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I'm planning on hiking SNB SoBo in early May. The options are to get dropped off at Front Royal and do all of SNP or get dropped off at Thornton Gap and do some side trails along the way to Rockfish Gap. Let me know if the first 30 miles or so in north SNP is worth doing or are some of the side trails better, and which ones would you do. Thanks!
If your time is limited, then I'd skip the North District because the Central District has numerous side trails to waterfalls (Lewis, Dark Hollow, South River, Rose River) plus White Oak Canyon which has a series of cascading falls in a picturesque canyon. The Central District also has the side trail to Hawks Bill, highest point in Park and at its northern end before Thornton Gap, the side trail to Mary's Rock where you get great views westward.
And to get more ambitious, you can hike to Old Rag, probably the most famous mountain in the Park which ironically is not along the main ridge but off by itself. You can hike to it via White Oak Canyon so you'd have a spectacular day.