View Full Version : 7-8 day hike Northern VA or MD
My friends and I are looking for a place where we can take a good 7-8 day hike. I've heard that you really shouldn't plan on a speed greater than ~10 miles a day. We aren't experienced hikers so I thought that we probably wouldn't be too much quicker than that.
I was thinking of starting near Wanyesboro VA and ending around Roanoke VA. Is this distance doable for 3 pretty amateurish hikers?
Second what would be the best way to get back to our car once we're done? It doesn't seem like there is any kind of shuttle or organized transportation between these two points. Should we just take a cab or is there some other way to travel between the two?
Cookerhiker
06-14-2011, 17:00
My friends and I are looking for a place where we can take a good 7-8 day hike. I've heard that you really shouldn't plan on a speed greater than ~10 miles a day. We aren't experienced hikers so I thought that we probably wouldn't be too much quicker than that.
I was thinking of starting near Wanyesboro VA and ending around Roanoke VA. Is this distance doable for 3 pretty amateurish hikers?
Second what would be the best way to get back to our car once we're done? It doesn't seem like there is any kind of shuttle or organized transportation between these two points. Should we just take a cab or is there some other way to travel between the two?
You're referring to the section south of Shenandoah NP where the Trail parallels the Blue Ridge Parkway, crossing it occasionally but not as frequently as Skyline Drive in SNP. It's a nice trail and less crowded than SNP. But you have to pick an interim point because it's 134 miles between Wayensboro and Daleville (the nearest point to Roanoke).
So what's in the middle? How about the James River where Rts. 501 and 130 cross the Trail? 77 miles from Waynesboro and a great place to end a hike, descending to the lowest point of the AT in the 500+ miles of Virginia and crossing the river on the longest footbridge of the entire AT.
And the good news is there are shuttlers available - take a look at the ATC-published listing (http://www.appalachiantrail.org/docs/default-document-library/AT%20Shuttle%20List%20WEB%205-21-11.pdf).
Having said that, it's always better to hike to your car and I don't think the James River area is a good place to store your car although perhaps some locals know better than me. So it might make more sense to leave your car in Waynesboro, get your shuttle to the James, and hike north.
Whatever you do, have a good hike.:)
Since you mentioned northern VA and MD, another possibility is from Bears Den Hostel in Bluemont, Va, to the PA/MD border. It's 20 miles from Bears Den to Harpers Ferry, with Blackburn Trail Center along the way. Then 40 miles to the PA/MD border at Penn-Mar Park. You can park at either end and get a shuttle to the other end and begin hiking.
ekeverette
06-15-2011, 09:11
wanyesboro to front royal is about 100 miles, stays on top of the hill crest..... thats the one i'm going to be doing in sept. we are parking a car at wanyesboro and front royal.... i'm really looking forward to it.
Blissful
06-15-2011, 10:28
South of Waynesboro the terrain is fairly tough. Good climbs etc over Three Ridges and the Priest. A pretty rocky section south of Humpback rock area. If you are just starting out, I might opt for a gentler piece of terrain. Waynesboro north through SNP might fit the bill (Or you can hike it south from Front Royal).
Another suggestion is to start at some point in northern Shenandoah NP and hike to Harpers Ferry. The terrain here isn't especially challenging and there are plenty of shelter options so you should be able to manage 10 mile days. Two years ago I section hiked from the Little Hogback overlook in Shenadoah to Harpers Ferry, about 75 miles. Check out the AT distance calculator http://www.atdist.com/ which give the spacing between shelters to help with your planning. Both the Bear Den Hostel and the Blackburn Trail Center are great places to stop.