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View Full Version : Parking at VA 56/Tye River/AT Junction



Cloudwalker
02-20-2006, 02:10
How is the parking at hwy 56 in VA near the Tye River? Is it relatively safe? How big is the parking area or do you just pull over on the side of the road?

Thanks for the help,

Reg




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jlb2012
02-20-2006, 08:54
est. 20 car parking lot off south side of 56 where AT crosses - visible from the road - probably fairly safe - at least I can't remember hearing of any known problems but YMMV

Jeff
02-20-2006, 09:18
Contact Earl or Lois at Dutch Haus B&B...nearby. They can provide safe parking and a shuttle if you need one. They are super people and love hikers. http://www.dutchhaus.com

Turbo Joe
02-20-2006, 09:22
i never parked there but i did hitch a ride. i got 3 separate rides to get me to a convienience store the store however was not so convienient. it was a grocery store flea market combo. the only problem i would see is if they saw your pinto and thought it was a porch because in that area things are not always what they seem

Kerosene
02-20-2006, 11:00
I camped across the road and river in October several years ago and recall hearing several locals drag racing. That's not to say that the lot is unsafe, but they obviously weren't worried about any law enforcement.

It is a big lot, and there I imagine that there are a lot of day hikers who summit The Priest or Three Ridges during prime hiking season.

jlb2012
02-20-2006, 11:25
ditto comment about Dutch Haus - they have a lot of good hiker comments mentioning them in the register at the next shelter north of 56 (Harper's Creek iirc)

Skyline
02-20-2006, 11:36
Can't say about the last couple years, but both that trailhead and the parking lot at the bottom of Crabtree Falls (up Rt. 56) were being targeted by vandals a few years back.

Having said that, I have parked at both on overnight loops and suffered no damage. But when you get there look around for the tell-tale broken glass particles on the ground. That should clue you in about what's been happening recently.

gdwelker
02-20-2006, 15:14
I'm lkin at the section of the AT from 56 up to 664. The guide book indicates that Harpers Creek can be difficult to cross in high water - any idea what the current conditions are? We're planning on doing it in the next week.

jlb2012
02-20-2006, 15:26
I've no idea what it is like currently but I would not worry about it unless it has been raining hard for the 24 hours before your hike (ie more than just a thunderstorm)

Cloudwalker
02-20-2006, 16:05
Thanks everyone for the responses. I hope to do a 3 day weekend up there during the first weekend in March.

Thanks again!

Blissful
02-20-2006, 22:00
We did this hike a few years back in the summer - parked at the lot there at Tye River which is quite big, did the Three Ridges and came back via the Mar Har trail. We had no problem with our car sitting there for three days. The only time I can recall crossing Harper's Creek was at the shelter, but there are campsites before you get there, and the crossing was no big deal. I thought a few of the crossings on the Mar Har trail can be a challenge with more water, actually.

But honestly, there are no worse stream crossings than the ones in Ramsey's Draft Wilderness. That is the place where one can excel in stream (a la river) crossing technique. And how well your pack holds up if it gets submerged...