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6 Favorite Hikes in Shenandoah National Park

11/26/2014

This is me!

Hey there, you! Yeah, you! The one who is about to take advantage of one of life's greatest gifts, HIKING! If you've made it here you're quite possibly looking for some trail information for Shenandoah National Park. Well, I got the goods for you! If you have any questions about any of the following hikes, or perhaps other hikes, feel free to drop me an email: [email protected]

Happy Trails...

Note: Round trip hikes proceed to a destination and return by the same route. Circuit hikes begin and end at the same point without retracing steps.

Stony Man Mountain Summit (4,010 ft)
Type of hike: Round Trip
Features: Spectacular views of Massanutten Mountain, the Shenandoah Valley, the Allegheny Mountains, New Market Gap, Skyline Drive, and Skyland Resort
Trailhead: Stony Man Trail parking lot
Estimated length of hike: 1.6 miles
Estimated total elevation gain: 350 feet
Recommendation: Great hike for children. Keep an eye out for Peregrine Falcons!

Hawksbill Mountain Summit (4,051ft)
Type of hike: Circuit
Features: Spectacular view of Massanutten Mountain, the Shenandoah Valley, the Allegheny Mountains, Old Rag Mountain, the Virginia Piedmont and Skyline Drive
Trailhead: Upper Hawksbill Trail parking lot
Estimated length of hike: 2.1 miles
Estimated total elevation gain: 525 feet
Recommendation: A little more difficult than Stony Man, but still manageable for children. Highest summit in the park! 360 degree view!

Rose River Falls (67ft)/Dark Hollow Falls (70ft)
Type of hike: Circuit
Features: Two waterfalls, dozens of pools, cascades and miniature falls, swimming holes, and the Cave family cemetery (still in use)
Trailhead: Fishers Gap overlook parking lot
Estimated length of hike: 4.3 miles
Estimated total elevation gain: 1,045 feet
Recommendation: A few steep climbs, best for those of moderate hiking experience. One of the most serene trails in the park!

Mary’s Rock Summit (3,514 ft)
Type of hike: Round Trip
Features: Spectacular views of Massanutten Mountain, the Shenandoah Valley, the Allegheny Mountains, the Virginia Piedmont, Skyline Drive and the Thornton Gap entrance to the park
Trailhead: Panorama upper parking lot
Estimated length of hike: 3.7 miles
Estimated total elevation gain: 1,200 feet
Recommendation: No real steep sections, and an easy transition from hikes such as Stony Man and Hawksbill. Bouldering opportunities at the peak! 360 degree view!

White Oak Canyon/Cedar Run
Type of hike: Circuit
Features: Two canyon hikes combined to make a circuit hike; 8 waterfalls (the tallest is 86ft high), dozens of pools, cascades, and miniature falls, swimming holes, and a natural granite waterslide
Trailhead: White Oak Canyon parking lot (park boundary)
Estimated length of hike: 8.0 miles
Estimated total elevation gain: 2,500 feet
Recommendation: Bring lots of water. Very Strenuous hike. The waterslide is so much fun!

Old Rag Mountain Summit (3,291 ft)
Type of hike: Circuit
Features: Arguably the best mountain summit in the park, Large granite boulders, Spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Virginia Piedmont, and challenging rock scramble to get to the top
Trailhead: Old Rag parking lot (park boundary)
Estimated length of hike: 8.8 miles
Estimated total elevation gain: 2,500 feet
Recommendation: Bring lots of water. Very Strenuous hike with lots of people on the trail. The rock scramble is challenging but is a lot of fun. Best 360 degree view in the park!

10 facts about Shenandoah National Park

11/20/2014

1. The park was authorized by President Calvin Coolidge and Congress on May 22, 1926, established on December 26, 1935, and on July 3, 1936 President Franklin Delano Roosevelt dedicated its’ opening to the public

2. In 1929 President Herbert Hoover established his summer retreat in what is now Rapidan Camp. The camp consisted of 13 rustic cabins located where two streams merge to form the Rapidan River

3. The size of the park is 197,438 acres, with 79,579 acres of protected wilderness, and spans across 7 Virginian counties

4. There are 236 miles of roads, including the 105.5 mile historic Skyline Drive which runs along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains, from Front Royal, VA to Rockfish Gap near Afton, VA

5. There are 516 miles of hiking trails in the park, including 101 miles of the famed Appalachian Trail which runs from Katahdin, Maine to Springer Mountain, Georgia

6. The park is home to over 200 species of resident and transient birds including Wild Turkey and Peregrine Falcons, and 53 species of mammals including White-Tailed Deer, Black Bear and Bobcats

7. The park has over 60 peaks with elevations over 3,000 ft including the highest peak at Hawksbill Mountain (4,051 ft.) The lowest level of elevation is at the North Entrance (561 ft.)

8. The park is comprised primarily of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are part of the Appalachian Mountain Range, one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world formed over 300 to 500 million years ago

9. The three primary bedrock types are Granitic, Siliciclastic, and Basaltic

10. The Blue Ridge Mountains got their name from the bluish color they display when seen from a distance

White Crow now a licensed DC Tour Guide

11/10/2014

The White Crow is now a licensed Washington, D.C. Tour Guide! Even though this will now enable me to offer tours of our Nation's Capitol, my main focus will continue to be on the beauty of Shenandoah National Park, the history of Manassas National Battlefield Park, and the mysteries of Luray Caverns.

6 Favorite Hikes in Shenandoah National Park

10 facts about Shenandoah National Park

White Crow now a licensed DC Tour Guide

The White Crow Blog

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