bit of milkweed still hanging on.

Throughout the hike we got a few glimpses of Skyline Drive through the woods and we never saw any snow.  I talked to a friend of mine who is married to a ranger and he said that often they close the road because they don’t want to have people get trapped up there.  Then, the rangers have to deal with them, since they typically close during hunting season at 5PM.  I also found out they send one ranger north to inspect the Central section and one ranger drives up from Waynesboro to view the Southern section.  We found out later that the Southern section ended up remaining open all day, so we could have done a different hike.  Oh well, at least we were able to cover something we hadn’t done yet for the blog.

The hike starts where the Appalachian Trail crosses the road at the border between the Southern and Central Districts of Shenandoah National Park.  Heading north up the white-blazed trail, the trail ascends steadily.  After a few tenths of a mile, you will see an unmarked path to the right that leads to an old family cemetery.  It was nice to pay some respects to the families that lived and died here on the mountain.  Continuing back on the AT, the trail continued to slowly ascend.  At 1.4 miles, you reach a junction with the blue-blazed Saddleback Mountain Trail.  Take a right on this trail to make this hike a loop.  The Saddleback Mountain Trail goes around the mountain, which was a nice break from climbing uphill.  We saw a few nice icy formations and some heavier patches of snow on this shadowy side of the mountain.  At 2.6 miles, you will come to a PATC maintenance hut.  These huts are scattered throughout the park that serve as places where PATC volunteers can have access to some tools to help repair sections of the trail.  There is an open outhouse here and a spring nearby, but we found that the spring was mostly dry.  We continued past the PATC maintenance hut for .2 miles on a fire road until we met the junction with the AT.  Head south on the AT and you will have 2.7 miles until you reach the original trailhead.  As I mentioned before, the Saddleback Mountain goes around the mountain, so when you start the trail you will again be heading uphill until you reach the summit.  The summit was not marked, but it was nice to have a downhill trip back to the car.

The shady side of the mountain had a little snow. Below: We took a short side trail to take a look at an old cemetery; Even though there was a little snow on the ground, the morning temps were well above freezing; We saw some recent bear scat and scratches along the trail.

On our way back downhill, we ran into two hikers that were there hoping to catch up to the Valley Hikers group that were evidently doing that hike to South River Falls.  They got a late start but said there was a note on a car telling them where they went.  We talked to the couple for a while before parting ways.  When I got back home, I checked my email and it looks like the Valley Hikers changed their itinerary completely and were not doing the South River Falls after all.  I hope the couple didn’t get too discouraged on their trip.  Valley Hikers is a great group to join if you are interested in meeting up with some other people in the Shenandoah Valley that enjoy hiking.  Members are of all skill levels and they do a good variety of hikes and an occasional backpacking trip.  I do belong to the group, but I have yet to meet up with them to do a hike.

When Skyline Drive is open, you can also do a shorter version of the Saddleback trail, starting from the South River Falls picnic area.  From that direction, you would have just a few tenths of a mile of an uphill hike to the summit area.

I’m glad we were able to get out and do a hike after our hiatus.  Even though this trail doesn’t have a lot of great views, it is a nice walk in the woods and it was good to get some exercise outdoors on a cool winter day.

Christine Says…

With our original plans foiled, we sat in the car for a few minutes and deliberated our options – go home or figure out an alternate hike route that allowed us to walk into the park from outside the pay station.  I’m really glad we decided to go for the latter, because the hike (while rather uneventful) turned out to be a pleasant way to spend the morning.  It was great to get back out on the trail after a month of sloth (the flu and three weekends of art shows severely limit the ability to hike!)

PATC Maintenance Building. Below: Adam checks out the map at the first trail intersection; Someone left pennies on top of each of the cement trail marker posts; We saw some pawprints in the snow - maybe a fox or bobcat - they were too smudged to determine for sure.

As we started up the Appalachian Trail, I couldn’t help but remember that this was the exact spot we met our friends from The Traveling Circus back in May.  The trail looks pretty different now than it did back then – bare trees and fallen leaves instead of a lush tunnel of green.  While the woods might be prettier in the spring, summer and fall, there is still something I really enjoy about winter hiking.  I like the lack of bugs, the fact that I don’t get sweaty, the solitude and the glimpses of views through the trees that you miss the rest of the year.

A few tenths of a mile up the trail, we took a short spur to take a look at an old cemetery.  Headstones we saw dated back to the turn of the twentieth century.  Many of the people buried here lived in the park throughout the 1800′s up until they were forcibly removed in the early 1900′s by the US Government.  I think there were many older unmarked graves as well, but we took a few minutes to read each of the headstones still left standing.

After leaving the cemetery, the trail climbed gently, but endlessly, uphill to the junction of the Saddleback Mountain Trail.  There really wasn’t anything remarkable about the trail to this point – no amazing scenery, just the occasional peek through the trees at the valley and Skyline Drive below.  Adam and I laughed at how bare of the snow the drive was every time it came into view.  We really don’t understand why it was closed at all.

We turned onto the Saddleback Trail and enjoyed a relatively flat walk skirting around the shoulder of the mountain.  Near the end of the trail, we passed a PATC maintenance cabin and a toilet.  A toilet!  You’ve got to love a toilet in the middle of the woods.  Or maybe it’s just me…

We stopped to rest a few minutes.  I noticed a thermometer on the hearth outside the cabin and saw that it read 40 degrees – pretty balmy for a winter hike!  The morning we hiked, a bit of a southerly air flow arrived.  The warmer air came in aloft, creating the rare phenomenon that it was much warmer in the mountains than it was down in the valley.

