The 2.5-mile trek to Annapolis Rocks is one of the most popular hikes in northwest Maryland and features sweeping views of Hagerstown Valley, Greenbrier Lake, and beyond. One mile farther, hikers can get an even better—and more private—vista from Black Rock. The hike follows a short section of the famed Appalachian Trail (AT) and climbs …
Continue reading Appalachian Trail to Annapolis Rocks and Black Rock (South Mountain State Park, MD)
At 4,050 feet, Hawksbill Mountain is the highest peak in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park. The summit offers panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, as well as mighty Massanutten Mountain to the west. It’s a short, albeit steep, climb to the top, making Hawksbill a popular day hike destination; more ambitious hikers, however, can head …
Shenandoah National Park’s nearly 11-mile Piney Ridge-Thornton River Trail circuit covers nearly 1,700 feet in elevation gain/loss—perhaps one of several reasons this loop hike is lightly traveled. On a hot Saturday in July, I encountered only one pair of hikers—on the Piney Ridge Trail—before descending through a remote pocket of Shenandoah so sparsely visited that …
Continue reading Piney Ridge – Thornton River Trail Loop (Shenandoah National Park, VA)
Marys Rock from The Pinnacle, Shenandoah National Park, July 2015 Situated high above Thornton Gap in Shenandoah National Park’s Central District, Marys Rock is one of the park’s most popular summits. It is a highlight of Shenandoah’s 105-mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail; most visitors, however, climb Marys Rock on a short—but steep—day hike. While …
Continue reading Appalachian Trail to The Pinnacle and Marys Rock (Shenandoah National Park, VA)
Live and Let Hike 