AT - The Shenandoahs. 106 mi, 9 days. Advanced.

Weather pending, please come along for a 9 day, 105 mile backpack along the Appalachian Trail. This hike involves a shuttle, which I will hire. Shuttle costs will be split between the amount of people that confirm they are going.

SHUTTLE: We will meet at the north end of Shenandoah National Park and shuttle to the south end. I will hire a shuttle from Virginia 4-H center parking lot, AT Mile Marker 970.1 to Rockfish Gap, AT Mile Marker 864.4. The cost will be dependent on how many people confirm attendance. The shuttle is approximately 2 hours so its good we are doing a shorter day 1.

PERMIT: You will need to obtain a permit from SNP at https://www.recreation.gov/permits/4675336/registration/detailed-availability?date=2026-10-24. We can book 3 months in advance. In addition to a permit, you will need to get an entrance pass.

ENTRANCE PASSES: You will need to get an entrance passes in addition to your permit.

Passes only last 7 days, so you will need TWO passes.
1 Person without a vehicle = $15.00 per pass for a total of $30.00
1 Person with vehicle = $30.00 per pass for a total of $60.00 (not recommended).
1 Person with vehicle annual pass = $55.00

WHERE: Meet at GPS 38.860700, -78.168500. Virginia 4-H center parking lot. Its a 6 hour drive from Asheville. AT Mile Marker 970.1.

DIFFICULTY: For people that don't backpack a lot, this is a strenuous hike. You should be at least an intermediate level backpacker that is comfortable hiking 10-15 miles a day and over 2-3k ft of elevation. Unless there are severe storms, we will hike rain or shine, cold or hot weather so be prepared for all weather types.

ITINERARY:

See below itinerary. When getting your permit, you must choose the thru-hike option or "AT starting / ending at boundary" and then book from the 24th of Oct to the 1st of Nov.

Start Day 1 - Rockfish Gap
Night 1 (24th) - 7.7 Miles to Calf Mountain Shelter
Night 2 (25th) - 13 Miles to Blackrock Hut
Night 3 (26th) - 13.3 Miles to Pinefield Hut
Night 4 (27th) - 8.1 Miles to Hightop Hut
Night 5 (28th) - 12.4 Miles to Bearfence Hut. (Resupply day).
Night 6 (29th) - 15.9 Miles to Skyland Resort.
Night 7 (30th) - 10.9 Miles to Pass Mountain Hut.
Night 8 (31st) - 13.1 Miles to Gravel Springs Hut.
End Day 9 (Nov 1st) - 11.1 Miles to 4-H School Parking.

SKYLAND LODGE: We will be staying at the Skyland Resort on the 29th of October. If you are serious about coming, you should book your room now. Rooms are about 172 a night right now. After 6 days on the trail, it will be nice to grab a hot shower, a nice meal, enjoy the panoramic views of the resort, and relax a little. Please check back closer to the date of our backpack for the full itinerary. I'll be planning this over the next few months. We can have a zoom meeting to discuss the trip as well.

PACE: This backpack is at a 1.5 to 2.5 pace, but mostly toward 2.0 mph. Please be aware of your abilities and level of physical fitness. We will stop in certain spots and wait for everyone to catch up; however, we cannot wait forever. It is important that you are familiar with navigation apps, can handle yourself if you get separated from the group, and are able to make it to camp each night on your own.

WAITLISTERS: Please keep an eye on your RSVP status even on the day of. It may change to "going" within an hour of the hike with the way people drop in and out. If you show up to my backpacks and you are on the wait list, you will not be allowed back.

NO-SHOWS: A no-show with no notice prior to the hike or without changing your RSVP will make sure you end up on a wait list for future hikes.