Questions about a section hike of SNP

[SLMaui]

Hello everyone. This is my first post. I am planning a section hike of SNP this coming summer with a few friends. I wanted to know if there would be any advantage to starting the hike from the southern end verses the northern end of the park. We have considered hiking to Harpers Ferry. If we do that we will obviously start at the southern end of the park. I was just wondering if there would be any advantage to starting at the northern end, besides ending at Devils Backbone, if we only hike SNP. Thank you for your advice.

[jimmyjam]

Devil's backbone brewery is about 20 miles south of the southern end (Rockfish gap) of the SNP. Since you are in Williamsburg why not catch the Amtrak to Harpers Ferry and walk south. Get picked up at Rockfish gap.

[colorado_rob]

I've done SNP twice now, both northbound, and there are a couple reasons I like it this way: One, whenever either way works logistically on any trail, I prefer northbound, because more of the time you're walking with your back to the sun. This is slightly more comfortable to me, better light on stuff ahead, vs. more looking into the sun. In the dead of summer, with the sun so high in the sky, this doesn't matter as much.

In the case of SNP, it seems like there are more services in the northern part of the park, like waysides for example. Waysides are really REALLY nice, especially alter on in a hike, when trail hunger starts building. So my opinion, get dropped off in Waynesboro or wherever, and hike to HF, a few days into your hike you can start pigging out at those wonderful waysides!

Just my $0.02

edit: duh! you said summer, when leaves fully out, the sun thing would matter very little, but the wayside density thing further north still applies....

[SLMaui]

My plan was to catch the train home from Harpers Ferry if we hike that far. I day hike a lot in the SNP area and always finish up with a good meal at Devil's Backbone. It would be easy to get a ride there after finishing if we hiked southbound. Thanks for the advice.

[SLMaui]

Colorado Rob, I agree that having extra services towards the end of the trip would be really nice. I hadn't really put a lot of thought into that. Thanks for the advice.