From the PATC cabin, we passed the South River spring (a boxed spring intended as a water supply) and headed up a short fire road to meet back up with the Appalachian Trail.  We turned south, and walked along the AT, climbing up to the summit of Saddleback Mountain.  The summit of Saddleback is covered with trees and does not offer a view.

After crossing the summit, the hike was an easy, all-downhill stroll back to the car.  Even though we didn’t get to hike the route we originally planned, this Saddleback loop made a great substitute and we had a fun morning.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 5.5 miles
• Elevation Change – about 750 feet
• Difficulty – 2.5. There is some steady uphill, but it is manageable.
• Trail Conditions – 3.5. Since most is on the AT, the trail is very well-maintained, but rocky and steep in spots.
  
• Views – .5 We only had a few views through the trees, that I’m sure would not be there when leaves are on the trees.
• Waterfalls/streams – 0. Non-existent.
  
• Wildlife – 3.5. We did see deer and heard the echoing sounds of a pileated woodpecker.  There was also fresh bear scat in the area and possible tracks in the snow.
  
• Ease to Navigate –4. This is fairly easy to follow if you read the concrete posts at the junctions.
• Solitude –3.5. You may see some hikers on the AT due to the proximity to the South River picnic area.
  

Directions to trailhead: Once you go through the Swift Run Gap entrance station, park your car across the street from the stop sign.  The Appalachian Trail sign is straight ahead and head north.

View Larger Map

The barn at the old Snead Farm is still in good shape. Most of the other structures are gone, only foundations left. Below: There is a view from the fire road before you follow the final fork to the farm.

Christine Says…

The walk to Snead Farm is really easy and perfect for families.  Much of the trail is level and follows a fire road.  There are a couple of route options, too. If you start from the visitor’s center, you’ll walk .8 miles on the Dickey Ridge trail before reaching Snead Farm Road.  This ends up making a three-mile route, and is the route we followed.  You can also start from Skyline Drive, directly on the Snead Farm road.  This cuts the route to a mere 1.4 mile out-and-back.  Just be sure to follow the correct forks in the road, or you’ll find yourself on a walk to nowhere (like we did… more about that later).  Whatever route you choose, the going is easy and relatively level.

As far as I know, Snead Farm has the only remaining barn left standing in the park.  In fact, it’s one of the few non-park structures of any kind left standing within the boundaries. The doors are barred closed, so you can’t go inside – but you can peek through windows and gaps in the doors to see the old hayloft up top and animal stalls on the lower level.

Behind a tangle of vines, you can still climb down into the root cellar located behind the barn. The cellar is deep and lined with sturdy shelves, which undoubtedly held stores of food for the farm.  The main house’s foundation and several sets of stairs still stand slightly uphill from the barn.  The boxwoods that stood on either side of the front door are still there.  They have grown tall and wild!  The cistern is still there as well.  The farm was occupied until the early 1950’s, so the site doesn’t feel as old as some other places in the park, like Pocosin Mission.

Adam Says…

Our hike to Snead Farm ended up being longer than we were expecting.  We were using our Falcon Guide Shenandoah National Park book as a guideline and there was misleading information in the book.  I’ll try to set things straight with our own directions.  From the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center, cross Skyline Drive and walk to the flagpole.  Take a right at the plaque with hike information.  In .2 miles, you will come to the intersection with the Dickey Ridge Trail.  Take a right here and proceed for about .3 miles until you reach a fire road (Snead Farm Road).  Take a left on the fire road.  In another .2 miles, you will reach a fork on the trail.  Stay to the left.  In another short distance, you will come to another fork where you will see a concrete post.  Go to the right, heading uphill.  You will continue this trail for about .5 miles until you reach Snead Farm.  You will begin to see the barn through the trees.

We did misinterpret the information in the book since it told us to take a left at the last fork.  Since we were going a different way than the book, we ended up second-guessing ourselves.  When we thought we had gone far enough, we decided to turn around and take a different fork.  When the other fork came to a dead-end at a utility building, we realized we had been going the right way.  We went back the way we came, took the correct fork, and made our way to the farm.  We ended up adding only an extra mile to our hike, but after doing a couple of other hikes that day, we weren’t in the mood for more miles.

The Snead Farm Fire Road is pleasant walking. Below: The old root cellar is still standing; Another view of the barn.

Christine and I marveled at how well-maintained the barn looks.  Since it was abandoned in the 50s, it is clear that the park service has kept up with maintaining the barn and even painting it.  I wonder if this will be a permanent part of the hike or if the park service will one day let this building fall prey to the elements and the woods.

Overall, this hike was a decent leg-stretcher and a good family hike.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 3 miles
• Elevation Change – 300 feet
• Difficulty – 1.5 An easy walk down a mostly level trail.
• Trail Conditions –3.5. Half of the trail followed the Dickey Ridge trail which was well-maintained and the rest is on fire roads.
  
• Views – 1.5 Some views are seen from the final fork to get to Snead Farm.
• Waterfalls/streams – 0. Non-existent.
  
• Wildlife – 2. You may run into some of the usual park animals like deer and birds.
  
• Ease to Navigate – 2.5. The turns did us wrong, so we’re marking it down.
• Solitude – 2.5. This is a popular hike due to the proximity to the Northern entrance to Shenandoah National Park and the short distance.

Directions to trailhead: Follow Skyline Drive to the Dickey Ridge Visitors Center (around mile marker 4.6) Park at the visitors center. The trail begins on the east side of the drive, across from the center.

Adam sits alongside Lands Run Falls. The falls were still a little on the low side despite five inches of recent rain.

