Appalachian Trail #10 (Rockfish Gap to Loft Mountain Campground)

Shenandoah National Park has a trail system that covers over 500 miles, including 101 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Skyline Drive, a 105-mile road winds near the AT along the crest of the mountains throughout the length of the park. It provides numerous vistas of the spectacular landscape to east and west.  Many animals, including deer, black bears, and wild turkeys, flourish among the oak-hickory forests, and it’s not uncommon to see wildlife on the trail or near the campgrounds. You might also notice the apple trees, stone foundations, and cemeteries which were left here by families who lived along the Shenandoah long before it was designated a National Park in 1926.

At Rockfish Gap, the Appalachian Trail enters the Shenandoah National Park and it has gentle grades with relatively low elevations (especially when compared to the southwestern areas of the state). There are lots of services in the park including campground facilities and restaurants. Loft Mountain, the largest campground in the park, include 219 sites and it sits atop Big Flat Mountain with outstanding views to the east and west. Nearby are two waterfalls and some trails that head into the Big Run Wilderness area.