Continuing our fourth day of "slack packing" on the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (AT) in Shenandoah National Park we hiked 2.9 miles from the Riprap trailhead to Blackrock Gap. This gave us a total for the day of 5.6 miles on the AT and 0.1 miles of the Wildcat Ridge Trail to reach the AT. We hiked the well-maintained trail in mid-April 2016.
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| Topographic map with GPS route |
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| Elevation profile |
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| The segment begins with an ascent of an unnamed hill |
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| The trail is wide enough to meet oncoming hikers without stepping off the trail |
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| The grade flattens out as we approach the summit |
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| Riprap Trail junction near the summit |
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| The Riprap Trail disappears over the ridge |
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| The AT reverts to a footpath |
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| The trail meanders through forest and thicket |
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| Straight path on the ridge |
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| Early spring view |
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| Open forest with little brush |
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| Plenty of sunlight reaches the forest floor |
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| The trail crosses to the east side of Skyline Drive |
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| After crossing the road, the trail climbs another hill |
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| The rootball is still attached to this blown down tree |
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| Continuing to climb in relatively open forest |
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| For once, the descent begins without reaching the summit |
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| Low clearance |
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| Continuing the descent |
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| Wide gap at the head of Tobacco House Hollow |
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| Skyline Drive on the left as the trail climbs yet another hill |
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| A few pine trees provide some shade along the trail |
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| Several downed trees on the hilltop |
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| Rock outcrop beside the trail |
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| More downed trees |
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| Natural riprap |
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| Moss and mountain laurel |
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| Another pine forest |
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| The trail parallels Skyline Drive |
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| The AT does not cross Skyline Drive at Blackrock Gap |
A Shenandoah National Park entry fee of $20 per vehicle, $15 per motorcycle or $10 per person is valid for seven consecutive days. Other fee payment options include the America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes including the Annual Pass ($80), Senior Pass ($10 for lifetime), Access Pass (free with documented disability) and Military Annual Pass (free for active duty personnel).
The Shenandoah National Park website is https://www.nps.gov/shen/index.htm.
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail website is https://www.nps.gov/appa/index.htm.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy website is http://www.appalachiantrail.org/.
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