flyfisher
09-13-2005, 10:29
I am interested in knowing if anyone has collected a list of places along the AT where there is trail head parking. Short term, I am interested in knowing about good parking through Pennsylvania.
I recently needed to park at Ashby Gap. I drove to Ashby Gap and looked around for a place to park. Finding none, I parked at Doc's BBQ (with their permission) 0.8 miles to the west. When my friend and I walked to the gap 2 days later, it was a hairy walk down the road with little to no shoulder to walk on, and cars whizzing by at 60+ mph on their way home from working in DC.
I tried to do one better when I parked my motorcycle at Ashby gap later that night. I asked and received permission to park behind the Taxidermy shop at the Gap. That worked OK.
It was not until the next morning, headed north, that I came across the trail to "Hiker Trail Head parking." Sheesh!
Parking is seldom or never mentioned in either Wingfoot's book or the ATC data book. Is it listed anywhere?
For my truck/motorcycle shuttling system, it would be nice to know of some relatively safe parking areas designed for overnight parking as I head north.
For the record, I found safe places to park:
- AT crossing near Catawba, just south of McAfee's Knob
- Daleville commuter parking lot just off the trail toward the expressway
- To many to count parking areas along the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive. I stopped by the park service office at the Peaks of Otter and told them I would be parking overnight. They appreciated the head's up. Same is true in Shenandoah NP.
- Crossing of US 60
- USPS Lot at the foot of Fish hatchery road in Montebello VA
- Motel parking lot overlooking Rockfish Gap (leave your name in the hotel, park under the sign)
- Ashby Gap hiker parking
- Harper's Ferry national park (long term parking, up to 14 days, open only during day, ~$10
- Pen Mar county park (gravel lot across the street from the portion of the park which is listed as no-parking
I am especially interested in knowing places to park through Pennsylvania every 20-50 miles, since that is the next part of my section hiking for the fall.
Throughout the Blue Ridge Parkway from Daleville to
I recently needed to park at Ashby Gap. I drove to Ashby Gap and looked around for a place to park. Finding none, I parked at Doc's BBQ (with their permission) 0.8 miles to the west. When my friend and I walked to the gap 2 days later, it was a hairy walk down the road with little to no shoulder to walk on, and cars whizzing by at 60+ mph on their way home from working in DC.
I tried to do one better when I parked my motorcycle at Ashby gap later that night. I asked and received permission to park behind the Taxidermy shop at the Gap. That worked OK.
It was not until the next morning, headed north, that I came across the trail to "Hiker Trail Head parking." Sheesh!
Parking is seldom or never mentioned in either Wingfoot's book or the ATC data book. Is it listed anywhere?
For my truck/motorcycle shuttling system, it would be nice to know of some relatively safe parking areas designed for overnight parking as I head north.
For the record, I found safe places to park:
- AT crossing near Catawba, just south of McAfee's Knob
- Daleville commuter parking lot just off the trail toward the expressway
- To many to count parking areas along the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive. I stopped by the park service office at the Peaks of Otter and told them I would be parking overnight. They appreciated the head's up. Same is true in Shenandoah NP.
- Crossing of US 60
- USPS Lot at the foot of Fish hatchery road in Montebello VA
- Motel parking lot overlooking Rockfish Gap (leave your name in the hotel, park under the sign)
- Ashby Gap hiker parking
- Harper's Ferry national park (long term parking, up to 14 days, open only during day, ~$10
- Pen Mar county park (gravel lot across the street from the portion of the park which is listed as no-parking
I am especially interested in knowing places to park through Pennsylvania every 20-50 miles, since that is the next part of my section hiking for the fall.
Throughout the Blue Ridge Parkway from Daleville to