Rockfish Gap

[fiveonomo]

Hey guys, I am gonna do a quick little trip on Friday from Rockfish Gap to the Paul Wolfe Shelter. Gonna crash Friday night and hike back on Saturday morning. I have never been there before and I was wondering where the best place to park would be? I would like to just keep hiking and have two vehicles but I am limited to I can only do about 10 or 12 miles total trip. Is there a small trip we could do from Rockfish Gap, say 10 or 12 miles continuously and have vehicles at both locations?

[moldy]

Plenty of parking there. The best place is in front of the SNP trailer which you can see from the exit it is 200 yards up the hill. They want you to go inside and fill out a paper. You can also park in front of the closed down gas station with the commuters.

[Southerner]

1.) Watch the forecast closely. Forecasters are calling for a major snow event Wednesday into Thursday, and that area is, as of right now, supposed to be the epicenter of the heaviest snow. The last I saw, they were calling for 6-10" with localized totals over a foot. If you are looking for a snow hike, though, Rockfish Gap would be a good starting point since VDOT will get I-64 open quickly.

2.) As to a two-vehicle, one-way hike, normally you would have several options using the Skyline Drive or Parkway. However, considering that both roadways are presently closed because of light flurries, I doubt either roadway will be open this coming weekend, even if the snow forecast falls somewhat short. Reed Gap (Va. 664) would be a viable option, but, at about 19 miles, it's well in excess of your 10-12 mile range (not to mention, that road is a tough drive in normal weather, so even a slight snow cover would make it outright dangerous). So, an out-and-back from Rockfish Gap is probably your only practical option.

3.) Like Moldy said, plenty of parking at the gap.

Have a great hike!

[fiveonomo]

Thank you guys so much for taking the time to give me some feedback. We have had this little trip planned since October and man do i really want to do it. All of my gear is ready however I am not prepared for a foot of snow. I will watch closely and may have to call it off, we will see. I would rather be safe than risk it if I am not prepared. Good to know on the parking as this trip is gonna happen just maybe not as planned. Thanks again for your help it is greatly appreciated.

[aficion]

Reed Gap is an easy day hike from Rockfish Gap under normal conditions. Not much up and down. Temps are projected to be borderline for accumulation. We will have significant precip Wed into Thurs, but it may not stick or last. Your start and end points are on roads that cross the Parkway, so there is hope. With two cars, I'd be sitting on go with an eye on the weather.

[fiveonomo]

I called it off due to the weather. Thanks for all of the help.

[Southerner]

Sorry to hear that, Fiveonomo. Quick question...Is there any reason that it had to be Rockfish Gap? Even though the forecasters could get it wrong, right now it looks as if Roanoke is only going to get 1-3" of snow (even less points south), and then it's supposed to be in the upper-50s to lower-60s for highs over the weekend. You could do one of the Catawba hikes or check out someplace like Rock Castle Gorge down in Patrick County. Granted, your driving time would be more than doubled, but it seems like a shame to miss a great weekend.