Backpacking during deer hunting season in Shenandoah?

[rjstew234]

I was thinking about doing a 3 day backpacking trip in Shenandoah from 12/2-12/4. I'd arrive late in the evening on 12/2 and just sleep in the car or hike a mile in and set up my hammock. Plan was to start hiking at dawn of 12/3 near Brown's gap, head North on the AT, loop West to Brown Mtn Trail, South East on Rocky top, camp there for the night and then do a big loop South and back up the AT to Jones Run, stay there the night of 12/4 and then hike out 2 miles in the morning before dawn.

That being said, I just searched for VA hunting season and see firearms season ends on 12/3. I know hunting isn't allowed in Shenandoah, but Rocky Top begins right at the edge of the park and I'm sure some poachers wander just over the park boarders. Is it safe to backpack in the park/on the edges of the park during hunting season?

I also see on my PATC topo map that Brown Gap Turnpike meets Skyline drive. However, it doesn't connect on Google Maps. Is it possible to take 629/Brown Gap Turnpike to Jones Run Trail and is there parking? I saw skyline drive is closed at night during deer hunting season, so I wasn't sure if there was a gate further down on Brown Gap Turnpike that was locked.

Many thanks in advance.

[handlebar]

Wear plenty of blaze orange: hat, chest, backpack cover. Also avoid anything white or that might be mistaken for white such as light yellow and make you look like a white-tail's flag. Also consider avoiding hiking close to dawn Ned dusk.

[scudder]

Brown's Gap Turnpike has a locked chain across it at the park boundary and there is no parking there. When I day hike the area, I drive my 2wd pickup to a spot where the road looks very rocky and impassable for me, ( maybe a mile below the boundary- just guessing) and turn around there and park . Its just wide enough to do this . Below the park there are private drives off this road, so blocking the road would be a bad idea. I've never had a problem , but can't actually say that this is a legal place to park.
I'd recommend major blaze orange, as this is primo bear and deer habitat. You are aware that there was a big fire in the park this past spring and it impacted the Brown Mt trail. I think you can access photos posted of a hike thru the area after the fire,if you google around "Wandering Virginia Rocky Mount Fire" . The first hit- May 2016 is the one I'm talking about.

[RockDoc]

My grandfather spent decades hunting and saw some crazy stuff.
He used to say wear only an orange hat. Don't give them a big target.

[rjstew234]

Brown's Gap Turnpike has a locked chain across it at the park boundary and there is no parking there. When I day hike the area, I drive my 2wd pickup to a spot where the road looks very rocky and impassable for me, ( maybe a mile below the boundary- just guessing) and turn around there and park . Its just wide enough to do this . Below the park there are private drives off this road, so blocking the road would be a bad idea. I've never had a problem , but can't actually say that this is a legal place to park.
I'd recommend major blaze orange, as this is primo bear and deer habitat. You are aware that there was a big fire in the park this past spring and it impacted the Brown Mt trail. I think you can access photos posted of a hike thru the area after the fire,if you google around "Wandering Virginia Rocky Mount Fire" . The first hit- May 2016 is the one I'm talking about.

Appreciate all the info. I vaguely remember hearing about the fire but did not recall, so thank you for reminding me. That's quite sad, as that area was the first where I truly "backpacked". Luckily, fire is a natural part of regrowth. My fiancee (girlfriend at the time) hiked 2 miles down Big Run with our giant 50lb packs and quilts, we didn't even have sleeping bags. We even ran into a bear cub and freaked out as we had never encountered one before and were terrified that mom was going to lunge out of the woods at us. As we were going to sleep I said "Hey, I was looking at the map and it looks like Rocky Top trail loops back around. At the time, I remember thinking the trail was never ending. Now, 5.7 miles is nothing.

I think I may stick to the Northern section since it's save me about 90 minutes driving from Philly, which is worth it on a 2 day trip.

Already have the southern and mid maps, now to get the North.

Any suggestions for ~35 miles loops in the North?

[scudder]

At the beginning of Browns Gap Turnpike, just after you leave the hardtop road there's an old house known as Headquarters. Stonewall Jackson and his troops stayed there, and proceeded from there to cross the Blue Ridge on the way to the battle at Port Republic.
It's been quite awhile since I hiked Brown Mt Trail to the Portal and back up the Big Run . Last time I did , there was a dusting of snow and lots of bear tracks leading to a rocky den just off the trail. Its a great place to visit in early May when spring flowers are in bloom.
Perhaps there is a loop hike in the North section of the park on Hiking Upward.com