Manassas Gap via AT 5 Mi 1055 Ft Moderate Hike

Join me on this moderate to moderately strenuous hike that ventures into the G.R. Thompson Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Linden, VA. We will hike on the Appalachian Trail and turn around after a break at the Manassas Gap Shelter. With a steady climb at the beginning of the hike, we'll get a good workout with over 1,000 feet of elevation gain in the first two miles. No WMA access permit is needed because we don't leave the AT. We typically hike about 2 mph. However, we leave no one behind and will move at a pace that is comfortable for all.

NOTE: I will be carrying a bag to gather any litter near the shelter and its access trail, which I maintain. Join me if you wish. If there is hiker interest, I can demonstate how to hang a food bag on the shelter’s bear pole and/or answer questions about trail maintenance.

Wear BLAZE ORANGE for hunting season.

Hike Route: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/virginia/manassas-gap

Group Size: 20 hikers

Time to Meet: Please meet 15-20 minutes before the hike start for introductions and liability waiver sign in.

Meeting Location/Parking: The AT trailhead and parking area is located on VA725/Tucker Lane in Linden, VA. GPS: 38.91146, -78.05289

Facilities: No restroom is available at the trailhead; however, the Manassas Gap Shelter has an outdoor privy.

Admission: Free

Contact Information: Please use the comments feature if you have questions. The hike leader is Lisa Peterson.

Cancellation: If the hike needs to be cancelled, hikers will be notified through comments on this posting. Please check Meetup for updates before leaving home.

What to Bring: Water at least two liters, emergency contact information, personal first aid kit and medications, snacks/meal, sunscreen/protection from weather, insect repellant, trekking poles if you use them (highly recommended for water crossings), sturdy hiking footwear.

Please leave pets at home. Thanks!

Notes:

• RSVP to register for this hike. If your plans change, update your RSVP.
• To find out more about PATC, click here.
• Consider becoming a member of PATC. To join, click here.

Attendance is limited at the discretion of our hike leaders. PATC rules do not permit children under 18 years to participate in a hike without a parent or guardian present.

History of Manassas Gap Shelter: Constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps around 1933, just north of Linden, Virginia. Like many shelters along the Trail, the Manassas Gap Shelter resided on private land for many decades. Built from chestnut logs, the shelter is a simple lean-to with three walls. Until the 1980s, there were also bunks across the back of the structure, but these were removed in the 1980s during a restoration of the shelter brought on by a severe infestation of mice and field rats. A spring is just downslope from the shelter.