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View Full Version : Shenandoah National Park to Harpers Ferry



mabonifas
01-18-2013, 19:00
I am hoping to spend a week or two on the AT this summer and have been looking around and it sounds like both Shenandoah National Park and the area around Harpers Ferry are great areas for shorter hikes. What I am wondering is how long does it generally take to hike between the two and also how are the shuttle services in that area if I wanted to park my car somewhere around Harpers Ferry and get dropped off somewhere south of that. Any helpful information or suggestions you guys could give me would be a lot of help.

Cheers,
Mike

mtntopper
01-18-2013, 19:09
[QUOTE=mabonifas;1396832]I am hoping to spend a week or two on the AT this summer and have been looking around and it sounds like both Shenandoah National Park and the area around Harpers Ferry are great areas for shorter hikes. What I am wondering is how long does it generally take to hike between the two and also how are the shuttle services in that area if I wanted to park my car somewhere around Harpers Ferry and get dropped off somewhere south of that. Any helpful information or suggestions you guys could give me would be a lot of help.

Talk with the folks at Bears den Hostel for some shuttle info

thebrewguy
01-18-2013, 19:53
I hiked from Harpers Ferry to Front Royal last spring. Great area with some nice views. It took us 5 days 4 nights. We stayed at David Lesser, Bears Den, Rod Hollow and Manassas Gap in that order. We split a cab ride back to the car but the driver upped the price when he arrived to pick us up. We did it anyway but not cool. I'd recommend calling Laurel at the Tea Horse Hostel in HF. She gave me a ride after my Maryland hike and was great. Definitely stay at Bears Den and get the hiker special :). And be ready for "the Rollercoaster" it can be tough. Have fun good luck

johnnybgood
01-18-2013, 20:29
There are several parking options that you can consider from Front Royal to Harper's Ferry. Most hikers hike toward their cars so the shuttle would pick them up at the car and take them to the start of their hike.

Harper's Ferry has the park service lot that charges a $10 per day fee to leave your car . The AT can be reached by foot pretty easily from there downhill . Another option is to have someone at Bears Den Hostel in Bluemont,Va.(20 miles south of Harper's Ferry) shuttle you up to Front Royal. Leaving your car at Bears Den is $3 a day and is completly safe .

Now, if you were to get shuttled to HF to hike south to Front Royal, then I'd suggest getting shuttled from the Northern Virginia 4-H Center and leaving your car there. Parking at the 4-H is free for 30 days and is also safe . A waiver form must be completed first at the office located at the top of the hill past the pool. The AT can be accessed from the day use shelter across from the pond.

Another option is leaving your car inside Shenandoah Nat'l Park at the wayside of Dickey's Ridge. This also is free as long as a parking form is completed inside the visitors center and given to a Park Ranger.

Check here for shuttles : www.appalachiantrail.org/transportation (http://www.appalachiantrail.org/transportation)

shelb
01-19-2013, 12:28
er's Ferry)

then I'd suggest getting shuttled from the Northern Virginia 4-H Center and leaving your car there. Parking at the 4-H is free for 30 days and is also safe .

Check here for shuttles : www.appalachiantrail.org/transportation (http://www.appalachiantrail.org/transportation)

You might want to consider hiking SNP from Rockfish Gap (Waynesboro) to Front Royal. My friend and I did this 2 years ago with our 12 & 13 year old sons, leaving our car at the 4-H and getting shuttled down to Rockfish, so we could hike NOBO. It was an AWESOME hike! The 110 miles took us 11 days, but we were in no hurry, and they kids liked to end the day early.

mabonifas
01-26-2013, 15:10
Thank you for your responses, any other helpful hints about the area would be appreciated but I will definitely take all of this into consideration while I'm planning the trip.

Thanks again!
Mike

Blissful
01-26-2013, 16:58
I also recommend Harper's Ferry to Pen Mar Park for a short - long weekend hike.