Shenandoah NP on 11 days?

[WileyBruin]

While I've lived 1.5hrs from the park my whole life, I've never hiked the AT through it. This will be my first bigger trip and I'm unfamiliar with the terrain. I know from Waynesborro to Front Royal through the park on the AT is about 107 miles, I have 11 days to do it. Will the terrain make 10 mile days difficult? Or is that a reasonable expectation of daily mileage for a fit person with a reasonable load?

[Ender]

The terrain through that park is very gentle. You will be able to do 10 mile days no problem. Depending on your relative health and fitness levels, you could probably do 15 mile days no problem.

When I through hiked through there, and granted I was at thru-hiker fitness levels, I did 25-30 mile days without feeling like I was killing myself.

Hope this helps!

[kncats]

SNP in 11 days should be no problem, mileage per day wise. The problem is the spacing of the shelters, they don't average 10 miles apart. The terrain the AT follows through Shenandoah is pretty easy, you'll more than likely do it in less than 11 days. *Legal* campsites between the shelters are not easy to come by and most of them would be dry camps.

[The Solemates]

While I've lived 1.5hrs from the park my whole life, I've never hiked the AT through it. This will be my first bigger trip and I'm unfamiliar with the terrain. I know from Waynesborro to Front Royal through the park on the AT is about 107 miles, I have 11 days to do it. Will the terrain make 10 mile days difficult? Or is that a reasonable expectation of daily mileage for a fit person with a reasonable load?

As a first backpacking trip, an 11-dayer is a quite challenging goal. Why not start with a few weekend trips to warm up?

With that said, the SNP can be done at a relaxing pace in about a week, or at a thru-hiking pace of 4-5 days.

[WileyBruin]

I didn't say it was my first trip, I said it was my first BIGGER trip. I've been hiking and backpacking for a long time. 10 miles a day is not a big deal for me to do out here in Jefferson National Forest outside my home in Blacksburg. I was just curious as I'd heard the terrain in SNP is a million times more gentle than that of say... Brush Mountain.

Question answered though. Thanks to everyone for your help.

[Ender]

Have a great trip! Let us know how it goes.

[peter_pan]

Couple years ago Smee and I did the park in 9 days ...at 51 and 56 respectively...nice hike...no super efforts required.

Pan

[Lone Wolf]

While I've lived 1.5hrs from the park my whole life, I've never hiked the AT through it. This will be my first bigger trip and I'm unfamiliar with the terrain. I know from Waynesborro to Front Royal through the park on the AT is about 107 miles, I have 11 days to do it. Will the terrain make 10 mile days difficult? Or is that a reasonable expectation of daily mileage for a fit person with a reasonable load?

11 days totally doable. Take advantage of all the campgrounds, waysides, lodges, pubs, etc. Tear it up, bro!

[baseballswthrt]

My husband and I live 2.5 hours from the park and hike there as much as possible. We have never done the whole park end to end due to time constraints, but have done a lot of it.
We are basically out of shape and only do 10 mile days. You can easily do the whole park in 11 days, but some days you may want to do 13 or 14 so you can go hut to hut. Most of the water sources are located at the huts and they have been running slow or low for the past 2 years. We only camp where there is a water source. There are places to stealth camp, but usually not where there is water.
There are WONDERFUL loop hikes available on the side trails. More often than not, we will pick a 30 mile loop down off the AT and have seen some beautiful sights and had great hikes. The hikes off the AT are more difficult due to elevation changes. (I hate coming back up to go home!)
The terrain of the AT is very easy for thru hikers and not to bad for us out of shape folks. Enjoy the waysides and campgrounds!

[Skyline]

Typical thru-hiker itinerary would be about five or six days (some do it in even less). Double that--11 days--is absolutely do-able for anyone in moderately decent shape.

Because of cutbacks a generation ago, we lost about half our shelters so their current spacing is an irritant. However, with the exception of the first half of the South District, there are ample places near water to camp in between current shelters. If nothing else, on relatively level land not far from the site of the fiormer shelters. Also as someone else mentioned, take advantage of the close-to-the-AT commercial campgrounds (Loft, Lewis, Big Meadows).

If, AFTER you plan a rough itinerary you get stuck on where to camp a particular night, email me privately (follow the link on this site) and I most likely can suggest something from a mental inventory of primitive sites near the AT.

There are ascents and descents either way you go, but IMHO you have less climbing if you go NOBO.

[BlackCloud]

SNP in 11 days should be no problem, mileage per day wise. The problem is the spacing of the shelters, they don't average 10 miles apart. The terrain the AT follows through Shenandoah is pretty easy, you'll more than likely do it in less than 11 days. *Legal* campsites between the shelters are not easy to come by and most of them would be dry camps.

With a proper permit, my understanding is that you can backcountry camp ANYWHERE in SNP, so long as you're x feet from a road, trail, shelter, water, etc...

[Ender]

With a proper permit, my understanding is that you can backcountry camp ANYWHERE in SNP, so long as you're x feet from a road, trail, shelter, water, etc...

That's true (I believe), except that to meet those distance requirements is darn near impossible. At any point you need to be more than a certain distance (rather large, like 1/4 mile) from a road to camp, which, since there's a big honkin' road running right through the middle of the park that the trail follows (and crosses something like 50 times), means that you're almost never far enough from the road to camp legally if you stay on the AT.

Of course, that's how the rules were explained to me in '98... maybe they've changed since then... anyone know for sure?

[Lone Wolf]

www.nps.gov/shen/1e2d.htm

[Cookerhiker]

You'll have time for side trips e.g. up Hawksbill. Happy hiking!

[Skyline]

That's true (I believe), except that to meet those distance requirements is darn near impossible. At any point you need to be more than a certain distance (rather large, like 1/4 mile) from a road to camp, which, since there's a big honkin' road running right through the middle of the park that the trail follows (and crosses something like 50 times), means that you're almost never far enough from the road to camp legally if you stay on the AT.

Of course, that's how the rules were explained to me in '98... maybe they've changed since then... anyone know for sure?

New rules went into effect in 2000. They are more liberal. Follow Wolf's link...

[Skyline]

With a proper permit, my understanding is that you can backcountry camp ANYWHERE in SNP, so long as you're x feet from a road, trail, shelter, water, etc...

That's true, except for a few (posted) no-camping zones, and the rules adopted in 2000 are better than what we had before that.

Still, the issue to many hikers is the availability of good sites along or near the AT, near water. They exist, but you have to either know the history of the Park (where the old shelters and springs were), or be kinda creative.

[swift]

SNP is a 4 1/2 day hike

[Ridge]

It should only take 5-7 days top. I would hike to Old Rag Mtn in the NE part of the Park while being this close. Lots of other nice trails too.

[Cookerhiker]

It should only take 5-7 days top. I would hike to Old Rag Mtn in the NE part of the Park while being this close. Lots of other nice trails too.

Agree, Old Rag is worth it. Also by the time you've rahced the NOrthern Section and you're in great shape from hiking 60+ miles, hiked down to the Jeremy's Run trail from Elk Wallow Picnic ground. You cross the stream about 12 times - lots of fun!

[LostInSpace]

I would hike to Old Rag Mtn in the NE part of the Park while being this close.

I agree, but suggest trying to hike it other than on a weekend or start very early in the day. Old Rag is the most popular day hike in SNP. It's a zoo on the weekend.