Christine Says…

We planned to do a long hike on Saturday, but Adam was having knee trouble.  Instead, we waited until Sunday and decided to try doing a few short, gentle hikes in the north district of Shenandoah National Park.   It’s been several years since I ventured as far north in the park as Lands Run Falls, so it was a nice change of pace.

The walk to the waterfall stays on a wide gravel road the entire time, so the footing is easy and there is absolutely no place you can possibly take a wrong turn.  The only place you might go wrong is by hiking across the top of the waterfall and missing it completely.  The falls aren’t marked and they’re really not visible from the trail.  You’ll know you’ve reached the falls when you pass over a small stream and culvert. You can also follow the sounds of  falling water!

To get a good look at the falls, you’ll need to follow a worn path through the woods down into the ravine.  It’s a fairly well-worn path, and the rocks in the ravine sort of form big steps.  Be careful on the rocks immediately around the waterfall.  They’re very slick and covered with moss and algae.

The last time I visited Lands Run Falls it was winter and there had been quite a bit more rain.

If you hit Lands Run Falls when there has been lots of rain, you’ll be treated to a pretty waterfall with three small, but distinct drops.  The first drop of about 20 feet is the most accessible and the most photogenic.  The other two drops are mostly obscured by blow-downs and underbrush.  If the weather has been dry, Lands Run Falls probably is not worth your time.  It frequently dries up completely in the summer.

In Henry Heatwole’s well-known Guide to Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive,  he stated “This [Lands Run Falls] is an unrewarding experience for most people… This is for the very few hikers who are willing to go to a lot of trouble to find solitude beside a pool on a mountain stream.”

I wouldn’t characterize Lands Run Falls quite so grimly.  I mean, it’s not spectacular – but it is definitely worth seeing if the water flow has been nice.

Adam Says…

We started off with this as our first of three short hikes for the day.  I was battling some knee issues and Christine thought we should turn around because I was limping the first few steps.  I felt I could make it though and luckily my knee felt better on the trip back up from the falls.

You descend 310 feet during this walk down the fire road.  While it doesn’t seem quite as noticeable on the way down, you will feel the elevation change on the way back up.  Most people should be able to do this hike, but you may need to take your time if the steepness gets to you.

Once you reach the area of the falls, to get the views that we did, you do need to climb down a steep section off the trail that can be slippery.  I was able to do it on a bad knee, but you do have to watch your feet carefully.  The fire road continues further for another 1.4 miles past the falls, but that only leads to a park boundary and there is nothing of interest to see.

The day was quite brisk with temperatures in the upper 40s.  I initially wished that I had brought a fleece along, but once the blood got pumping I was fine in my T-shirt and shorts.  The leaves were just starting to turn color – I think we’re still two weeks before peak season on Skyline Drive and higher elevations.

The Lands Run Fire Road descends about 300 vertical feet over .6 of a mile to the falls.

The Woodstock Tower hike is a fairly easy hike in the Lee Ranger District of George Washington National Forest that leads to a fire tower with 360-degree views of the surrounding area.

The view from the Woodstock Tower is panoramic - offering views of the valley, river and distant mountains. Below: A wider view includes the mountains; It really wasn't the best time of day to photograph the actual tower -- I had to shoot right into the sun; The inside of the tower is covered with graffiti.

Adam Says…

After parking in the Little Fort Campground area, we headed up for our hike to Woodstock Tower.  The white-blazed Wagon Road/Nature Trail starts off as a rough fire road and after .1 mile, intersects with Peters Mill Run.  Peters Mill Run is an ATV/OHV trail, so look both ways before crossing this popular trail for ATVs and motorcycles.  Continue straight across Peters Mill Run to connect to the trail again.  The trail does go steadily up with a few switchbacks, but the switchbacks really make the trail easier of a climb.  The first switchback comes in around .25 miles and the second switchback comes around .5 miles.  After the second switchback, the trail does become steeper, but it ends after just a couple tenths of a mile.  At .7 miles, take a left on the pink-blazed Tower Trail.  It is only about .2 miles to reach the tower on a fairly level trail.

The Woodstock Tower. Below: A little bit of fall color was already showing; We took a break for water where the short trail meets up with the longer trail; Looking up through the Woodstock Tower.

When we reached the tower, we climbed up the metal stairs to reach the top.  I’m not a big fan of heights, but I’m especially nervous when it involves man-made things.  The tower did seem quite sturdy, but it makes some noises when railings move slightly, so I was more eager to get down from the tower than the rest of Christine’s family.  The views are nice, but the area is quite crowded.  Unless you went up early in the morning, I fear that it would be hard to have a moment’s peace at the top.  There aren’t any signs posted for maximum number of people on the tower and you may have to hug the side of a platform as people pass in opposite directions.

There are a few geocaches in the nearby area:

• Wagon Road
• ZOY II (B.I.A) – I didn’t find this one though.  It’s a mystery cache that I’m guessing is located nearby.
• Woodstock Tower Letterboxes – a multi-cache that is best found reaching the tower by other means.

Christine Says…

This was the second time I’ve been to the Woodstock Tower.  Last time I was there was several years ago in mid-October.  I remember the fall foliage being amazing from atop the tower. This time, the foliage had just the slightest hint of change, but the day was crystal clear and sunny – not a bit of haze – so the view was extra nice.

There are shorter ways to get to the view.  In fact, you can practically drive right up to it.  However, we chose to hike up from the Little Fort campground instead.   The slightly longer route gave my mom a chance to try out her new hiking boots.

The area has lots of ATV and dirt bike trails. Below: All the roads and trails in this area are well-marked.

