Virginia.  Shenandoah National Park.  North Section

South-East of the Gravel Springs Gap

 

Maps:

• Software - Topo! Mid-Atlantic

• PATC Map 9, 10, 11

• Shenandoah, Official Map and Guide, NPS, free (good for finding campgrounds and to see the general layout of the park)

• Nat. Geographic.  Trails Illustrated map.  #228 Shenandoah National Park, VA

• USGS 1:62,500 maps: USGS Shenandoah North, Middle, South: 1: 62,500

Books:

• Circuit Hikes in Shenandoah National Park, Ed. 14, 1996

• Appalachian Trail Guide to Shenandoah National Park with Side Trails, PATC.  Ed. 12, 1999 (sometimes includes PATC Maps 9, 10, 11)

• Hikes to Waterfalls in Shenandoah National Park, 1997

• Hike America: VA – an Atlas of VA’s Greatest Hiking Adventures, Bill and Mary Burnham, 2001

• 75 Hikes in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park, 2d ed, Russ Manning

• 50 Hikes in Northern VA – Walks, Hikes, and Backpacks from the Allegheny Mtns to the Chesapeake Bay, 2^d ed., Leonard M. Atkins, 2000

• Cabins, PATC, 2004

• The Trails of Virginia, Hiking the Old Dominion, 3d ed., Allen de Hart, 2003

• Waterfalls of VA and WV – a Hiking and Photography Guide, Kevin Adams, 2001

• Hikes to Waterfalls in Shenandoah National Park, 1997

      Historical books:

• Shenandoah Secrets.  The Story of the Park’s Hidden Past.  Carolyn and Jack Reeder.  PATC 1991

• Shenandoah Vestiges.  What Mtn. People Left Behind.  Carolyn and Jack Reeder.  PATC 1980

• Shenahdoah Heritage.  The Story of the People Before the Park.  Carolyn and Jack Reeder.  PATC 1978, reprint 2000

• Memories of a Lewis Mtn. Man.  John W. Stoneberger.  PATC 1993

• The Dean Mtn. Story.  Gloria Dean.  PATC 1982

• Lost Trails and Forgotten People.  PATC 1981.  Ed. 3, 2004

• Skyland.  The Heart of the Shenandoah National Park, George Freeman Pollock, 1960

Notes: Appalachian Trail (AT) is always blazed White! 

         In the Shenandoah Nat. Park Blue blazed trails are for hikers only, and Yellow are shared between horse riders and hikers

           The maps and books listed above are for the whole Park, not just for this page

           Hikes in this section are organized North to South and then by date

 

 

Hike 1.  Little Devil's Stairs - AT - Piney Branch Trail

 

 

 

Club: my scouting; Shelley's trace.

Date: 08/02/2003; 04/24/2004

Parking: good

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: LittleDevilsStairs_AT_PineyBranchTr_GPS20030802.tpo; LittleDevilsStairs_AT_PineyBranchTr_GPS20040424SBurns.tpo

Description File: LittleDevilsStairs_AT_PineyBranchTr_GPS20030802.doc

GPS TrackMaker Trace: LittleDevilsStairs_AT_PineyBranchTr_GPS20030802.gtm

Notes: This hike is best done in the winter when the snow is high.  Dickey Ridge Tr. can be substituted with the Skyline Drive then

 

Hike 2.  Little Devil's Stairs - AT - Thornton Hollow

 

 

Club: Chris Nolen and the Tuesday Group Hikers; my scouting

Date: 02/09/2003; 01/28/2007

Parking: good

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: LittleDevilsStairs_AT_ThorntonHollow_GPS20030209CNolen.tpo; LittleDevilsStairs_AT_ThorntonHollow_GPS20070128.tpo

Description File: LittleDevilsStairs_AT_ThorntonHollow_GPS20070128.doc

GPS TrackMaker Trace: LittleDevilsStairs_AT_ThorntonHollow_GPS20070128.gtm

Garmin MapSource Trace: LittleDevilsStairs_AT_ThorntonHollow_GPS20070128.gdb

Google Earth Trace: LittleDevilsStairs_AT_ThorntonHollow_GPS20070128.kmz

Photo Album: LittleDevilsStairs_AT_ThorntonHollow_GPS20070128

 

 

Hike 3.  Little Devil's Stairs - AT - Beahms Gap Fire Road

 

 

Club: Jack's trace

Date: 02/11/2006

Parking: don't know

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: LittleDevilsStairs_AT_BeahmsGapFR_GPS20060211JThorsen.tpo

 

 

Hike 4.  Little Devil's Stairs - AT - Piney Ridge Trail

 

 

Club: Jack's trace

Date: 06/06/2006

Parking: don't know

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: LittleDevilsStairs_AT_PineyRidgeTr_GPS20060606JThorsen.tpo

 

 

Hike 5.  Piney Branch - AT - Thornton Hollow

 

 

Club: Brad's trace; Jack's trace

Date: 01/10/2003; 12/19/2006

Parking: don't know

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: PineyBranch_AT_ThorntonHollow_GPS20030110BDeVries.tpo; PineyBranch_AT_ThorntonHollow_GPS20061219JThorsen.tpo

 

 

Hike 6.  Oventop - Thornton Hollow - Butterwood Trail Bushwhack

 

 

Club: Chris Nolen and the Tuesday Group Hikers

Date: 09/26/2004

Parking: don't know

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: Oventop_ThorntonHollow_ButterwoodTr_GPS20040926CNolen.tpo

Warnings: Trail to the Oventop is a bushwhack on old overgrown trails.  Not easy to follow, very steep and overgrown at places.  Good overlook.

 

 

Hike 7.  Oventop - AT - Buck Hollow Trail Bushwhack

 

 

Club: Chris Nolen, Mina and the Tuesday Group Hikers

Date: 09/02/2004; 12/12/2006x2

Parking: right off Rt. 211.  Vandalism has been reported.

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: Oventop_AT_BuckHollowTr_GPS20040902CNolen.tpo; Oventop_AT_BuckHollowTr_GPS20061212CNolen.tpo; Oventop_AT_BuckHollowTr_GPS20061212MergedMina.tpo

Warnings: Trail to the Oventop is a bushwhack on old overgrown trails.  Not easy to follow, very steep and overgrown at places.  Good overlook.

 

 

Hike 8.  AT: Thorton Gap and Up Out-And-Back

 

 

Club: Chris Nolen and the Tuesday Group Hikers

Date: 03/10/2003

Parking: good

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: AT_ThortonGapUp_GPS20030310CNolen.tpo