Very Strenuous SNP Hike!

Brown Mountain - Rocky Mountain Run - Larait Trail Loop!

So, C'mon! Get out of bed and onto the trail... Steve CHALLENGES you to get out of bed, get your rear in gear, and come out for a hike! Rich in human history and wildlife, Shenandoah is truly one of the jewels of the East. Located in northern Virginia, it's is an easy drive from the Washington, D.C., metro area and you can ride along in a carpool to pass the road time quickly. This is a VERY strenuous circuit with approximately 2950 feet of elevation gain and is for experienced hikers only.

Pre-Approval Required For This Hike

This particular hike requires pre-approval from the hike leader unless you have earned the title " Pre-Approved for Very Strenuous Hikes" which would display beneath your name. Otherwise, please contact the hike leader at the number at the bottom of this listing so you can make an informed decision together. Thank you for your understanding and this is for everyone's safety and enjoyment and only applies to our most strenuous of hikes. Volky, a frequent hiker with our group had this to say after hiking this trail with us "This was a great hike but definitely not for the faint of heart. The last two miles are very challenging."

Hike Description

Rich in human history and wildlife, Shenandoah is truly one of the jewels of the East. Located in northern Virginia, it's is an easy drive from the Washington, D.C., metro area

This is a loop hike across two mountain peaks, dropping down to cross the park's largest stream. It will offer extraordinary views and provide glimpses into the park's geological past. Along Brown Mountain, sandstone is embedded with 600-million-year-old fossil worm holes. Below Brown Mountain, fire engulfed the are in 1986, and today's hiker have the opportunity to observe firsthand just how quickly nature can regenerate herself. Carry plenty of water for this hike and we can take dips in the many streams we will be passing as well as crossing to cool off if hiking this in the summer!

Note: Since this area is one of the most berry covered areas and bears just love their berries (great snack for us too along the trail and we have nicknamed the blueberry hike), black bear sightings are very frequent so if you are uncomfortable around bears, this is not a hike for you but many of us enjoy seeing them and are so happy they are finally recovering from almost being completely gone from our region. Beth, a frequent hiker with our group had this to say "The hike was strenuous but worth it! We saw 3 bears, 2 cubs (missed a photo of one of them climbing a tree), 2 deer and 2 baby deer. A beautiful day for the hike with a great group of people!"

Trail Information

Activity Type: Hiking
Nearby City: Simmons Gap (Hike is at Skyline Mile: 76.9)
Length: 10.1 total miles
Trail Type: Loop
Time to Hike: 5-6 Hours Depending on length of lunch and pic breaks! It's up to the group...
Trail Traffic: Light
Skill Level: VERY Strenuous
Season: Best spring through fall but also very crisp and unobstructed views in winter with bare trees
Trailhead Elev: 2475 feet
Top Elev: 2950 feet
Local Contacts: Shenandoah National Park

Weather Information
We hike rain snow, or shine! Click here for the forecast for the trail area we will be hiking!

Gear Information
Here are some suggestions for what to wear and what not to wear for our hikes.

Carpool Information

There are 2 carpools for this hike!
Baltimore Area Carpool
To carpool or caravan with the hike leader from the Baltimore metro area, meet at Savage Station. Click here for directions to Savage Station .

DC Area Carpool
To carpool or caravan from the metro DC area, meetup at the Centerville Park and Ride. Click here for information and directions to the Centerville location.

If you can drive or want to carpool from additional locations, please post your location in the comment section below. For those who need a ride, reach out to the drivers. Make friends, and support the environment - by just offering a ride!

Directions to the Trailhead

Click here for directions to where we meet for this hike!

Hike is at 9:00 a.m.

Carpool meetup time for Savage Station is 6:00 a.m.

Carpool meetup time for Centerville is 6:45 a.m.

Park Entry Fee:

The entry fee for Skyline Drive for all vehicles is $15 for a single car although many of our member have passes so use the comment area to make arrangements.

Fido is welcome on this Hike Only with hike leader approval due to difficulty of trail!

Please note that our holiday weekend hikes are not refundable due to too many people backing out of the at the last minute before the refund cut-off and keeping others from being able to go. Sorry, but this is the only way to help make sure that there is a good turnout and our leaders not offer to lead a hike on their holiday in vain...or they will be burned enough that they will no longer offer. Since we have made holiday hikes non-refundable it has boosted attendance rate significantly and often have perfect attendance, yay! Please note that our refund policy is always listed just beneath the price, and you are required to check a box that you agree to it before you can pay, so I put it in three places to avoid any issues. Thanks so much for your understanding and have a great time.

Let's have good times and see you on the trail!

Steve: [masked]