Because the day was so beautiful, we had to share the tower with crowds of people.  At times, there was actually a line of people waiting to get to the top.  We even saw a person trying to coax their pit bull up the open, metal stairs.  That didn’t go so well, and they had to turn back about halfway to the top.  The inside of the tower is covered with graffiti and the area is littered with broken beer bottles and empty soda cans – a very unfortunate side effect of its popularity.

Despite the tower’s less-than-pristine nature, it still offers one of the best views of the mountains in the area.  It’s well worth the short walk.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 2 miles
  
• Elevation Change – about 500 feet
• Difficulty –2. While you would think that going up 500 feet in one mile would be steep, the trail up seems to take off a lot of the steep terrain.
  
• Trail Conditions – 3. The trail had some loose ground in a few areas (especially in the first .1 mile), but overall was well-maintained.
  
• Views – 4.5. It does have 360-degree views, but we always enjoy views from natural surroundings like rock outcrops over man-made towers.
• Waterfalls/streams – 0. Non-existent.
  
• Wildlife – 2. Too many people to see anything other than people.  May be good for hawk spotting or some other woodland birds.
• Ease to Navigate – 4.  Not too many turns on this one and trails are well-labeled.
• Solitude – 1. You will see lots of people on this trail during a nice day.

Directions to trailhead:
We approached this from I-81.  There are other ways to the east to approach this, but here is the most common way for anyone traveling via interstate.  Take exit 283 on I-81, heading east on 42.  Stay on 42 until it intersects with US 11.  Take a left on US 11, heading north through the town of Woodstock.  As soon as you pass the Woodstock Shopping Center, take a right on S.R. 665/Mill Road.  Take this until it ends at S.R. 758/Woodstock Tower Road.  Take a left here and continue to follow S.R. 758 up and down the mountain (this area can be scary when passing other vehicles – there are no guardrails in most spots).  Be sure to stay on S.R. 758 until you reach Little Fort Campground.  Turn into the campground area.  There are campsites and parking spots along the road here.  The trailhead is located on the right-hand side of the road near a campsite right before you reach the outdoor restrooms.

The Simmons Gap fire road extends to the park boundary. Below: We saw a bear less than a tenth of a mile from the Simmons Gap parking area; Apple trees probably attract lots of wildlife; Bear scat was everywhere along the Simmons Gap trail.

Christine Says…

Truthfully, we probably wouldn’t have bothered with this hike if it weren’t so close in proximity to the other two we selected for the day.  Our Falcon Guide said it was nothing special, but it was one of the few hikes left in the park that we haven’t done at least once.  (There are a few long 10-16 miles hikes still on the to-do list, but we’ll likely do those as backpacking trips)

The walk down Simmons Gap was about what I expected – a quiet walk down a shady path through the woods.  There wasn’t much scenery – no views and no waterfalls.  The stream running along the trail was nearly dry despite the decent rain we’ve had lately.

As we walked, we kept our eyes peeled for bears.  We had seen a bear less than a tenth of a mile from where we parked our car.  Also, the fire road was practically paved with bear scat.  Besides the ridge of Knob Mountain, I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much bear poop in one place. Unfortunately, all we saw was the poop… no bears!

Wildflowers along the Simmons Gap fire road. Below: The trail follows along, and eventually crosses a small stream.

There are many hints of a bygone era along the trail – old stone walls, crumbling foundations and the odd apple tree tucked into the forest.  The spot where the fire road meets the park boundary is obviously used as a dump by people who are too rude and lazy to take their garbage to a proper facility.  The streambed at the end of the trail was littered with everything from a broken baby stroller, to a beaten plastic Shrek suitcase to a box full of empty 2-liter bottles of Dr. Pepper.  It was disgusting.  I wish I knew what people were thinking when they did stuff like this. How could anyone back their car up to a beautiful mountain stream, and just empty their trunk-load of discarded property?

Despite the disappointment of seeing the litter, we still had a nice walk down the path.  Although, I don’t think I’d recommend this hike to anyone.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 1.6 miles out and back
  
• Elevation Change – About 200 feet
• Difficulty –1. Easy walking with very little elevation change.
• Trail Conditions – 4.5. This fire road is smooth and easy to walk on.
• Views –0. You’ll be in the woods the whole time.
  
• Waterfalls/streams – 1. The small stream is pretty and is often lined by stone walls, but it may be dry most of the summer.
  
• Wildlife – 3. There’s a good likelihood of seeing bears in this area.
• Ease to Navigate – 5. There is no place to go wrong.  Follow the fire road straight out and back.
• Solitude – 4.5. Because there isn’t much to see in this area, not many people come this way.

Directions to trailhead:
At mile 73.2 on Skyline Drive you will see a small parking lot on the western side of the road (directly opposite of the sign for the Simmons Gap Ranger Station).  Cross Skyline Drive, walking on the paved road to the ranger station.  You will see a chain guarding a fire road.  Cross the chain and start the trail down the fire road.

The Pocosin Mission Trail is a fairly short walk along a fire road that leads to the ruins of an abandoned Episcopal mission.

The Pocosin Mission ruins are slowly sinking back into the forest. Below: The fire road makes this trail pleasant and easy to walk along; The old church steps still stand at the site; Adam explores the ruins.

Adam Says…

We’re back to Virginia hikes!  This week, we’ll be sharing a trio of short hikes.  In fact, the hikes are so short that we’re going to skip doing our typical dual write-ups.  I’ll cover this one, and Christine will cover the next two.

Since we had surprisingly nice temperatures on an August day (it didn’t get above 68 on our hike), we decided to go for three short hikes off Skyline Drive. The last time we did the Pocosin Mission Trail we were with a couple of friends.  Shortly after we got to the mission site, we were pounded with a fierce thunderstorm.  We were all so soaked to the bone, that we ended up buying clothes at the Big Meadows wayside, looking like complete tourists with all of our Shenandoah National Park gear.

