It is this transition that makes the high cliffs—and thus the vertical drop of the falls—possible. Saturday morning, three good friends and I head out from Charlottesville at 8. Traci Moyer. It probably isn’t necessary for a quick day-hike, but it certainly comes in handy when doing overnight backpacking trips. After enjoying the views from Lewis Peak, we will retrace our hike back to the Brown's Gap Parking Area. The Big Run area is as wild as it looked on Heatwole's map. We did this trail as a 3.5+ mile loop from the Big Meadows lodge. The leaves were near peak and the temperatures were perfect on a cool and sunny day. There are buses that take us back to the starting point after the hike. The mountains in the foreground perfectly framed the distinct peak of Massanutten. Changes to trail- Nethers. Turn left onto Lewis Peak Trail and hike up to 2.4 miles. Shenandoah National Park, VA-- August 2007 « PREV NEXT » Bob Sihler. An incomplete guide to hiking Utah, Colorado, Virginia, and beyond, Millers Head Trail (Shenandoah National Park, VA), Lewis Falls Trail Loop (Shenandoah National Park, VA), Millers Head Trail (Shenandoah National Park, VA) | Live and Let Hike, Top 10 Hikes in Capitol Reef National Park's "Frontcountry", Steep Ravine - Matt Davis Trail Loop (Mount Tamalpais State Park, CA), White Rock Canyon - Arizona Hot Spring Canyon Trail Loop (Lake Mead National Recreation Area, AZ), Condor Gulch - High Peaks Trail Loop (Pinnacles National Park, CA), Falls Trail Loop (Mount Diablo State Park, CA), Follow Live and Let Hike on WordPress.com, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Dinosaur Hill Trail (McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area, CO), Otto’s Trail (Colorado National Monument, CO), Browns Creek Falls (San Isabel National Forest, CO). The one-mile stretch along the AT begins as a gradual and generally unassuming ascent through endless stands of trees. The Upper Hawksbill trail is a mile south of the other 2 hikes. 601 Foot Fair access; parking for 2 cars along roadside. A great view from the Lewis Peak summit. There is relatively limited parking at the site, but it should not be overly crowded. This time take a right at the cement post, beginning a section of steep climbing. You can't see the falls from here. As the eye follows Massanutten north, the mountain splits into two ridges, with Fort Valley in between. The Southern Skyline Trail is a rewarding but long hill climb. ( Log Out /  Find a place to camp in this remote, seldom-visited portion of Shenandoah's designated wilderness. While driving on Skyline Drive is a perennial favorite, getting out of the car and off the beaten path is recommended. Consider hiking Duncan Knob on Massanutten for those classic Shenandoah Valley views instead. The trail continues a little further to a viewing platform to see the falls. View High-Resolution Image. An easy hike with two viewpoints. The descent to the viewpoint can be steep and slippery, making the guardrail a nice addition. The park is long and narrow, with the Shenandoah River and its broad valley to the west, and the rolling hills of the Virginia Piedmont to the east. Shenandoah naming is awful: besides having adjacent mountains named "Lewis Mountain" and "Lewis Peak," there is another "Lewis Mountain" in the park, just south of the Big Meadows/Bearfence area. I had done a good deal of prior reading on it on Summitpost (. We will summit Lewis Peak, which offers a nearly 360 degree view of the surrounding mountains and valleys. Or opt to hike 1 longer trail for a full day outing. At ¼ mile, a rocky perch on the right offers a limited vista; another stony outcrop minutes later also provides a similar view. Lewis peak will constantly be in site until you veer away from the drainage and climb via some short switchbacks and travel along the northern slope of the previously un-named peak. To the left of the small outdoor amphitheater, look for a sign marking the way to the Lewis Falls and Appalachian Trails. See the big field in the middle of the photo in the valley? From here it is a gradual uphill along the AT back to the original pair of trail junctions. LURAY — After almost two weeks of closure, a section of the Appalachian Trail closed by the Rocky Mount Fire has reopened officials say. Fox Hollow Trail Milepost 4.6 1.2 miles. Greenstone cliffs along the Lewis Falls Trail. Check out the blog's Instagram to see more and get trip ideas. By now the incline drops in fits and starts, with occasional steep sections. At a clearing near the intersection with the Lewis Peak Trail… GPS Coordinates. At a clearing near the intersection with the Lewis Peak Trail, there was an interesting view of the huge rock fold on Rocky Mountain, across the valley. Like the photography? Pingback: Millers Head Trail (Shenandoah National Park, VA) | Live and Let Hike. Turn left onto Rockytop Trail and hike 3.5 miles. Trails are listed by location within the county. Turn left onto Rockytop Trail … How much water is flowing over it depends on the time of year and amount of recent rainfall, but it's a nice hike to do at any time. Lewis Falls Trail . Since beginning to hike regularly in Shenandoah, I've passed by the Big Run area often, but I had yet to truly hike in it. The Skyline Drive and Appalachian Trail run the entire length of this narrow park, along with more than 500 miles (800 km) of hiking trails passing scenic overlooks and cataracts of the Shenandoah River. The trail to the top is part of the Great Western Trail(GWT), and also is known as the Skyline Trail. Compton Peak This loop hike has an 835-foot elevation change hike to a lovely view. (2.4 mile, Easy to Moderate) Milepost 21 Day Four Campsite: Big Run Portal/Loop Trails - backcountry 6 to 8 miles Hike back up Lewis Peak Trail, 2.4 miles. NORTH AT/TOM FLOYD Rt. This was an easy hike to pick up some fragments of the AT between Bearfence Hut and Pocosin Cabin. The parking area for the Hightop Mountain hike is one mile south of the Swift Run Gap entrance on Skyline Drive. Visit the old Fox Farm, rich with pioneer vestiges. The northern view takes in Massanutten, Lewis Peak itself, Rockytop, and there is a good view of the multiple rocky protrusions on Brown and Rocky Mountains. Latitude, Longitude: 38.2829069°, -78.7325226° Elevation The first half mile or so followed the Appalachian Trail to a small summit on the Blue Ridge crest; from there, the Big Run Loop Trail leads left and descends half a mile to the Rockytop Trail; following that for 2.5 miles led to the Lewis Peak Trail, which led for the final 1 mile to the summit of Lewis Peak. It starts at Pineview Reservoir in Ogden Canyon and climbs over 3100 feet to the ridgeline looking west over Ogden. It contains over 500 miles of hiking trails, jaw-dropping views over the Shenandoah Valley, and spectacular waterfalls.It’s only 90 minutes from Washington, DC but contains the best day hikes near DC and the best hikes in Virginia. Find a place to camp in this remote, seldom-visited portion of Shenandoah's designated wilderness area. A Shenandoah National Park annual pass and other long-term passes may be purchased at the Park or by mail. 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