Coordinating Parking & Shuttles - Ceres, VA to Harper’s Ferry, VA

[ashmorec]

I will be section hiking Ceres, VA to Harper’s Ferry, VA and will be driving from CO since I’m bringing my dog. Thinking I would park my car every 100 miles or so (i.e. weekly), and shuttle back to trailhead. This will allow us to resupply ourselves, especially my dog since he’s on special dog food, or bail if either of us gets injured. Looking to park my car in locations near: 1) Pearisburg, 2) Daleville, 3) Waynesboro, VA, 4) Front Royal. Can anyone recommend where I can leave my car CHEAPLY in these areas for 5-6 days each? Also, need shuttle recommendations back to the trailhead from where I leapfrog my car. Thanks!

[Slo-go'en]

There should be several options. One is just to park at the trailheads. This occurs some break in risk, but it's minimal. Lock everything in the trunk and don't leave anything remotely valuable in plain sight. That would be the cheapest option.

The other is motels. They will often let you park in their lot if you spend a night there. The Ho-Jos in Daleville comes to mind. There are hostels in Waynesboro and Front Royal which will likely let you park if you stay. Stanimal's hostel in Waynesboro and Pearisburg also does shuttles.

Another is to call the local police department and ask if they can recommend a safe, long term public parking area.

I don't know about getting away cheaply, just the shuttle costs alone are going to be significant.

5-6 days of food plus the dog food is going to be a heavy pack. Glad I won't be lugging it :)

[stephanD]

Pearisburg(Angel's Rest Hiker's Haven Hostel), Waynesboro (Stanimal's) and Front Royal (Mountain House B&B), no problem. Daleville, on the other hand.... not so sure.The Ho-Jo there is hiker friendly, but it attracts all kind of people down on their luck, day laborers, etc.

[ratfaceraines]

I shuttle out of pearisburg. Feel free to call anytime @540-921-7433 for shuttle, local info and transportation options.

[Hikingchef]

The trail head at front royal or the B&B up the street is where I park. When are you planning on doing your trip?

[ashmorec]

Plan on starting hike 3/28 and finishing 5/1. Am hopeful weather will be decent that early in season.

[ashmorec]

Thanks ratfaceraines. Will reach out once plans are more firm. Do you shuttle dogs, too?

[ashmorec]

Thanks stephanD

[ashmorec]

Slo-Go’en he gets high calorie, high fat and high protein dog food, so will only require 2 1/2 cups of food per day. He weighs 55 lbs so he’ll be able to carry his own food for up to 8 days ( 4cups dog food = 1 lb )...of course we’d never go more that 5 days before resupplying. I’ll resupply every few days on trail as there are lots of stops on this route. I mainly want him to have his dog food so he doesn’t have tummy issues.

[Slo-go'en]

Slo-Go’en he gets high calorie, high fat and high protein dog food, so will only require 2 1/2 cups of food per day. He weighs 55 lbs so he’ll be able to carry his own food for up to 8 days ( 4cups dog food = 1 lb )...of course we’d never go more that 5 days before resupplying. I’ll resupply every few days on trail as there are lots of stops on this route. I mainly want him to have his dog food so he doesn’t have tummy issues.

Sounds like good bear bait. Be careful how you store that stuff and his pack. The bears are out and hungry that time of year.

Weather wise, early April is a mixed bag all up and down the AT. The weather doesn't start to really improve until towards the end of April. Then by the end of May it can be really hot. You should plan on it being cold and wet more often then not, at least early on. Then hope it isn't. Storms used to linger longer, now I think they come more often with short breaks between. You just have to look at the long range forecast before you leave and plan accordingly. Then hope their right.

So, you want to hike about 628 miles (I'm assuming Marion, VA since I can't find Cere and Marion is about 100 miles south of Pearisburg) in 32 days or less. Plus have time to shuttle a car around. In April. With a dog. I think that's a bit optimistic, but I always err well on the conservative side. One advantage of having a car more or less near-by is it does give you flexibility.

Good luck, stay dry, stay warm, have fun.

[ashmorec]

Hiking 466 miles over 35 days. Last year (2018) we did 350 miles over 25 days. I think it should be okay. I haven’t finalized my plans, but here’s a rough draft. Still need to adjust here and there...