On this trip, we had a nice easy stroll down the fire road.  After about .2 miles, the road crosses over the Appalachian Trail, but you just want to stay on the fire road for this trail.  We took a few minutes on our way down to stop by the PATC Pocosin Cabin, which can be rented by the PATC.  The cabin was locked, but we could tell that people renting this cabin would wake to a nice sunrise view.  Continue down the trail for another .8 miles until you reach another cement post, marking the junction with the South River Falls fire road.  You will see the remains of a cabin nearby and stone steps with a foundation.  After exploring, just go back to your car up the fire road.

The Pocosin Mission was an Episcopal mission established in 1904 for the mountain community living in the area.  “Pocosin” is a Native American word meaning “swamp”.  The mission building is actually where you see the stone steps, a small foundation, and a fallen-down chimney.  Be careful as you explore the area – there is a lot of broken glass and twisted metal.  The cabin has a rusted metal roof and there are plenty of rusted materials on the ground, so watch your kids carefully in this area.  In addition to these sites, there is also an overgrown cemetery that is across the trail from the mission, marked by old nameless headstones.

The old church walls and a fallen chimney are still visible. Below: Buckets and an old sink can still be found inside the mission ruins.

For those interested in the history of the people that lived on this mountain will enjoy visiting this site.  While there aren’t any views to speak of, the hike does cause you to speculate on how life was back in the early 1900s being a part of a community that lived and worshiped together.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 2.2 miles out and back
  
• Elevation Change – 450 feet
• Difficulty – 1.5.  Most people should be able to handle this.
• Trail Conditions – 4. It’s just a fire road, so not much difficulty for trail conditions.
• Views –0. No views.
• Waterfalls/streams – 0. No streams/waterfalls.
  
• Wildlife – 2.  There should be a variety of wildlife in the vicinity.
• Ease to Navigate – 5.  Just straight down a road and back.
• Solitude – 4.  This isn’t a very popular spot, so you should have your peace.

Directions to trailhead:
Around mile 59.5 on Skyline Drive, you will see a small gravel road leading to a parking lot on the eastern side of the trail.  Park here, cross the chain, and walk down the fire road to start the trail.

The South River is impressive in times of heavy rain.

Adam Says…

We have kept with a tradition the last few years of doing a hike on Thanksgiving morning.  It’s a great way to appreciate nature and try to do something active before a big meal.  This year, we decided to break the tradition of having a huge Thanksgiving meal with turkey and all the trimmings.  We decided to have an easier meal that we would both enjoy – homemade pizza.

We’ve hiked South River Falls before, but we’ve never had as much water in the falls before.  We thought it would be impressive, since we could hear rushing water through the South River a lot earlier than normal.  Waterfall hikes in Shenandoah National Park tend to be fairly tough ones.  Since you park on Skyline Drive at a high elevation, you have to hike down to the valleys where the falls are created.  What makes it difficult, at least psychologically, is that you get to the payoff fairly easily and then have to do the hard work on your way back to your vehicle.

The beauty of the South River is found mostly in its small details. The cascades and little falls leading the large waterfall are prettier than the main waterfall. Pictured below: South River Falls from the overlook at the top of the canyon; the falls from the base. You'll see neither vantage point of the waterfall is terribly photogenic (especially after the leaves have come down). Both of the small photos below are from another date. This time, the falls were much bigger - but it was too sunny to photograph them.

The hike begins at the South River Picnic Area.  Look for the large sign about the hike on the northeastern side of the picnic area.   At slightly over .1 mile, you will cross the Appalachian Trail.  You will continue your descent and around 1 mile, you will rock-hop across a small creek that drains into the South River.  Usually this is not much of a challenge due to the water, but we found the water was higher than normal this time.  At 1.3 miles, you will come to a nice overlook for the South River Falls.  You really get a great view of the 83 foot waterfall.  It plunges to a rocky ledge and splits in two about half of the length of the waterfall.  If you continue on the trail for another .2 miles, you will arrive at a cement post and join a spur to the South River Fire Road.  If you continue on for another .2 miles, you will descend even further and arrive at another cement post.  Following the path from the cement post for another .1 mile, you will arrive at the base of the falls.  For any adventurous shutterbugs, there are ample opportunities near the base of the falls for long-exposure photography. Make sure you have your strength up, because you have 2.2 miles to hike at a steady incline back to your vehicle.

To follow the trail as a loop as we did, once you make your return from the base of the falls, go .7 miles until you reach the cement post and the junction with the South River Falls Trail. Stay on the fire road instead and after .4 miles more, you will reach the yellow-blazed South River Fire Road.  Take a left on the road.  In about a mile, you will reach the junction with the Appalachian Trail.  Take a left on the white-blazed AT, heading south for about .4 miles.  You will then reach the junction with the South River Falls Trail and only have about .1 mile to reach the picnic ground.

The hike was a tough one, but it was nice to get some exercise.  The thought of carving into our pizza helped us muster the energy to make it back.

Christine Says…

This was a great trail to burn off Thanksgiving calories!  The terrain is rugged and the return arm of the loop is nothing but steady, tough uphill climbing.  Even Wookie, who is normally a bundle of boundless energy, got quite tired on this hike.  By the time we got to the Appalachian Trail junction, his corkscrew tail was completely unfurled.   Even though there are some hikes in the park with more elevation gain, I think the 1300+ feet on the South River trail provides some of the toughest day-hiking in the park.   Anyone looking for an easier version of this hike should consider doing the short loop (3.2 miles) that returns after the overlook at the top of the falls.  By taking that route, you reduce the elevation gain to a very manageable 850 feet.

