Thursday, September 17, 2020

Simmons Gap to Powell Gap - Appalachian Trail - Shenandoah National Park


We continued our early May 2019 hiking on the Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah National Park with a 3.3-mile segment from Simmons Gap north to Powell Gap in the southern district of the park. At Simmons Gap, a small gravel parking area is available on the west side of Skyline Drive. While no designated parking area is available at Powell Gap, parallel parking well off of Skyline Drive on the grass has been tolerated by park rangers in the past.

Heading north from Simmons Gap, the AT climbs from an elevation of 2253 feet to 3025 feet at the summit of an unnamed hill in 1.5 miles with an average grade of over 9½%. The 1.8-mile descent to Powell Gap at 2294 feet yields an average descending grade of 7½%.

Topographic map with GPS route

Elevation profile

Fire road and parking area on the west side of Skyline Drive

Northbound trailhead across Skyline Drive

Typical trail marker in Shenandoah National Park

Storm damage creates a clearing

Step over a fallen tree

More storm damage

More typical trail conditions

Green tunnel

Ephemeral stream

Older storm damage

First sweeping switchback

Heading west and climbing

Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea)

Detour around the tree

Still climbing

Meandering through the woods

Flattening out

Resuming the climb

Nearing the summit

Unofficial camping or picnicking spot at the summit

Beginning the descent

Moving through a substantial understory...

...to an open forest floor

Wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa)

More storm damage

899 miles from Springer Mountain, Georgia

Approaching the top of a bluff

View from the bluff

Bacon Hollow Overlook from the bluff

Passing through a rhododendron thicket

Steep sidehill descent

Sweeping switchback

More sidehill descent

Open meadow at Powell Gap with a car parked parallel to Skyline Drive

The AT continues north across Skyline Drive

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/.

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