Best place to leave car in SNP/Hitching

[Locutus]

Starting this weekend, I am going to be hiking SNP northbound. I am thinking about parking my car on the north end and hitching to the south end and hiking back to the car. I did consider a shuttle, but since it is just my father and I am having trouble justifying the cost (the cost is the same for up to 4 hikers).

Can anyone suggest the best/safest place to leave my car near the trail so I can hike back to it? Also, will I have a problem hitching a ride inside SNP?

Thanks in advance for any suggestion/advice.

[the goat]

a decent place to leave your car would be at the rte. 522 trailhead just past the northern edge of the park.

i don't know about hitching though, it would be kinda complicated & difficult in my opinion; but if you have no time constraints, i'd say go for it!

[Cookerhiker]

How about the Visitors' Center at Dickey Ridge? It's about 5-6 miles north of the northernmost AT crossing of Skyline Drive but I'd think it's safer than an overlook or trailhead.

When you reach that last crossing at Compton Gap, you can hitch those 5-6 miles, walk on Skyline Dr. or hike most of the way on the Dickey Ridge Trail.

[Alligator]

I left my car at the 522 trailhead for a couple of days. It seemed like a busy road. It's a dirt lot. I didn't have any problems but I was a little ambivalent about the lot.

I'm planning the south section in June myself and I am leaning toward using my bike to shuttle. It's only 44 miles though.

Is hitching legal in the park?

[the goat]

Is hitching legal in the park?

i've done it more than a dozen times and never had a problem, but i'm sure it's not smiled upon.

[Alligator]

i've done it more than a dozen times and never had a problem, but i'm sure it's not smiled upon.

If they'll pick you up it should be a quick thumb.

[Alligator]

Me, I'm always thinking "Maybe there really wasn't room in the bed of that pickup."

[Cookerhiker]

Alligator, on this thread, Hog on Ice provided an answer to the hitching question. Bottom line, hitching is permissable to return to your car after hiking (and vice-versa by inference).

When are you hiking the Southern district in June? I'll try to finish my weedwacking before you pass over HighTop Mountain.

[Skyline]

If you can do without hiking the last two miles between Compton Gap and the SNP boundary (or the remaining 3.6 to US522 after the boundary), I'd just park at the trailhead at Compton Gap. Hitchhiking will then be limited to Skyline Drive, tho you might need to get more than one hitch to get through the entire Park to Rockfish Gap. At least you wouldn't have to deal with the more cumbersome attempt to get hitches outside the Park in the Front Royal area between US522 and the FR Entrance Station to Skyline Drive—or all the way to Waynesboro/Rockfish on regular roads outside the Park.

Another parking option, also free but somewhat safer IMHO, is the 4-H Center in Harmony Hollow. There is a short blue-blaze down to where you park, from the AT. You do have to get to 4-H's business office 9-5 weekdays to sign a waiver if you want to park there; however if using Mountain & Valley Shuttle Service you can get that paperwork taken care of for you outside of those hours by just filling out the form during your shuttle.

www.mvshuttle.com

If you wanted to hike SOBO, you could park (free) near Rockfish Gap at the Inn at Afton. Again, a waiver needs to be signed and you'll be directed to park at a specific place in their lot.

As for difficulty getting a ride on Skyline Drive, it will partly depend on how busy the traffic is. Visitation to SNP is very much affected by the weather. Good weather=lots of potential rides. Bad weather=How lucky do you feel today? If it's really foggy, and sometimes it is, those drivers may not even see you trying to hitch.

[Alligator]

Alligator, on this thread, Hog on Ice provided an answer to the hitching question. Bottom line, hitching is permissable to return to your car after hiking (and vice-versa by inference).

When are you hiking the Southern district in June? I'll try to finish my weedwacking before you pass over HighTop Mountain.

Starting out on the 28th a few miles south at PCW Shelter, we'll be at Hightop Hut Monday Night.

We were considering hitching too, we thought it might actually be easy in the park.

[Shiraz-mataz]

A buddy and I are also hiking the northern third of SNP this weekend. We had the same concerns about parking and getting back to the vehicle that the OP has. We dismissed the 522 trailhead because I didn't like the idea of leaving my truck so exposed. My buddy's wife put the kibosh on hitchhiking though it is actually an accepted practice in the park. We decided against the MV Shuttle after contacting them and discovering the fare would be $97!

We finally decided to drive two vehicles. We're dropping his car at Fisher's Gap and then were driving north to leave mine at Compton Gap. We'll hike back south from there. I like the idea of our vehicles being inside the park. The rangers have our tag numbers in the system and know to expect them in the parking lots.

We should be on the trail by mid morning this Sunday - maybe we'll see you out there!