Maps

[buckaroo007]

I'm looking for a little advice. I'm planning on hiking Daleville to Rockfish Gap in May. My wife wants to come along and hotel hop while I slack pack for the trip or most of it anyway. I'm looking for a map that shows the trail and has a good road map along with it. I used the coordinates in AWOL's guide online and they are pretty accurate but would like a paper map. Guess a little old school left in me. Thanks

[tenbeer]

Delorme Virginia Gazetteer

[Sly]

If you want proper maps use the ATC maps for Central VA.

https://www.atctrailstore.org/catalog/iteminfo.cfm?itemid=707&compid=1

You can try the AT Mailing Labels page for trailhead parking with directions, etc. (click planning links, trailhead parking)

http://www.soruck.net/at/ (http://www.aldha.org/companion/online/)

[Turtle-2013]

Daleville to Rockfish Gap loosely parallels the Blue Ridge Parkway all but the very south end from the climb from Daleville up to the Parkway. Therefore, in addition to the suggestions above, you might get one of the Blue Ridge Parkway maps. The AT does NOT cross and recross the BRP as often as it crosses the Skyline Drive north of Rockfish gap, but it is always relatively close at hand.

[Fireonwindcsr]

Look at Guthooks hiking guides (App). Someone on TrailJournals recommended. I downloaded. To get the entire AT map is around $40.... and it looks good enough for me to pass up getting paper maps or a hiking GPS. I'll just use my iPhone

[barich942]

I'm a map person but technology makes things real easy.

[Traveler]

I'm a map person but technology makes things real easy.

Technology always trumps paper, until the electronics fail...

[Alleghanian Orogeny]

buckaroo,

The National Geographic Trials Illustrated map #789-Lexington, Blue Ridge Mtns (George Washington and Jefferson National Forests) is a perfect fit for this section. Daleville is on the far southwest border and Rockfish Gap is on the far northeast border. The scale is 1:75,000 (about 1" = 1.18 miles), the topographic contour interval is a very usable 50', it shows all Federal, State, County, and Forest Service roads and trails, and it's 4.25" x 9.25" folded. They're printed on coated paper so they're reasonably water resistant, but I carry mine in a ziplock bag to keep it good and dry and to minimize abrasion rubbing off details at the corners and seams. With this map, you have not only all of the roads, but you have all topographic and cultural features (towns, etc) for miles off to each side of the AT.

There is no complete substitute for a map, a compass, and the skillset to use them.

AO

[peakbagger]

Hard to beat the Delorme guide. It generally shows the backroads quite well and the actual AT is shown. What you will find is that there are many locations where the trail gets quite close to the road. Almost all the shelters are usually accessible from a side road. With GPS, it gets fairly easy to figure out where to park and what old path to follow to get to a shelter or the trail. The scale is too coarse for hiking but great for driving. One caveat is that you need to understand the symbols, there is at least one AT access point south of your intended hike that is accessed by a road with a ford which is driving across a usually shallow creek bed. Normally its not an issue but after a rain if you have a small car, you may end up going a long ways back around. In the area of the Priest, there are some real interesting forest service roads that are dug into the side of the mountain, very steep and not for the faint of heart but they do save a lot of driving.

In general it would be hard to beat this stretch for slackpacking, although there is one stretch where the trail heads east of the BRP and an overnight may make sense.

[buckaroo007]

Thank again everyone. From what I'm seeing is there will be two nights at a shelter just to make life easy on the hiker and the driver.

[buckaroo007]

And the winner is Delorme map. Looks like the right fit for what I'm looking for. Should have it in a few days hope I'm not disappointed.