Despite the hard work required to get there, I really enjoyed seeing the South River and its namesake falls so flush with water.  The Shenandoah area has had over five inches of rain in the month of November – more than double the normal amount.  All of the park’s streams, rivers and waterfalls are flowing beautifully right now.  It’s a great time to get out and enjoy the scenery and the less-crowded conditions in the park.

There are many small, but beautiful, waterfalls along the trail. Pictured below: Another pretty spot along the river.

I had hoped to get some photo opportunities along the river on our Thanksgiving hike.  I did take a few shots, but the weather was less than cooperative.  It was too sunny to take shots of the moving water. Every now and then, I found a shady spot down in a deep ravine.  I did a bit of bushwhacking to get to a few pretty spots, but overall I don’t feel like I came home with any special photos.

Honestly, while South River falls is probably the park’s most impressive waterfall, it is not one that translates nicely on film.   The falls plunge into an enormous natural amphitheater.  The sheer rock walls are amazing, but they aren’t photogenic.  I’ve seen a few nice shots of South River Falls in the spring, when the water is flowing and the falls are surrounded by the lush new green of the trees and plants.  In the late fall and winter, the falls are really scrubby and barren looking.

I think some of the prettiest and most dramatic places along the South River come at the bottom of the falls.  In the last .1 mile of the trail, leading to the base of the falls, the water tumbles over a hundred feet down over giant boulders.  There are many small, beautiful waterfalls to enjoy before you get to work climbing back up to your car.

When we got home from our hike, we found several TICKS!  Can you believe it – ticks in late November; ticks after the mountains have had snow and temperatures at night are regularly below freezing?  These were tiny ticks – about the size of a pinhead.  We pulled one off Adam’s sweatshirt and two off of Wookie.  I hate having to watch for ticks year round, but it seems that we must.

Wookie Says…
Hey all of you fellow hiking dogs.  It’s been a while since I’ve been hiking, so I’m going to let you know what I thought of the trail.  I enjoy getting the chance to get in the outdoors and I usually run laps around the house when my masters ask,  “Would you like to go on a car ride?”

The hike on South River Falls was pretty fun for the most part.  I enjoyed going downhill until I reached the stream to try and rock-hop.  I’ve done this hike before with my masters, but there was a lot of water this time around.  I don’t really like to get my feet wet and when I see any water on the hike, I try to take the driest option.  After Adam crossed the creek, I really didn’t want to follow him.  Only after Christine gave me a little nudge with her trekking poles, did I take the plunge and hop across the rocks.

Wookie enjoyed the hike, but was exhausted the rest of the day.

All the rushing water on the trail, really made me need to go to the bathroom.  I tried to make my mark as much as possible to let all my fellow canines know that Wookie was here.  The hike back from the falls was pretty brutal for a small dog like me.  My tail was down a lot of the trip back, because it was exhausting.  At least I got some pizza scraps and a taste of sausage instead of turkey scraps this year.  For that, I was truly thankful.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 4.4 miles – loop.
• Elevation Change –1315 feet.
• Difficulty – 4. The return arm of the circuit climbs steeply uphill along a fire road for two straight miles.
• Trail Conditions – 4. The trail is in great shape.
• Views –0. You are deep in the woods for the entire hike.
• Waterfalls/streams –4. In times of heavy rain, the South River is an impressive stream.
• Wildlife – 0. We didn’t see *anything*, but over the summer there was a bear with three cubs in the area.
• Ease to Navigate – 4. Trails are clearly marked.
• Solitude – 2. This trail’s proximity to a park entrance makes it a popular hike.

Directions to trailhead:
From Skyline Drive, follow the drive to the South River Picnic Area (near mile marker 62).  The trailhead is located at the back end of the picnic grounds, across from the restroom facilities.

There are three significant waterfalls along the Doyles River - Jones Run trail.

Christine Says…

Although, the wind, rain and (yes!) snow stripped the fall color from Shenandoah rather early this year, Adam and I still wanted to get out and hike on at least one glorious, sunny autumn day.  There was still a little bit of colorful foliage hanging on in the south district of Shenandoah National Park, so we decided to hike the Doyles River- Jones Run loop on Sunday morning.

Parking is available at Brown Gap. Pictured Below: The fire road leading down from the parking lot is one of the prettiest in the park; the Shenandoah area has tons of Civil War history. We passed the grave of confederate solder, William Howard, along the way.

We got to the trailhead at Brown Gap right as the sun was coming up.  It was f-f-freezing and windy.  I carelessly left my hat and gloves at home, so I flipped up the collar of my fleece and retracted my hands into my sleeves.  We set out down the Brown Gap fire road, which is one of Shenandoah’s prettier fire roads.  It’s also where I used to ride my horse, “Friday”, whenever we trailed to the park.  The morning sun was filtering through the golden leaves, and soon the activity of walking warmed me up enough that I didn’t miss my gloves at all.  The fire road was really muddy, so I took that as a good sign that there would be plenty of water flowing in the three waterfalls we’d be passing along the route.

In fact, I was so sure that the waterfalls would be impressive, that I carried all the “big guns” in my photography arsenal – two camera bodies, three lenses, a shutter remote, a collection of neutral density and polarizing filters, extra batteries, memory card and my tripod (the one that feels like it weighs close to 100 pounds when I carry it on long hikes).  I also brought my new tripod bag (by Kinesis) that allows me to carry the tripod backpack style – evenly centering the weight on my back.  The sling style carrier I’ve been using for the past few years twists my neck and shoulders, so I try not to carry it on long hikes.  The new bag was really nice, but it perfectly lined up the camera mount lock lever with my butt.   Every step I took, the lever poked me quite rudely.  I ended up giving the tripod to Adam.  He’s taller, so he escaped the constant prodding.  I ended up carrying the bag with the rest of the gear.  It was much heavier, but still more comfortable.