Date
Location


Notes

Mile Marker

Avg Daily Mileage



Wednesday, March 27, 2019
Travel Day


Bear Garden Hiker Hostel

557.8

--



Thursday, March 28, 2019
Chestnut Knob Shelter





569.2

11.40



Friday, March 29, 2019
Jenkins Shelter





579.9

10.70



Saturday, March 30, 2019
Helveys Mill Shelter - RESUPPLY Bland, VA mm 591.2


Bland, VA - DQ, DG, Subway, Big Walker Motel Dog F

593.4

13.50



Sunday, March 31, 2019
Dismal Falls (611.4) Campsite





615.4

22.00



Monday, April 01, 2019
Woods Hole Hostel


1880’s dog-friendly $15 log cabin - shuttles & slackpacking

624.9

9.50



Tuesday, April 02, 2019
Pearisburg, VA - RESUPPLY


Angel’s Rest - dog $5

636.5

11.60



Wednesday, April 03, 2019
ZERO DAY - PEARISBURG


Angel’s Rest

636.5

0.00



Thursday, April 04, 2019
Pine Swamp Branch Shelter





655.8

19.30



Friday, April 05, 2019
Laurel Creek Shelter





674.3

18.50



Saturday, April 06, 2019
VA 620, Trout Creek





695.6

21.30



Sunday, April 07, 2019
Campbell Shelter





713.8

18.20



Monday, April 08, 2019
Daleville, VA - RESUPPLY


Super 8 (skip Troutville, VA)

729.2

15.40



Tuesday, April 09, 2019
Bobblets Gap Shelter





747.7

18.50



Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Bryant Ridge Shelter


Double-decker shelter

761.2

13.50



Thursday, April 11, 2019
Marble Spring


Wide open and grassy

778.3

17.10



Friday, April 12, 2019
Glasgow - free town shelter.


Stanimals Hostel no dogs & eat Bosses Slackpack to BV-20 miles

786.0

7.70



Saturday, April 13, 2019
ZERO DAY - GLASGOW - RESUPPLY


Stanimals Hostel

786.0

0.00



Sunday, April 14, 2019
Brown Mountain Creek Shelter


(Skip Buena Vista, VA)

806.0

20.00



Monday, April 15, 2019
Seeley-Woolworth Shelter





821.8

15.80



Tuesday, April 16, 2019
Harpers Creek Shelter


Tye River (833.2) tenting just past suspension bridge

836.0

14.20



Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Reed’s Gap / Devil’s Backbone Brewery


Call for shuttle/free camping

843.9

7.90



Thursday, April 18, 2019
Paul Wolfe Shelter





858.0

14.10



Friday, April 19, 2019
Rockfish Gap - Waynesboro, VA





863.0

5.00



Saturday, April 20, 2019
ZERO DAY - WAYNESBORO, VA - RESUPPLY


Meet Wade

863.0

0.00



Sunday, April 21, 2019
Blackrock Hut





883.7

20.7



Monday, April 22, 2019
Pinefield Hut


mm 891.1 Loft Mtn Campstore - soda, snacks, ice cream

896.9

13.20



Tuesday, April 23, 2019
Hightop Hut





905.1

8.20



Wednesday, April 24, 2019
Big MeadowsCampground / Wayside


Dinner, beer, snacks, shower

925.5

20.40



Thursday, April 25, 2019
Pass Mountain Hut





944.3

18.80



Friday, April 26, 2019
Gravel Springs Hut





957.4

13.10



Saturday, April 27, 2019
US522 - FRONT ROYAL, VA - RESUPPLY


Mountain Home Cabbin - dog $5

970.8

13.40



Sunday, April 28, 2019
Whiskey Hollow Shelter


Say bye to Wade

986.0

15.20



Monday, April 29, 2019
Spout Run Campsite





1002.5

16.50



Tuesday, April 30, 2019
David Lesser Memorial Shelter





1015.5

13.00



Wednesday, May 01, 2019
Harpers Ferry, WV


Tumblina

1024.6

9.10











































TOTAL MILES




466.80









AVERAGE MILES




13.3

[Pastor Bryon]

I've got contacts on parking in Glasgow and Buena Vista if needed. I'm also available for shuttling, just PM me. Happy Trails!

[Slo-go'en]

Okay 466/35 is more reasonable. I miss calculated the distance and missed a few days..

I did Harpers Ferry to Daleville (295 miles) in 25 days last spring (April 18th start). One zero on a cold, rainy day to prevent the start of a cold from developing any farther and a couple of real short near-o's. (less then 5 miles).

Be sure to pick up water at the pond going up to Chestnut Knob, 1.8 miles from the shelter. A piped spring feeds the pond, but you'll have to look for it, it's not real obvious. Unless you can find water at Walker Gap the next day, it's the only water until you get to Jenkins Shelter, 10 miles away from Chestnut, so stock up, even though carrying it the rest of the way is a pain. A lot of water sources south of Daleville are a pain to get to. Your up on the top of the ridge. The water is down near the bottom of it.

Dismal falls is a local party spot, but should be quiet in early April, except maybe if its a nice weekend. The good campsites are on the other side of the river, which will be hard to cross in the spring. There are a couple of marginal tent sites on the AT side of the river. I typically stay at Jenny Knob, stop at Trent's grocery for lunch and restock snacks (most of what they stock is junk food), then move on to Wapiti shelter. Once you climb up to the falls, the rest is pretty easy.

