Looking to Play with the Ponies

[Teacher & Snacktime]

I have the maps that list parking and shelters and other vital info....all except what I'm really looking for. Can anyone tell me precisely I should take Snacktime to see the ponies in Grayson Highlands? I'm thinking one day in, overnight, one day out. This is of course flexible.
Anyway, I have to start planning the fall VA trip and this is part of it, along with the hikes in HikerMom/DeerHunter way.

Note: also more interested in hostels and campgrounds than shelters, but that's not written in stone either.

[HikerMom58]

Others will chime in, I'm sure, but I've always heard that Thomas Knob Shelter is the place where the ponies hang out. I'm pretty sure Coach and HB went out and back to that shelter this past spring. They can help you with info, I'm sure!

[S'more]

Others will chime in, I'm sure, but I've always heard that Thomas Knob Shelter is the place where the ponies hang out. I'm pretty sure Coach and HB went out and back to that shelter this past spring. They can help you with info, I'm sure!

Anywhere in the Grayson's area, there are usually ponies hanging out! Going up next weekend myself! When you get it figured out, maybe I can work it out! and maybe HM too????

[Teacher & Snacktime]

Anywhere in the Grayson's area, there are usually ponies hanging out! Going up next weekend myself! When you get it figured out, maybe I can work it out! and maybe HM too????

I'm decidedly leaning toward the "the more the merrier" approach, so certainly I'll let you know when we have some sort of plan. HM will definitely know since part of our VA trip involves her directly!

Side note: Is Groucho's in downtown Statesville?

[HikerMom58]

I'm decidedly leaning toward the "the more the merrier" approach, so certainly I'll let you know when we have some sort of plan. HM will definitely know since part of our VA trip involves her directly!

Side note: Is Groucho's in downtown Statesville?

I'm def. up for the Grayson Highlands.. S'More and I are very much in touch on FB so we are all well connected.

tbird911... looks like you had great weather... nice pics! Great info post for Teacher&Snacktime!

[Astro]

Others will chime in, I'm sure, but I've always heard that Thomas Knob Shelter is the place where the ponies hang out. I'm pretty sure Coach and HB went out and back to that shelter this past spring. They can help you with info, I'm sure!

Hiker who stayed there one night after me had video of the ponies coming right up and placing their heads in the shelter. Really nice shelter with a ladder up to the second floor.

[HikerMom58]

Hiker who stayed there one night after me had video of the ponies coming right up and placing their heads in the shelter. Really nice shelter with a ladder up to the second floor.

Hey Astro!!

[HikerMom58]

Mid September sounds good to me... Teach, you can show up at my doorstep,we can look at the weather and figure it all out. It's true about the downhill bike ride. It's so fun!! It will still be warm to swim in the water too.

Your journal is amazing btw... I left you a comment!

[Teacher & Snacktime]

Mid September sounds good to me... Teach, you can show up at my doorstep,we can look at the weather and figure it all out. It's true about the downhill bike ride. It's so fun!! It will still be warm to swim in the water too.

Excellent. You and I were originally talking around the 8th....I have to check and see if that will still fly. I'll leave our itinerary open-ended and just kick us out of the state when we become a nuisance!

[Deer Hunter]

Hiker who stayed there one night after me had video of the ponies coming right up and placing their heads in the shelter. Really nice shelter with a ladder up to the second floor.

Astro, good to see you here posting.

[illabelle]

You can get to the ponies in a dayhike easy enough. Yes, they hang out near Thomas Knob, but also around Wilburn Ridge and the Rhododendron Trail. Are you coming all the way down to SW Virginia just to see the ponies? If so, I would hope you're planning to spend a few days. You could do a loop through Grayson Highlands, or if you just want to do AT miles, you could leave your car at the visitor center, and get a ride to Whitetop Mountain or elsewhere - depending on how many miles you want to walk. Damascus is nearby. We hiked from Whitetop to Damascus - about 21 miles if I remember right (???). We hiked from Whitetop to the visitor center (2 day trip with a bunch of kids) - about 11 miles. We hiked a loop of non-AT miles in our first visit - about 15 miles I think.

I might be wrong about this, but I think there's not even car camping in GHP. I know you have to cross out of GHP into Mt Roger's wilderness (just a half-mile or so) if you want to set up a tent. If you want a hostel or campground, you can find something in Damascus. There's a shelter a few miles to the north of Thomas Knob (Wise or Wise Springs?), but I haven't been there yet, so I can't tell you what it's like.

It can be very windy on the balds, a good thing or a bad thing depending on when you go. Some of the ponies are very "friendly" to the point of being pushy, but with supervision, Snacktime can probably pet a few of them. Be sure to bring a camera!

