Day and Overnight Hikes: Shenandoah National Park

Johnny Molloy

may 2014 · Menasha Ridge Press

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This book presents more than 30 day hikes. Classic hikes, such as Rose River Loop and Whiteoak Canyon, are included. However, though the majority of these hikes are not as well known, they offer as much solitude and equally scenic sights––like Lost Cliffs and Furnace Mountain––as the more popular hikes. This will give you the opportunity to get back to nature on your own terms.

Often, park sightseers randomly pick a hike without knowing where it will lead, or they follow the crowds wherever they go. Choosing a hike at random in Shenandoah, where many trails drop steeply off the Blue Ridge, may result in a rigorous return to the car with no rewards to show effort.

Two types of day hikes are offered: one-way and loop hikes. One-way hikes lead to a particularly rewarding destination and return via the same trail. The return trip allows you to see everything from the opposite vantage point. You may notice more minute trailside features the second go-round, and returning at a different time of day may give the same trail a surprisingly different character. But to some, returning on the same trail just isn’t enjoyable. The loop hikes provide an alternative.

Most of the hikes offer solitude to maximize your Shenandoah experience, although portions of some hikes traverse potentially popular areas. It should also be noted that loop hikes are generally longer and harder than one-way hikes, but a bigger challenge can reap bigger rewards.

Day hiking is the best and most popular way to "break into" the Shenandoah wilderness. But for those with the inclination to see the mountain cycle from day to night and back again, this book offers ten overnight hikes with the best locales for camping. The length of these hikes–– three days and two nights––was chosen primarily for the weekend backpacker. Backpackers must follow park regulations and practice "leave no trace" wilderness-use etiquette.

Each day and overnight hike contains four key elements to help readers plan and enjoy the perfect trip:

• GPS-based trail maps
• GPS-based elevation profiles
• directions to the trailhead
• trail descriptions

Each trail description offers precise commentary on what to expect along the way and rates each hike for:

• scenery
• trail condition
• difficulty
• accessibility for children
• solitude

Designed to fit easily into a back pocket, this guide leads hikers and backpackers to sites of exceptional beauty and solitude.

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Johnny Molloy is an outdoor writer who averages over 100 nights in the wild per year backpacking and canoe camping throughout the U.S. He has written numerous books and articles for magazines and websites.