Steely-Woodworth to Harpers is a hard day. Followed by an even harder day up and over Three Ridges. The brewery is nice, be careful of the 9% brews though! Harpers creek is one of my favorite shelter sites on the AT.

The Brewery to Paul Wolf is one of my least favorite sections. You parallel the Blue Ridge parkway on a rough trail and do multiple road crossings. But there are picnic tables and trash cans at most of the crossings.

If a section looks pretty flat on the profile, don't believe it. There will be countless microbumps to climb up and over.

Despite all that, I like VA and have done the state a number of times.

[peakbagger]

I did a similar hike one year but a friend and I had two cars. We started on April 1st on the south end of Shenandoah National Park and headed south. It was lot colder up on the ridgelines then we planned. Might have been spring in the valleys but up high especially at nights it could get darn cold The hardwoods had not leafed out so any wind can get blow through the trees. Many days I would start out with a polypro too and bottle under my zip pants with a lightweight balaclava , liner gloves and occasionally mittens.

[stephanD]

You can also stop at the Four Pines Hostel in Catawba. it is a donations based and dog friendly, and Joe the owner does shuttles and slack packing and is very reliable.

[ashmorec]

Thanks Pastor Bryon.

[Gambit McCrae]

1) Pearisburg, VA
You can park at the Giles Farm Bureau - Call to let them know
3745 Virginia Ave, Pearisburg, VA 24134
(540) 921-3853

Shuttle: RatFace Don Raines



2) Daleville, VA
Holiday Inn allowed me to park for a trip of 4 days length. I alos spent a night there, I give it an A+. I have stayed there on my way up I81 several times
3200 Lee Highway South, Troutville, VA 24175
(540) 966-4444

Shuttle: Homer Witcher



3) Waynesboro, VA,
I parked at this location for 3-4 days. It is in a high Traffic area and I had no issues.
Click here (https://www.google.com/maps/place/Welcome+Kiosk%2FParking+Area+to+Shenandoah+Nationa l+Park+and+Blue+Ridge+Parkway/@38.0318739,-78.8590587,268m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x89b364a24e98cc77:0x 1be39b4260e026f4!2sUnnamed+Road,+Afton,+VA+22920!3 b1!8m2!3d38.0318739!4d-78.8583915!3m4!1s0x89b364a2494dd8b7:0x19c6cb148ae8 cd23!8m2!3d38.0319503!4d-78.8584866)

Shuttle: Gary Serra



4) Front Royal
Mountain Home may be an option
3471 Remount Rd, Front Royal, VA 22630
(540) 692-6198

Mark "Strings"<< I am not sure if he is still in that area

If he can not do it, I think Gary may service this area as well and Mountain Home may do a shuttle if they have time.

[illabelle]

4) Front Royal
Mountain Home may be an option
3471 Remount Rd, Front Royal, VA 22630
(540) 692-6198
Mark "Strings"<< I am not sure if he is still in that area
If he can not do it, I think Gary may service this area as well and Mountain Home may do a shuttle if they have time.

I don't have her number anymore, but there's a woman named Sharon in Front Royal that shuttles. We've used her two or three times.

[TwoSpirits]

I don't have her number anymore, but there's a woman named Sharon in Front Royal that shuttles. We've used her two or three times.703-615-5612.
Delightful lady and very helpful.

[TwoSpirits]

703-615-5612.
Delightful lady and very helpful.Sharon Johnson, btw

[carouselambra]

I highly recommend Gambit's information. I section hiked all of VA over the last three years (and ran into Gambit and Slo-go'en over that time) and I used Don Raines for my two sections out of Pearisburg and parked at the Giles Farm Bureau for both, stayed at Mountain Home BB in Front Royal and used Marc Cusic (304-433-0028 and [email protected]) for my shuttles there, and used Gary Serra for my shuttles around Buena Vista. I have also heard good things about Homer as a shuttle service.

Also, you may or may not find this information helpful:
https://whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/129314-Trip-Report-Swift-Run-Gap-to-Harpers-Ferry?highlight=

[ashmorec]

This is incredibly helpful...thanks so much. I’ve already spoken at length to Ratface Raines, so I have a really good start. Will reach out to all the others you mentioned, too. 👍

[Countyline]

Harpers Ferry Front Royal area: Mark "Strings" Cusic is your shuttle. Great guy. Knows the trail. Parking at 4H camp near Front Royal is free and right on the trail

[bighammer]

I parked at Outdoor Trails in Daleville. They're an outfitter in a small mall very close to the trail. They were very helpful in getting me going and pointing me in the right direction and said there was no problem parking out in the middle of the lot.

The Bear's Den hostile was a great spot to stay. Very clean, reasonably priced, and a frozen pizza and pint of Ben & Jerry's included. :banana They're along the trail about 20 miles south of Harpers Ferry.