[Deer Hunter]

You can get to the ponies in a dayhike easy enough. Yes, they hang out near Thomas Knob, but also around Wilburn Ridge and the Rhododendron Trail. Are you coming all the way down to SW Virginia just to see the ponies? If so, I would hope you're planning to spend a few days. You could do a loop through Grayson Highlands, or if you just want to do AT miles, you could leave your car at the visitor center, and get a ride to Whitetop Mountain or elsewhere - depending on how many miles you want to walk. Damascus is nearby. We hiked from Whitetop to Damascus - about 21 miles if I remember right (???). We hiked from Whitetop to the visitor center (2 day trip with a bunch of kids) - about 11 miles. We hiked a loop of non-AT miles in our first visit - about 15 miles I think.

I might be wrong about this, but I think there's not even car camping in GHP. I know you have to cross out of GHP into Mt Roger's wilderness (just a half-mile or so) if you want to set up a tent. If you want a hostel or campground, you can find something in Damascus. There's a shelter a few miles to the north of Thomas Knob (Wise or Wise Springs?), but I haven't been there yet, so I can't tell you what it's like.

It can be very windy on the balds, a good thing or a bad thing depending on when you go. Some of the ponies are very "friendly" to the point of being pushy, but with supervision, Snacktime can probably pet a few of them. Be sure to bring a camera!

Two years ago when I went through there, one actually kicked a girl. Use some caution and stay in front of the horse and you should be ok and have a great time. Snacktime will enjoy it i'm sure.

[coach lou]

Yes, it is the Massie Gap parking/ trail head. On top, kind of like Greylock with no trees...................and poop, pony poop. I had barely a space for my sleeping bag under the hooch, piles of it everywhere. Not steaming, but..well.....it was really pretty up there. We had a ferocious storm that nite. The Wolf recommended it to us as the best walk for short timers. And he did not disappoint.

[Namtrag]

There is a pretty big rv/car camping campground in the state park. You can't camp anywhere else in the state park boundaries legally.

park in the overnight backpacker lot in state park,go on the AT Connecter trail, hang a right on the AT, then hike around through Scales, up to the Pine Mt trail, where you go south and connect into the AT again. From that intersection, turn right and go to Thomas Knob shelter. That would be a good day of hiking. Stay overnight, and then head back north on the AT until you get to the connector trail back to your car. A short day on day 2.

[No Directions]

You will not have any trouble finding the ponies. In fact there are usually a couple of them hanging around the fence at Massie Gap. Have fun. This is a beautiful place. Please check the weather forecast carefully and heed the warning signs as the weather can change suddenly at Mt Rogers.

[S'more]

You will not have any trouble finding the ponies. In fact there are usually a couple of them hanging around the fence at Massie Gap. Have fun. This is a beautiful place. Please check the weather forecast carefully and heed the warning signs as the weather can change suddenly at Mt Rogers.

+1 on heading the signs. It can be drastically different from the parking area to the trail.

[tbird911]

+1 on heading the signs. It can be drastically different from the parking area to the trail.

You should go to White Top Station or Damascus and Ride the Creeper Trail (Google is your friend) it is awesome and a great 1 day event. Then 15- 20 minutes away is the Grayson Highlands (specifically Massey Gap parking/trail head. On occasion they'll come down to the entrance fence, but can almost always be found within a mile or two of beginning your hike. Beautiful country . . .

[Teacher & Snacktime]

You should go to White Top Station or Damascus and Ride the Creeper Trail (Google is your friend) it is awesome and a great 1 day event. Then 15- 20 minutes away is the Grayson Highlands (specifically Massey Gap parking/trail head. On occasion they'll come down to the entrance fence, but can almost always be found within a mile or two of beginning your hike. Beautiful country . . .

The Damascus/Creeper Trail 1 day event sounds perfect for us, but I don't know what you mean be riding it. Is that just slang for hiking or is there some sort of transport?


And those pics are wonderful...exactly what I had in mind! I was a little freaked at first because I would have sworn that was my grandson Snacktime walking ahead in those pics! Spooky!

[Deer Hunter]

You should go to White Top Station or Damascus and Ride the Creeper Trail (Google is your friend) it is awesome and a great 1 day event. Then 15- 20 minutes away is the Grayson Highlands (specifically Massey Gap parking/trail head. On occasion they'll come down to the entrance fence, but can almost always be found within a mile or two of beginning your hike. Beautiful country . . .

Nice. Looks like you had a great time.

[Sailing_Faith]

They are really really easy to find, I saw several when I hiked the area. They will let you get really close.

of course we know that no one is supposed to feed them, but if someone happens to drop som apple slices, I bet they would not last long....