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Appalachian Trail: Shenandoah National Park

Appalachian National Scenic Trail through Shenandoah National Park (Rockfish Gap to Front Royal)

The Appalachian Trail runs the length of Shenandoah National Park, staying close to Skyline Drive from Rockfish Gap in the south to Front Royal in the north. The ATC calls it “approximately 100 miles of well-maintained Trail” with climbs “rarely exceeding 500 or 1,000 feet,” and says that makes it “great for beginners.”

Long-distance hikers can use the park’s AT huts, and the Drive’s waysides and campgrounds make resupply easy.

The hike

SectionHiker’s Philip Werner walked northbound from Rockfish Gap to US 522 outside Front Royal in early April 2015, about 110 miles over eight days. His nights give a sense of the hut chain: Calf Mountain on the first night, then the huts snp.guide lists as Blackrock, Hightop, Bearfence Mountain, Rock Spring, Pass Mountain, and Gravel Springs. Pinefield Hut sits between Blackrock and Hightop. Werner found the huts spaced either 11 to 13 or 24 to 26 miles apart, forcing a choice between short and very long days, and liked Pass Mountain best.

The south end passes the Riprap and Big Run country of the South District, where the Bear Den Mountain Fire briefly closed the AT from Rockfish Gap to Turk Gap in November 2025; the ATC reported it reopened November 19. Farther north, the trail crosses the Central District past Lewis Mountain and Big Meadows, then the North District past Elkwallow toward Front Royal.

Werner described the tread as rolling and rocky, less easy than he had heard, and found the scenery repetitive: “Monotonous is an understatement.” He topped off food at the Lewis Mountain Campground store and picked up supplies at the Elkwallow Wayside. In 2026, the park lists Loft Mountain and Elkwallow waysides open into early November and Big Meadows into late November. He saw no bears but used the hang poles at the huts. He also advised avoiding huts on weekends, when day visitors and partiers arrive from nearby roads.

The NPS’s trip-planning page suggests avoiding camping on the AT from May through June and in September to limit impact.

Side loops along the way include Riprap and Wildcat Ridge, Rockytop and Big Run, Hazel Mountain and White Rocks, and Neighbor Mountain and Jeremys Run. North of Front Royal, the trail continues on the Roller Coaster to Harpers Ferry.

Tips

Camping

A backcountry permit is required for every night, bought through Recreation.gov up to 90 days ahead (or by phone); carry a printed or digital copy. The park’s 2026 compendium caps groups at 10, limits camping to two consecutive nights at one location and 14 consecutive nights, and bans camping within a quarter mile of Skyline Drive, campgrounds and other developed areas, or the park boundary; within 10 yards of water; within 20 yards of a trail; and within 100 yards of a hut unless you’re in its designated campsite. The ATC says huts are for long-distance hikers spending at least three consecutive nights in the park, and that tenting at huts is allowed in designated campsites. Camping at or near day-use shelters is prohibited. Fires are allowed only in the fireplaces at huts and shelters. Hang food 12 feet up or use a bear-resistant container; the ATC recommends a hard-sided canister.

Inside Intel: Werner named Pass Mountain Hut his favorite of the trip, and a 2026 reader comment on his report says Pass Mountain was the exception to the poor tent sites, with a better place to pitch.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

A hundred miles between waysides:

Shenandoah's waysides close by November, so plan dinners you can carry from hut to hut along the Drive. See the trail meals testers rate.

See the picks →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.