Hiking beside Skyline Drive and BRP

[pafarmboy]

I am planning a section hike from Daleville to Harper's Ferry next summer. While "Google Earthing" the trail through Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway, it seems you are parallelling the road quite often. It brings back memories of hiking down from Clingman's Dome and seeing cars whiz by me 100 yards away. So, to my point.....

How much of the hiking through SD and BRP feels like you're hiking beside a highway?

[Skyline]

I am planning a section hike from Daleville to Harper's Ferry next summer. While "Google Earthing" the trail through Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway, it seems you are parallelling the road quite often. It brings back memories of hiking down from Clingman's Dome and seeing cars whiz by me 100 yards away. So, to my point.....

How much of the hiking through SD and BRP feels like you're hiking beside a highway?

About 20% or less. While the AT is roughly parallel to Skyline Drive much of the way, most of the time it is located far enough away from it so you get the feel of being in the woods. You don't see the Drive, and will only occasionally hear a motorcycle in the distance.

But that 20% or less is what many focus on. You can sometimes see the traffic on Skyline Drive, or at least hear it, when the AT comes close to it. In a few instances, the AT even crosses Skyline Drive.

[Compass]

Of the 300 miles you are going to hike 100 or so will be within hearing range or sight of the parkways . 20 or so of those will be really close. It is a great section though some of it very remote. The parkway chose the route that the AT was on because it was so nice. Some of the AT has been rerouted to get further from the parkway

[dcmidnight]

It also depends on when you are hiking. If you are hiking on a weekend in July or August you will hear occasional traffic. If you are hiking on a Wednesday or Thursday - even in the middle of summer - I'd be surprised if you even heard an occasional motorcycle.

[mikec]

When I was section hiking the AT in Central VA I had some bad blister problems and would occasionally jump onto the BRP in order to make some miles and give my aching feet some relief.

Was it cheating? If you read Earl Schafer's Walking with Spring, you will see that he cheated in this area as well.