We spent the whole day in our favorite park Shenandoah National Park. We entered the park via the Northern District in Front Royal, Virginia and then drove the entire 105 miles of Skyline Drive.
Of course we stopped along the way to scout future hikes, hike, eat, and take pictures!
The Dickey Ridge Visitor Center is located at mile 4.6 and has restrooms, information desk, exhibits, etc. We arrived at the visitor center around 7:45 AM and there were deer on the front lawn.
The first place to park for the Appalachian Trail (AT) is at Compton Gap just after mile marker 10.
Compton Gap sign
The AT north of the parking lot is an excellent place for an out-and-back beginner hike. The footing is good (a bit rocky in places), the elevation gain is minimal, and the trail is wide (it is shared with horses for a stretch).
We decided that Elkwallow Picnic Grounds would be a good place for a group hike (mile 24). There is ample parking, a sign marking the trail head, a pit toilet, and close proximity to food.
Elkwallow Picnic Grounds
Sign for AT at Elkwallow Picnic Grounds
We stopped at the Whiteoak Canyon parking area at mile 42.6 and hiked down to the Upper Falls (4.6 miles round trip).
We went to the Byrd Visitor Center at mile 51 and Dirigo purchased Shenandoah National Park Quarter. We also grabbed some lunch at the Big Meadows Wayside.
We then drove down to the Loft Mountain Wayside at mile 79.5. The Loft Mountain Camp ground was closed but we hiked up the gravel path to the Camp Store (1.1 miles) and then joined the Appalachian Trail.
We decided to walk down the closed road back to the wayside. About 1/2 of a mile from Skyline Drive, we saw our first black bear of 2014! We were upwind of the bear so we spotted it before Cullowhee. Once Cullowhee saw the bear, she started growling and barking. Then the bear stood up on his hind legs to get a better view of us. The bear ran up the hill a bit but still kept foraging.
We then went back to the wayside and were disappointed that they did not have any blackberry shakes! So, we had to settled for a blackberry sundae. We also bought Cullowhee a new hiking bandana.
Once we reached the southern end of Skyline Drive, we decided to leave the park to get some dinner. We checked out the Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton, VA. This looks like a great place for a future visit and we saw several folks leaving with their dogs.
After we got some dinner, we headed back into the park around 5 PM and drove on Skyline Drive until US 211. We saw 2 more bears but it was pretty dark so no picture of the third bear. We were also lucky to see our first bobcat!
