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Papa Bear
04-17-2003, 15:42
For Christmas I got a copy of Walking with Spring, Earl Shaffer's acount of his first ever thru-hike done in 1948.

In it he tells of hiking over the "Pinnacles of the Dan" which he considered one of the most rugged sections on the entire trail. I would guess from his description it's several days hiking north of Damascus, VA. He also tells a fun story about how it came to be on the original AT route (which I will not repeat here - read the book!)

The trail over the Pinnacles has long since been relocated far to the west, but I have a "yen" to hike it when I go through that section.

Does anyone know precisely where it is and if there is a reasonable blue blaze trail that will take me there.

Thanks
Pb

jlb2012
04-17-2003, 16:36
Here is where I think it is, fairly close to the Blue Ridge Parkway in Patrick County VA:

Topozone link (http://topozone.com/map.asp?z=17&n=4058331&e=550753)

Don
04-17-2003, 17:37
Pinnacles of Dan, as hog on ice said, is just off teh Blue Ridge Parkway south of Roanoke, Va, near the community of Meadows of Dan... Don't know of any long distance trails but there seem to be a lot of local trails... You could try hikers from Roanoke or search teh Roanoke Times for information..... Stuart, Va and Floyd, Va are towns close to this area. The area is near Mabry's Mill on the parkway. Beautiful area particulary in teh Spring...

go for it...

Don
04-17-2003, 17:46
For more info and for info on the nearby Rocky Knob recreation area, see the followiing: http://sherpaguides.com/virginia/mountains/blue_ridge/blue_ridge_parkway.html

3handyman
06-15-2015, 06:33
My father lives close to the Pinnacles and has been looking for the location of the original trail that traversed the Pinnacles of the Dan. Does anyone have a detailed map depicting where the trail traversed the the Pinnacles and through Meadows of Dan?
Thanks.
Kevin