Top Trails: Shenandoah National Park. Johnny Molloy
Station, milepost 79.5 on Skyline Drive
Rockfish Gap Entrance Station, milepost 104.9 on Skyline Drive
Permits for Appalachian Trail long-distance hikers are available by self-registration on the AT where it enters Shenandoah National Park from both the north and the south.
You can also obtain a backcountry camping permit by mail when you plan your trip at least two weeks in advance by contacting park headquarters at 540-999-3500. Bring two filled-out copies of your permit, and deposit one copy in the self-registration box at each entrance station. The other copy should be affixed to your pack or tent in full view when in the backcountry.
Backcountry Camping Regulations
1. You must have a free backcountry camping permit (see previous page).
2. Food, trash, and scented items must be stored in a tree at least 10 feet above the ground and 4 feet out from a tree trunk, within a park-approved bear-resistant food storage canister, or from a food storage pole provided at backcountry huts on the AT.
3. Backcountry campfires are not permitted.
4. A few specific areas in the park are completely closed to backcountry camping: Old Rag Mountain above 2,800 feet, most of Little Stony Man Mountain, Hawksbill above 3,600 feet, Mary’s Rock summit, North Mount Marshall summit area, a portion of Whiteoak Canyon, and around Overall Run Falls. Other areas where backcountry camping is prohibited include the clearings of Big Meadows and within 0.5 mile of Camp Rapidan. If you’re planning a hiking trip and/or a backcountry overnight trip to one of those areas, check the park’s website for precise maps of closed areas: nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/campbc_regs.htm.
5. Look for a legal, comfortable, and safe place to camp: one that protects the park as well as the solitude of other hikers and campers. A common strategy is to choose a preexisting campsite—that is, a site that was created and established by previous visitors and is not posted, signed, or officially designated by the park. Look for a preexisting site at least 20 yards from a trail or an unpaved fire road.
If you can’t locate a preexisting campsite, you may camp on a previously undisturbed area. Limit your stay to one night; camp well out of sight of trails, roads, and other camping groups; and practice Leave No Trace principles (see lnt.org for more information):
• Properly dispose of human waste.
• Limit maximum group size to 10 individuals.
• Pack out all trash and dispose of it properly.
Another backcountry option is a hut or cabin maintained by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) inside the park. Huts are three-sided structures located along the AT and are intended for use by hikers who are on the trail for three consecutive nights or more. Backcountry camping permits are required for camping in huts, and all Shenandoah backcountry camping regulations apply. Permits aren’t required for cabins, which must be reserved in advance with the PATC (call 703-242-0315, ext. 102, or visit patc.net for more information).
A fourth option for AT hikers is a designated campsite: a park-constructed site that provides overflow camping space near an occupied AT hut. Designated campsites are marked with a post bearing a tent symbol.
6. No camping may occur (a) within 10 yards of a stream or other natural water source; (b) within 50 yards of standing building ruins including stone foundations, chimneys, and log walls; (c) within 50 yards of another camping party or a NO CAMPING post or sign; (d) within 0.25 mile of a paved road, park boundary, or park facilities such as a campground, picnic area, visitor center, lodge, wayside, or restaurant; or (e) within 100 yards of a hut, cabin, or day-use shelter, except at designated campsites as described above.
7. Pets must be leashed at all times and are prohibited altogether on some hiking trails. Hikes where pets are not allowed are indicated throughout the book.
8. Campers may not exceed 2 consecutive nights in one location or 14 consecutive nights total in the backcountry.
Geography and Topography
The topography of Shenandoah results from the weathering of one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world—the Appalachians. Shenandoah National Park overlays a long stretch of the Blue Ridge, whose billion-year-old rocks rise above the forest. The main spine of the park stretches 70 miles from end to end, dividing the bucolic Shenandoah Valley from the Piedmont to the east. Elevations vary from 4,050 feet atop Hawksbill down to less than 550 feet near Front Royal. This vertical variation is one of the reasons for the incredible diversity of life found within its boundaries.
Shenandoah National Park forms the headwaters to many a stream flowing west and east from the north-to-south-oriented Blue Ridge. The South Fork Shenandoah River system absorbs all waterways spilling west from the park. The South Fork meets the North Fork Shenandoah River just north of the park, melding their waters and contributing them to the Potomac River, which in turn flows through the District of Columbia to the sea. The streams draining to the east are a little more complicated. Tributaries of the Rivanna River, including the Doyles and Moormans Rivers, flow from the mountains of the South District to meet the James River, which flows through Richmond to the sea. In the Central District, the Rapidan River and its tributaries from the South River to the Thornton River find their way to the Piedmont and the Rappahannock River, which flows through Fredericksburg before pushing into Chesapeake Bay. In the North District, smaller streams also course east into the headwaters of the Rappahannock and beyond.
The dominant landform is the high, continuous ridge extending north–south from one end of Shenandoah to the other: the Blue Ridge. In addition to dividing river drainages, it also forms the boundary for numerous Old Dominion counties. Often-rocky shoulder ridges, like ribs protruding from a backbone, extend from the Blue Ridge and separate steep, deeply wooded valleys carved out by eons of precipitation.
Flora
Shenandoah harbors plant species from throughout the Appalachian chain, from the hardwoods of the South to evergreens normally found in boreal climes, clinging to the highest points. Of course, the trees are the most visible piece of these complex ecosystems, gently overlapping and intermingling. Below the canopy rises more plant life. The Shenandoah you see today is the result of park protection, for much of this preserve was razed and used as pasture. There are few old-growth stands of trees; however, sporadic old-growth giants can be found along many trails. But the native ecosystems have reclaimed their rightful spots on the mountains. It’s not just the showy trees and wildflowers blooming throughout the warm season that get attention; Shenandoah also displays amazing arrays of humble yet biologically important plants from mosses to fungi.
This diverse plant mosaic blends and divides depending on elevation, precipitation, and exposure. The great oak forests of Shenandoah are a starting point: growing along the ridges and slopes of the mountains, red and chestnut oaks stand sturdy while producing fall mast for wildlife. Mountain laurel, dogwood, and scraggly pines often accompany the great oaks. In the park’s lower reaches grow Southern temperate woodlands, an agglomeration of hardwoods from sourwood to sassafras in drier areas. Cove hardwoods tower over lower reaches in hollows, dominated by tulip trees. Along the streams towering white pines, black birch, and mountain laurel provide shade. The hemlocks have been decimated by the hemlock woolly adelgid. Some stands and individual trees have been preserved, and we hope they will regenerate in the future.
On the higher ridges with cooler, moister conditions and the highest elevation watersheds, the vegetation morphs into northern hardwoods, such as yellow birch, beech, and cherry. Rise still