As we start hiking it becomes clear this trail is slowly turning more and more adventurous.

September 8–10, 2023

I fly into Washington Dulles International Airport just before noon and meet my brother at the curb. He picks me up and we drive a little over an hour to Front Royal Entrance Station, the start of our Shenandoah adventure. It’s early September and we hope to hit the fall color right on time, but these things are always ambiguous.

Cruising down Skyline Drive towards Big Meadows Campground we stop at one of the many overlooks hoping to catch a view, but with storm clouds rolling in, we are rushed onward to set up camp. Pulling in to Big Meadows Campground, I notice fox at the entrance scavenging food from underneath picnic tables. Conscious of the coming rain, we stop for only a few short minutes to capture the rascal.

After setting up camp, we drive further on down Skyline Drive to scope out trailheads for tomorrow. Returning back to camp, we settle down and wait out the rain. Eventually, around 11 p.m. the weather clears and a host of stars pop out overhead. We walk around Big Meadows enjoying the stars before turning in for the night.

The next morning, we wake up early and drive back up north about 4 miles to Upper Hawksbill Parking. It’s dark when we set out on the short 1.5-mile trail to Hawksbill, the highest point in the park, but not for long. As we hike higher and higher, the light grows brighter and brighter, adding some urgency to our pace. Soon we no longer need our headlamps. Only a couple hundred yards and we pop out onto some stony cliffs overlooking the entire Blue Ridge spine north and south.

Almost immediately, the sun breaks the horizon. Shrouded in a thin low-lying veil of cloud, it glows orange on the horizon. We made it in time! As the sun climbs higher, it awakens more and more of the land around us. The treetops illuminate in the golden hour light. After frantically photographing the changing light, we settle down to enjoy the view as more hikers join us up top.

Back at the car, we decide to try our luck at Old Rag Mountain, one of Shenandoah’s most iconic hikes. Because it is so popular, a permit system was established to control the amount of foot traffic on the precarious ledges and boulder scrambles. So at Big Meadows Visitor Center, we log in to Recreation.gov and purchase two Old Rag day-use tickets.

Because the parking lot for the trailhead is outside the park, we must drive an hour out and around to access the trail. Upon parking we show the ranger our permits and start the ascent up Old Rag. We really don’t know what we are in for. All we know is this hike comes highly recommended with excellent views up top.

As we start hiking it becomes clear this trail is slowly turning more and more adventurous. At first it is just a rock-hewn staircase. Then we round a corner to a ledge overlooking the valley below. Then the trail ducks under wedged boulders and winds through tight gaps in granite slabs. Happily, it turns out this trail is much more adventurous than either of us expected. After a couple hours of this boulder scrambling, we poke up above the forest canopy. Puffy white clouds sail joyfully overhead and carpets of green forest sprawl out below. We have made it to the summit of Old Rag.

Big round heaping boulder lie strewn about. We hop from one to another to find the best vantage point before pulling out our sack lunches. Resting up top for a little while, we soak in our surroundings. Clouds shadows slink across the topography in the afternoon breeze. The sun is warm and bright. We are grateful for a clear day considering yesterday was rainy and overcast.

Moving on, we continue the circuit and descend the backside of the mountain along some old service roads back to our car, totally just under 10 miles. It was a long strenuous hike, but one we wont easily forget. As evening draws near, we grab dinner and find a new overlook along Skyline Drive to watch sunset—a perfect way to end the day.

The next morning is our last morning in the park, so we rise early once again in hopes of a spectacular sunrise. Our destination is Stony Man, a short quick hike to another rocky outcropping overlooking the valleys below. Again the sky is dark when start and bright when we arrive. Unfortunately, the day is overcast and the layer of cloud obstructs the sunrise. Not too impressed with Stony Man, we hike back to our car to tear down camp and pack up.

After packing up, we still have several hours before we need to leave for the airport so we decide to scope out one of the various waterfalls in the area. Dark Hollow Falls is close by so it’s an easy decision. The falls are 0.75 miles down from the parking lot. During this time of year in early September, the water is only a weak trickle, not rushing like earlier in the spring and summer. But it is enough for us to enjoy. Knowing this is our last taste of the park before heading home, we linger until the last minute enjoying the warm autumn forest. We didn’t explore much beyond the attractions around Big Meadows, but it gave us plenty to explore in the time we had.