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  1. #1

    Default Shenandoah Hike Advice?

    Hi, new to white blaze. Lots of great info. Looking for some advice. My buddy and I will be hitting up the Shenandoah section in June. Does anyone know of a good hike about 5 days in length. We would like to do a loop if possible.

  2. #2
    Registered User
    Join Date
    10-17-2007
    Location
    Michigan
    Age
    64
    Posts
    5,124

    Default

    Doing a loop hike in SNP is tricky as the park follows a ridge and is mostly linear. Side trails will go down down down and they you will have to go up up up. I will be doing a three day section in a few weeks (Compton Gap to Big Meadows), but my wife is staying at the lodge so I have a driver available to make a linear hike. Maybe we will cross paths. I'll be the one wearing clothes on hike naked day ;-)

  3. #3
    Registered User
    Join Date
    09-23-2015
    Location
    Annapolis, MD
    Age
    42
    Posts
    29

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    5 Days... Call Mike Evans @ Terrapin Station Hostel and Park your car there (Chester Gap). Have him give you a shuttle to the southern entrance of the park and knock out the SNP AT straight through. Split the shuttle 2 ways and its pretty cheap. Mike is a good guy too.

    I know you asked for a loop, but just a suggestion..

  4. #4

    Default

    How far you go in 5 days can vary a lot, depending on your experience. That can be anything from 50 miles to 100 or more. I've done a lot of loop hikes in SNP. It's easy to figure out if you have the map and guidebook set. We've done longer hikes by doing figure 8s, going on both sides of the main ridge. There are some good climbs, but the trails are generally good, so you can go up and down easily.

  5. #5

    Default

    Like has been stated, the Shennies are pretty linear. There are side trails, but it'd be of a zig zag than a loop. Your best bet is to park at some point that you could do, like Rockfish Gap to Skyland, shuttle to the other end, and hike back to your car.

  6. #6

    Default

    As the people have spoken of, the park is not really designed to do long loops as GSMNP can be. Pick any spot along Skyline Drive and hit the AT for 5 days. I am assuming since you are inquiring where to hike, that your daily mileage limit would be far less then 20 miles a day. So the whole park would kinda be out of the question. Shelters, Campgrounds, hotels etc are about 10-15 miles apart. You can really bounce from one to the next all the way thru the park. I would alarm you however, that there is a 12-13 mile dry stretch, absolutely no water between calf mountain shelter(there is water here), and Blackrock Hut (there is water here). It is hilly, and no water. This dry stretch is in the southern end of the park and can easily be hitched around if you don't feel like hauling the water needed. I just did this section and carried 3-4 liters to get thru the stretch.
    Trail Miles: 4,927.6
    AT Map 1: Complete 2013-2021
    Sheltowee Trace: Complete 2020-2023
    Pinhoti Trail: Complete 2023-2024
    Foothills Trail: 0.0
    AT Map 2: 279.4
    BMT: 52.7
    CDT: 85.4

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