Northern Virginia Hiking Club (NVHC)

You must read the following NVHC Sign-in Sheet Statement/Liability Disclaimer, https://nvhc.com/signin.pdf and then answer the question that you will see when you RSVP with "I accept" to be permitted on the hike.

Join us for a unique experience of hiking the Appalachian Trail (AT)-hiking the trail Inn-To-Inn. The AT is a scenic backcountry footpath stretching approximately 2200 miles from Georgia to Maine. It is situated mostly away from civilization along some of the most magnificent mountains and ridges of the Appalachian Mountain chain. It is intentionally routed away from towns and passes less than a dozen towns. Shenandoah NP (SNP) offers the unique opportunity to continuously hike the AT over several days with using only a day pack due to the lodges/inns, camp stores, and/or restaurants near the AT. We will be hiking North to South through the central section of the SNP and will see some spectacular views on our hikes.

DETAILS: Trails are mostly natural and generally well marked, but can be challenging at parts w/ occasional strenuous climbs, rocky footings, and bouldering. This is backcountry hiking, thus access to medical care may be delayed. Pace will be 2.5-2.8mph (slower going uphill). Please make sure that you are able and comfortable to hike at this capacity and pace. If neither of the leader has hiked with you in the past, then you may be contacted by one of the leaders to inquire about your past hiking experiences. The hikes involve car shuttling between sites A and B. You should be comfortable driving, if needed, and carpooling. There is poor cell/wi-fi signal at the park. You may want to download maps for direction for offline use or print out your maps in advance.

Please Note: **Everyone will start on the Wait List until they have made a lodging reservation. Once the reservation is made, please write "Booked" in the Comments section. It is recommended that your lodging is cancellable.

ITINERARY(may be adjusted by leaders, if needed):

Day #1 (9/16/25): (A) Thornton Gap (Panorama upper parking lot) to (B) Skyland-meet at B (Skyland-outside, in front of Skyland Pollock restaurant) to shuttle, 9AM. 9.5mi., 2100ft. Pollock Dining Room at Skyland, 400 Skyland Upper Loop Mile 42, Luray, VA 22835
Lodging: Skyland.

Day #2 (9/17/25): (A) Skyland to (B) Big Meadows- meet at B (Big Meadows Lodge-outside, in front of hotel lobby) to shuttle, 8:30AM. 10.6mi, 2250ft.
Lodging: Big Meadows. Big Meadows Lodge | Skyline Dr Mile 51 | Shenandoah National Park, VA 22835 | 877-847-1919.

Day #3 (9/18/25): (A) Big Meadows to (B) Lewis Mt.-meet at B (Lewis Mt. Picnic area, 38.439228, -78.477003) to shuttle, 9AM. 9mi, 1250ft. Directions: Once you enter Lewis Mt. Picnic Area Rd, the road goes counterclockwise. Park at the last parking area where the picnic area and bathrooms are on the Left of the road and the AT will be on the Right.

LODGINGS: Lodge for Skyland and Big Meadows- https://www.goshenandoah.com/lodging/skyland. Limited rooms are available w/ a generous cancellation policy. Leaders will be staying at the lodges listed. You may choose to camp or use a different accommodation.
Big Meadows Campground: https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/big-meadows-campground.htm

BRING: sunscreen, hat, hiking shoes, electrolytes/water, snacks, tick repellent, appropriate clothing, hiking poles (if you use them), comfortable clothes for exercise, medicine (if you use any), personal first aid.

COSTS: National Park Pass or $30/car.

MEALS: Group dinners(opt.) at Skyland and Big Meadows restaurants. There are camp store, dining room, tap room, and box lunches available at Skyland and Big Meadows. Lewis Mt. only has a camp store.

CANCELLATION: Steady heavy rain or thunderstorms will cancel the hike(s).

You must read the following NVHC Sign-in Sheet Statement/Liability Disclaimer, https://nvhc.com/signin.pdf and then answer the question that you will see when you RSVP with "I accept" to be permitted on the hike.

This is a 9 mile out and back hike along the Appalachian Trail with a 1,700 foot elevation gain in the Shenandoa National Park. We'll go out about 4.5 miles to a neat viewpoint, have lunch/snack, and then return the way we came.

Speed: Our pace will vary about 2.5 mph. The trail is well maintained and not very rocky.

