At 3,474 feet, Hogback Mountain is the highest peak in the North District of Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park. Although the summit is not accessible by trail, the modest Hogback Mountain Loop offers fine vistas looking north across Shenandoah Valley to nearby Massanutten Mountain. There is also a pleasant creek crossing at Piney Branch to top …
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Cedar Run Falls, Shenandoah National Park, April 2018 The nearly 8-mile trail up Whiteoak Canyon and down Cedar Run is easily one of the most scintillating loop hikes in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park and features a string of excellent waterfalls that is perhaps unparalleled in the state. Except for a dull connector trail between the …
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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 …
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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 …
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A hike through Little Devils Stairs, featuring a narrow gorge with countless cascades, is one of the highlights of the North District in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park. The 1,900-foot elevation gain makes this 7.4-mile “lariat” (or stem-and-loop) a demanding outing, but for those in good shape, intimate stony rambles and an abundance of peaceful waterfalls …
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Live and Let Hike 