Shenandoah National Park guide · 2 min read
Walking Shenandoah's Stretch of the Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian Trail runs 2193 miles from Maine to Georgia through 14 states, making it the longest hiking trail anywhere.
Of that length, 101 miles lie within Shenandoah National Park, where the route runs close beside Skyline Drive. Hikers can tackle the full 101 miles or sample a few, mixing a stretch of the Appalachian Trail with other routes in the park.
The park has more than 500 miles of trails, and the markings make them easy to follow. Every hiking trail here carries blue blazes, paint marks on the trees, while the Appalachian Trail uses white blazes. Where a day hike and the Appalachian Trail overlap, both colors appear together on the same trees. At junctions, concrete posts topped with metal plates name the trails that meet there and show the distance onward.
Several hikes share their route with the Appalachian Trail, among them Stony Man, the Bearfence Mountain loop, and Marys Rock. Hawksbill Mountain can be walked as a circuit that links the Upper and Lower Hawksbill routes with a portion of the Appalachian Trail. Skyline Drive follows the park's ridgeline, and most trailheads sit right off it, so a drive can take you to where a walk begins.
The park's trail maps show recommended day hikes for different areas, and you can print them or save the accessible PDFs to a phone or tablet. Those maps cover short day trips only. For longer backcountry outings, a topographic map is the better tool, and you can buy one at a visitor center or online from the Shenandoah National Park Association or the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club.
Backpackers should be comfortable reading a topographic map, navigating with a map and compass, hanging a bear bag, and following Leave No Trace principles. A typical itinerary starts with a short first day of about one to four miles and then builds to six to eight miles daily.