When we reached the bridge at the junction of the fire road and the Doyles River trail, I groaned in dismay at the dry stream before us.  We walked along the river, or at least where the river should have been for another .3 miles to get to the base of Upper Doyles River Falls.  Normally, there are pretty little cascades leading down to the main double-terraced waterfall.  This time the waterfall was barely a trickle.  We ate our breakfast at the base of “Disappointment Falls” and headed on to the lower falls.

The photo above shows Upper Doyles Falls is October 2009 (left) compared to January 2009 (right).

Surprisingly, the lower falls were running quite a bit more than the upper falls.  I think narrower chasm through the rocks allows the second falls to hold onto more water flow.  The second falls is thin and almost chute-like.   Even though the second waterfall had more water, it still wasn’t anything spectacular.  When you’re a photographer hiking with 40+ pounds of gear and realizing the shots you had planned aren’t going to happen, the gear instantly feels twice as heavy.  I think this is the point that I started to feel like Atlas with the world resting on my shoulders. 

Lower Doyles Falls was a bit nicer than the upper falls.

Leaving the lower falls, the trail became incredibly beautiful.  It followed a babbling brook through near-peak foliage.  The trees were a spectacular mix of gold, orange and red – all set off by the brilliant blue sky above.   This was, without a doubt, my favorite section of the trail.

So far, the hike had been relatively easy – just gentle up-and-down grades along the stream.  At the junction of the Jones Run Trail, the real work started.  In just under 2 miles, we picked up most of the elevation gain on the whole hike.  It was steep, hard climbing to reach Jones Run Falls.

The foliage along the Jones Run Trail was spectacular. Pictured Below: Jones Run and Jones Run Falls.

The waterfall on Jones Run was running low, but it was still really pretty.  From the waterfall back up to Skyline Drive, the grade of the trail moderates a bit.  It’s still a lot of uphill mixed with periods of flat terrain.  Eventually, you reach the junction with the Appalachian trail and follow it north for a little over a mile back to the Brown’s Gap parking lot.  This section of the AT follows closely to the road, so you constantly hear cars and smell exhaust.  The walk along this section is easy, but rather uneventful.

Overall, I think this was a great hike.  I’m so glad we had a chance to be outdoors on a beautiful fall day, but I wish the waterfalls had been nicer.  We’ll have to try hiking it again in the spring after heavier, more sustained rains.

Adam Says…

While we’ve hiked Doyles River a number of times, this was the first time that we had made a loop of the hike and added Jones Run.   When we have done this before, we parked at the Doyles River parking lot around mile marker 81.  We would normally hike down to both of the falls and then head back.

On this hike, we parked around mile marker 83 at the Brown Gap lot.  We crossed the road and headed down the Brown Gap fire road.  At about .4 miles, you see a short path leading up to the gravesite pictured above.  In about 1.7 miles you will reach the junction with the Doyles River Trail.  Take a right on this trail.   After about two tenths of a mile, you will reach the Upper Doyles River Falls.  There is a short spur path to lead down to the base of the falls.  Once you rejoin the trail, you will then see the Lower Doyles River Falls after a tenth of the mile.  Don’t try to blaze down off the trail to reach the falls.  The trail loops around to bring you closer to the falls.  When you reach near the base of the falls, there is a short, treacherous climb down to the base of these falls.  When you join back to the trail, continue south down the Doyles River Trail.  You will reach the Junction with the Jones Run Trail in about .6 miles from leaving the Lower Doyles River Falls.  You begin your hike up to the Jones Run Falls and will reach them about .7 miles on this trail.  After the falls, you will have a 1.2 mile hike up to the Jones Run Parking lot.  Before you enter the parking lot, there will be a junction with the Appalachian Trail.  Take a right on the AT, heading north until you reach the Brown Gap parking lot.  The AT portion is about 1.3 miles back to your car, leading you to this overall hike of 6 miles.

The woods were very colorful at the lower elevations. Pictured Below: One downed tree we came across was so large that Adam could climb inside.

The hike is not that long being only six miles, but there is a lot of elevation gain from the base of the Doyles River Trail, leading up to the Jones Run Parking lot.  Christine felt that it may be better to do this hike in reverse, but based on contours, I think either hike has a tough trip back at the end.

The waterfalls along the way on normal days are really some of the nicer waterfalls in Shenandoah National Park.   The water flow didn’t allow us to see them at their best today, but we enjoyed them nonetheless.  The Upper Doyles River Falls stands at 28 feet;  the Lower Doyles River Falls plummets 63 feet.; the Jones Run Falls plunges 42 feet.  If you’re looking for a hike to see multiple falls, this is the best one to do in Shenandoah.

More golden foliage along the trail.

On our way back to the car on the AT, we ran into a woman doing the trail in the opposite way.  She had two pugs with her on the hike, named Titan and Zoot.  They were eager to greet us, since they must have known we had three pugs of our own.  They were very energetic to begin their hike to the falls, but we wondered how they fared on the steep way back.  We wish we had taken some pictures of these boys, because they looked like they were ready for a great adventure that day.