Hike map: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/virginia/mount-marshall-via-the-appalacian-trail?mobileMap=false&ref=sidebar-static-map

GPS Coordinates for trailhead: 38.80719, -78.18102

Entry to Shenandoa National Park costs $30.00 per car unless you have a park pass.

Leader: Dick Pregent 703-587-2359

Dogs are permitted on this hike in accordance with the NVHC Dog Policy. https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicy

For those wishing to carpool, the suggested carpool location is at the Centerville P&R. The driving time from there to the trailhead is about 1 hour. Please arrive at the Park and Ride a few minutes before 7:30 AM to form carpool so all cars can leave at 7:30 AM.

Hike leader will not be at the carpool location.

Please arrive at the trailhead 15 minutes before 9:00 AM so we can get everyone signed in. We will start hiking promptly at 9:00 AM.

Suggested carpool fee is $5.

PLEASE NOTE: Neither the Club nor the hike leaders are responsible for coordinating transportation to/from the trailhead. Hikers are not guaranteed to get a ride to the trailhead from the carpool location. Carpooling is organized by the participants and they participate at their own risk.

You must read the following NVHC Sign-in Sheet Statement/Liability Disclaimer, https://nvhc.com/signin.pdf and then answer the question that you will see when you RSVP with "I accept" to be permitted on the hike.

This is an enjoyable hike with beautiful lakes, shaded trails and even a snack/rest room break at a Starbucks. It is about an 8 mile hike with 423 feet of elevation gain around lakes and among the woodlands of Reston. We'll meet at the Walker Nature Center at 9:00 am and hike through the Glade Stream Valley and then along Lake Audubon and Lake Thoreau. The hike route is about 60% on paved paths with the remainder on dirt trails. Restrooms are available at the Walker Nature Center.

We hike at a pace of approximately 2.5 mph while moving. You must be experienced with hikes of this length and elevation gain.

Park on Glade Road so the Nature Center parking lot can be kept open for the Center's pre-school activities and drop-offs.

Dogs are welcome on this hike in accordance with the NVHC Dog Policy. https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicyhttps://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolic

Leader: Steve Frith cell 703-629-0174

Park Entry Fee: $0.00

Map for hike:

Lake Audubon-SteveF.jpg - Google Drive

You must read the following NVHC Sign-in Sheet Statement/Liability Disclaimer, https://nvhc.com/signin.pdf and then answer the question that you will see when you RSVP with "I accept" to be permitted on the hike.

This is a 7.5 mile point-to-point hike with about 2,000' of elevation gain along a portion of the Appalachian Trail's infamous "Roller Coaster," starting from where the AT crosses Morgan's Mill Rd (more on that later) and heading north to the Bear's Den Overlook. We will then cross the road to Bear's Chase Brewery to claim our reward for a lot of sweaty hill climbs.

Because this is a point-to-point hike, we will meet at 8:50 am (please be prompt) at Bear's Chase Brewery (33665 Bear Chase Ln, Bluemont, VA 20135), and park most of the cars in the far reaches of their parking lot (further from the Brewery itself). We will then pack into as few of vehicles as possible, and depart by 9:00 am to drive 4.5 miles south on Rt 601 (Blue Ridge Mtn Rd) and then as we get to Mount Weather, we will turn right on Morgan's Mill Rd, and go another 1.5 miles to our trailhead (39.07237,-77.91218).

From the trailhead we will reach Hollow Brook Falls at .7 miles, and a viewpoint at Buzzard's Hill at 1.7 miles. From there our next stop will be the Sam Moore Shelter at mile 3.5 and Bear's Den around mile 7. Don't let the distance fool you, this is called the roller coaster for a reason, so we will earn our beer, so this hike has a DIFFICULTY RATING of B (and it is a high B7. There are NO port-a-johns at the trailhead, and the first privy is at Sam Moore Shelter.

Bring plenty of water. I hike at a 2.5 MPH pace on the flats (slower uphill), and stop at all trail crossings and photo points. I hope to make the brewery by 1pm, so bring a snack if you would like, but they have a good menu at Bear's Chase. We will stay for a beer or two, and then shuttle driver's back to the cars that are at the trailhead.

Dogs are permitted on this hike in accordance with the NVHC Dog Policy. https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicy. The Brewery itself is also dog friendly.

Leader: Dale Johnson (540-454-5592 (off during business hours))

I will close RSVP's at 9pm on Wednesday the 17th (so you won't get promoted to the hike while you sleep), so if you need to make a change after that just message that so we are not waiting for you.