Ivy Creek Overlook to Pinefield Gap - Appalachian Trail - Shenandoah National Park

In early May 2019, we spent some more time hiking short segments of the Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah National Park. Arriving in the park in the early evening, we had time to hike 1.8 miles north from where we had left off on our previous visit over three years earlier. Leaving one vehicle at a small paved pullout on Skyline Drive about 250 feet compass north (Skyline Drive south) of where the AT crosses Skyline Drive at Pinefield Gap, we drove the other vehicle 2.4 miles south to the Ivy Creek Overlook.

Just five hundred feet up the trail, we got a large, unwelcomed surprise as a black bear popped up from behind a downed log. Standing on its hind legs, it stared at us for what seemed to be forever but was actually only a few seconds before dropping back down to continue its meal and moving on. I must say the image stabilization feature of my Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7 got a severe workout as I struggled to hold it steady with a shaking hand. My can of bear spray was already in my other hand. Due to the thick foliage, our only options were to continue on our way, return the way we came, or wait to see if the bear ignored us and resumed its normal activity. Since it quickly dropped down and continued foraging, we chose option three and remained standing on the trail until the bear wandered off. As you may imagine, my head was on a swivel for the rest of the hike. Near the end of the hike, a deer blocked our route near the Pinefield Hut access road. It stood stock-still on the trail facing away from us for at least ten seconds before it resumed grazing.

In the first ½-mile, the trail climbs from the 2885 foot elevation of the Ivy Creek Overlook to the 3065-foot summit of an unnamed hill. This yields a grade of nearly 7%. The next 1.1 miles is a steep descent of 10% to the Pinefield Hut access road at 2470 feet. The final 0.2 miles climbs another 60 feet at a 5½% grade.

Topographic map with GPS route

Elevation profile

View east from the Ivy Creek Overlook

Northbound AT leaving the overlook

Open forest along a ridgeline

The undergrowth is thicker and something is behind that log

A black bear (Ursus americanus) taken with a 200mm equivalent telephoto lens

Do I really want to enter this thicket with a bear nearby?

Better visibility

Ferns growing along the "Green Tunnel"

More of the "Green Tunnel"

Rhododendron blossoms

Typical trail conditions

A bit more open space

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on the trail near the Pinefield Hut trail junction

Skyline Drive to the left, Pinefield Hut to the right, and the AT straight ahead

Back into a thicket

Finally some open forest

AT crossing Skyline Drive at Pinefield Gap

End of the evening's hike

A Shenandoah National Park entry fee of $30 per vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, or $15 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 ($80 for a lifetime), Access Pass (free with a documented disability), and Military Annual Pass (free for active-duty personnel). Also available is a Shenandoah Annual Pass for $55.

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/.