shenandoah in april/ may

[bstiffler]

I'm planning a trip in april / may next year and was thinking about hiking through Shenandoah. Hopefully it's after the worst of winter is over and before the crowds hit. I don't mind meeting people on the trail but 30+ people at hawk mountain was a little too much.

[chknfngrs]

April can be every bit of winter in Virginia. May is a turning point. Freezing temps are normal that time of year

[Slo-go'en]

It wasn't crazy busy when I went through there in early May a couple of years ago, but there were still plenty of people out. it was also very warm. Late April would be okay if you can work around any possible weather at the time. Always try to avoid the weekends.

[Spirit Walker]

May is likely to have lots of ticks, so be prepared. Soak your clothes in permethrin and do frequent body checks.

[Durunner]

I have been car camping in April each of the last two years. Neither time was crowded, except when I went up Old Rag. First time was pretty much fog all weekend. Last year, it never stopped raining for like 2 straight days. Then, it was finally nice and sunny for the last two. Leaves were in on the lower elevations, but still not quite in yet up higher.

[colorado_rob]

Just another data point... Because I was in the area anyway ("climbing" 5 state highpoints), after my wife left for home, I re-hiked SNP in April of 2016, 4/16-4/21, from south of Waynesboro to Front Royal. This is the 2nd time I've been there in April, and the weather was fantastic both times, and it was relatively uncrowded both times. I "owned" a shelter two nights, shared a third night with a couple thru-hikers and stayed in one of those campground cabins (Lewis CG?) for free one night, because the guy at the store there is a really nice guy and offered it to me.

The only bad thing was I had to shuttle about 30 miles or so around a nasty fire that closed the trail for a few days.... made for nice sunsets though!

[Hikingjim]

I'm planning a trip in april / may next year and was thinking about hiking through Shenandoah. Hopefully it's after the worst of winter is over and before the crowds hit. I don't mind meeting people on the trail but 30+ people at hawk mountain was a little too much.

Went early May last year. Weekend was very busy, the rest wasn't too bad
That whole place feels busy though compared to most sections. Roads/restaurants

Weather you can get anything from 35f to 90f during the day (have had a bit of both the last couple years). But with any luck, it's actually a good time of year for good temps

Ticks were present according to some hikers who saw a few, but not all over the place and I didn't see any. But I treated

Overall, I didn't like that hike enough to ever consider it again.

[LittleRock]

I'm planning to hike the Shenandoah AT section next spring - maybe I'll see you out there! I've done two previous AT sections in SW and Central Virginia in mid-April.

First time was in 2016 and there was a wicked strong high pressure system that week. Highs near 80/lows in the 50's, definitely not typical. The crazy part was that with the warm, sunny weather and no leaves on the trees yet I actually started getting sunburned!

Second time was what I'd consider more typical April weather. Not too bad - mostly highs in the 60's/low 70's and lows in the 40's, with one rainy/windy day where the temp hovered just above freezing. It was actually warmer the next morning than when I went to sleep!

[jimmyjam]

Just another data point... Because I was in the area anyway ("climbing" 5 state highpoints), after my wife left for home, I re-hiked SNP in April of 2016, 4/16-4/21, from south of Waynesboro to Front Royal. This is the 2nd time I've been there in April, and the weather was fantastic both times, and it was relatively uncrowded both times. I "owned" a shelter two nights, shared a third night with a couple thru-hikers and stayed in one of those campground cabins (Lewis CG?) for free one night, because the guy at the store there is a really nice guy and offered it to me.

The only bad thing was I had to shuttle about 30 miles or so around a nasty fire that closed the trail for a few days.... made for nice sunsets though!
I hiked it sobo from Harper's Ferry same time. April is a great time to hike the park.

[rmitchell]

This spring I hiked from Thornton Gap to Harpers Ferry finishing on May 4. Weather was near perfect. The trees had not leafed out on the ridge tops so it was actually hot in the open. I carried a 20 degree bag but it was overkill then but the next week turned cooler.
I picked up one tick and my hiking partner picked up two or three. Black flies were also a nuisance at times. There were a few thru hikers but it was not crowded. The bubble was still further south I think.