There was a very long line of cars waiting to get into Shenandoah National Park

The foliage was just slightly after peak today.  We decided to exit the south entrance of the park to reward ourselves with some frozen treats from Sonic.  On our way out, we saw the longest line of cars we’ve ever witnessed trying to enter the park at the south gate.  Cars were at a stand-still all the way down to the interstate.  Three rangers were walking down the line, handing out information to make the fee stations handle things quickly.  I guess everyone felt that it would be a nice day to see color in the park and hopefully they weren’t too disappointed in the color.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 6 miles – loop.
• Elevation Change –1875 feet
• Difficulty – 4. The climb up from the bottom of Jones Run is tough!
• Trail Conditions – 3.5 The trail is well-maintained and traveled.
• Views –0. You might get a few glimpses of vistas through the woods along the fire road.
• Waterfalls/streams –4. The waterfalls and streams along this trail are beautiful, especially when there is plenty of rain.
• Wildlife – 1. Just a couple deer.
• Ease to Navigate – 4. Trails are well marked and easy to follow.
• Solitude – 3. You will likely see several other groups of hikers along the way, but it’s not as heavily trafficked as other waterfall trails in the park.

Directions to trailhead:
From Skyline Drive, follow the drive to Brown Gap (near mile marker 83).  The parking lot is on the west side of the drive.  To begin the hike, walk across Skyline Drive and follow the Brown Gap fire road downhill.

Mom on the Little Hogback Summit

Christine says…

We hiked this trail with my parents to celebrate a combination of (belated) Mother’s Day and (early) Father’s Day.  My parents are fit, active, outdoorsy people, so we knew they would enjoy a day of wildlife watching, hiking and picnicking in Shenandoah.

My Wonderful Mom & Dad

We picked the Sugarloaf-Keyser Run-Hogback Mountain Loop because it sounded like the perfect length and difficulty for the whole group.  For some reason, my mom had a hard time remembering the name of the hike, and kept referring to it as “Hogland.”  I chuckle every time I think of a hiking trail being called Hogland; it sounds like the name of a porcine-themed amusement park.

It definitely turned out to be a suitable hike for the whole group.  The first 3.5 miles were really easy going. The AT and Sugarloaf segments were both especially pretty. The section along the Keyser Run Fire Road was boring, as fire roads always are.  My mom and I agreed that fire roads are always a little dull and annoying when compared to “real” trails. We saw a couple hikers coming out of the Little Devil’s Stairs area on Keyser Run Road.  They looked exhausted and sweat-drenched.  The day turned out to be a lot warmer than had been forecast.

The view from the summit of Hogback Mountain (the highest point on the trail) was a little underwhelming for me.  The valley vista was lovely, but it was hazy and the view was ruined by power lines and an obstructive radio tower.  The views from Little Hogback are definitely nicer, even though the vantage point isn’t as lofty in elevation. The saddle between Little Hogback and Hogback also has one especially beautiful view spot.

The saddle between Little Hogback and Hogback is very pretty

The whole hike only took us a couple hours to complete, even with water and snack breaks along the way.  Afterwards, we shared a delicious picnic lunch at Pinnacles and headed home tired and stuffed full of chocolate chip cookies and fried chicken.  It was a really fun day.

Adam says…

Since there are a lot of trails and options in this area, here are the trail directions we used.  After crossing Skyline Drive from the parking lot and proceeding .3 miles, you will come to a concrete post.  Take a right and follow the blue blazes down the Sugarloaf Trail.  Hike for 1.1 miles until you come to the next marker.  Take a left onto the Pole Bridge Link Trail.  Continue for .5 miles and then take a left on to the Keyser Run fire road.  Follow this for 1.1 miles, crossing Skyline Drive.  When you reach the AT junction, take a left heading south on the AT.  Keep on the south AT, going up Little Hogback and then Hogback Mountain.  You will cross Skyline Drive one more time on your descent.  Follow the south AT until you reach the parking lot.

The stream crossings were shallow and easy

This hike had some very pretty spots on the trail.  The fern-covered forest floor near the beginning of the trail and again near Hogback Mountain was really quite gorgeous.  I felt this trail was very easy and most people could handle it.  The only challenging portion was the brief half-mile set of switchbacks climbing up to the Hogback Summit.  Last year, a ranger told us this was the best hike in Shenandoah National Park.  I would disagree, but it was still an enjoyable hike and our first time on this particular route.

One of the prettiest sections of trail was the Appalachian Trail crossing Hogback Mountain

We ran into our AT thru-hiker for a third time!  When we stopped to talk to him, I told him, “I promise we’re not stalking you.”  He laughed and asked “Don’t you guys ever go home?”  Quite funny that we’ve seen him so many times in a park that encompasses 196,000 acres!

Trail Notes

• Distance – 4.9 mile loop.
• Elevation Change - 700 ft.  Most of this is during the climb up to Hogback Mountain.
• Difficulty - 1.5.  For most of the trail, the trail is level or slightly downhill.  There is a steep set of switchbacks to the summit of Hogback Mountain.
• Trail Conditions – 4. The AT is well-maintained.  You also travel on the Keyser Run fire road for a little over a mile.
• Views – 3.  The view from the summit of Little Hogback was the nicest unobstructed view.
• Waterfalls/streams  – 1.  A couple of very small stream crossings, but not photo-worthy.
• Wildlife - 2. Some signs of bears in the area, but you’re more likely to see some deer along the way.
• Ease to Navigate – 4.   There are a couple turns, but the directions are well-marked on cement posts.
• Solitude – 4.  Likely to see AT hikers mostly during June, but we didn’t really see many others.

Directions to trailhead:

Park just south of the Hogback Overlook, in the parking lot located at mile marker 21 on Skyline Drive.  At the south end of the lot, you will find the AT marker.  You will cross the drive here, go slightly uphill, and then start the descent.