Trail Difficulty: Shenandoah National Park Area, Virginia

[jthue]

First off, I envy all of you with the opportunity and means to hike the whole AT. I'd give anything to be able to do it soon, but someday!!! Good luck to you all and enjoy your time!

I will be hiking a section of the AT this May and I can't freaking wait! I'm going to do 120 miles from about Charlottesville/Waynesboro, VA, through Shenandoah National Park and I'll stop somewhere just west of Washington D.C. cause my brother lives there. So I'm wondering, what is the difficulty of this part of the trail??? Any info about difficulty from experienced hikers is welcomed my friends. I'm wondering about terrain, water sources, town accessibility (not entirely important since I'll only be out 6 days), and maybe snakes haha. I hate those damn snakes!

Anyway, thanks for all info that can help!

Your friend from Utah,
Jthue

[johnnybgood]

The terrain on the AT through Shenandoah Nat'l Park is hiker friendly and if you are in decent physical condition you can thru the park in 7 days, no problem. Most will agree 15 mile days are very doable.
I suggest bringing shelter during your visit in May because the park will be crowed with thru hikers and section hikers like yourself.
Water sources are in the way springs near shelters,spigots at campgrounds,and waysides where food can be purchased as well. Water is always an issue in the southern district,but spring rains shouldn't make that an issue. The waysides will be expensive so meal plan carefully before leaving Rockfish Gap.

The towns are not as accessible in Shenandoah as they will be once you leave the parks northern boundry,i.e. Front Royal.

[fredmugs]

SNP is cake compared to any other stretch of the AT. 15 miles a day is no problem. Make sure you check the website for the park because the Waysides open at different times during May. I know that when I went through there the southern most wayside had not been opened yet. Make sure you have at least one blackberry shake.

Expect the shelters to be full up. I hammocked through there and it was hard finding a place to hang.

[English Stu]

I am thinking of the above section, but prefer it not too busy; what would June be like. Is it then going to be too warm?

An alternative is to get on the AT around NYC (I can fly in their easily) and then go north for 3 weeks. How does the terrain here compare with SNP i.e which is the better trip.

I can go anytime June to October.

[Lone Wolf]

SNP is about as easy as the trail gets

[sparky2009]

SNP was the easiest stretch of trail on my through hike. You can also cut back on the amount of food you carry if you plan on stopping at the waysides. As stated earlier, just be sure that they'll be open.

I started the SNP on June 5 last year. It was around the start of the heat wave that lasted for a couple of months. Water was never a problem, just plan ahead. Also, if it is warm, be sure to replenish electrolytes. That practice helped me stay energetic.

Even in June, there will be a lot of people on the trail. Seems like there were a lot of section hikers too. I wouldn't worry about it though. I never had an issue with finding a spot to tent.

[jthue]

Thanks, you guys are awesome! Is the park so easy that I could do 20 miles a day since ill be fresh legs?

[Blissful]

If you're in shape with trail legs, sure SNP is easy.
If not there are always challenges to be had, esp with adapting on a backpack trip

There are parts that are more challenging. I think just the stretch to get to McCormick Gap from Waynesboro has a good climb.

NOBO is easier than SOBO, imo.

[Blissful]

Thanks, you guys are awesome! Is the park so easy that I could do 20 miles a day since ill be fresh legs?

I would never tell anyone to do 20 mile anything day after day unless you've been hiking for weeks on end and have adapted.

No such thing as fresh legs except day one, and then you hurt until you adapt, unless you keep your miles reasonable. Why be miserable?
But I do see you're from Utah and you're young. If you're used to the big stuff out there in the Wasatch, etc you'll find SNP easier that way

[cvillewill]

I backpacked the SNP this past summer. 15-20 miles/day, and although previous to this trip I had 'day hiked' fairly often, I thought I wasn't in great shape. Get a map of the park, or an AT guide book, to help with logistics as far as shelters, water sources, and town access points. The good (or bad) thing about the park is there are numerous options to get 'back to civilization' if you need to, either simply by stopping at a park wayside for a burger and shake, or getting out of the park entirely and stopping in a town (waynesboro, elkton, luray, front royal).

I found the southern section of SNP (rockfish gap/waynesboro to elkton/swift run gap) can have significant milage between water sources, especially in the summer. But I liked how this section felt more remote, and less crowded. Definitely stop for water when ever it's available. Definitely bring your own shelter. One night it was just me and one other person at the hut, then the next night the hut I stayed at had 8 people in it, and about a dozen tenters. You never know how crowded it will be. The milage between shelters is can be odd, you can hike 8 miles to a shelter, or push on 15 more to get to the next one, making a 23 mile day. There are several campgrounds in the park too, that can provide a stopping point. Or you can 'backcountry' camp if you find your own site. Something to think about too. I saw lots of small critters, plenty of deer, a few bears, but no snakes. However, they are out there, so be aware of your surroundings, especially in rocky areas. If you are worried about it, look up copperheads and timber rattlers, and know how to identify them before your hike, as they are the 2 poisonous species you could encounter.

Saying the park is 'easy' is relative, and all depends on your definition of 'easy'. It's not flat, but relative to other mountainous sections of the AT, yes it is 'easy'. Most of it is ridge walking, parallel to the Skyline Drive. That being said, don't plan on hiking very long without hearing a motorcycle/car. If you have time, many of the 'jewels' of the park (historical sites, waterfalls, etc) are simply missed by the AT, so taking some of the 'blue-blazed' trail can be very worth while. They also make for much harder hikes, since you usually come down off the AT from the ridge, and can lose hundreds or thousands of feet in elevation on these side trails.

I hope you enjoy your time in SNP. I know I do every time I get up there.

[chiefiepoo]

There is one 12 mile mol stretch from near Calf Mtn shelter north to Black Rock hut that offers no readily available water supply. In a very hot June of 2010 I went through 3L of water and ran out around Rip rap parking area. Feels like temps were in the mid to high 90's. I was fortunate to be able to yogi some water from day hikers at the parking area.