Corbin Cabin Cutoff to Pinnacle Picnic Grounds (South) - Appalachian Trail - Shenandoah National Park

We continued our mid-October 2020 trip to Shenandoah National Park with another short hike on the Appalachian Trail. We started hiking at the very small Corbin Cabin Cutoff parking area and hiked 0.9 miles north to the south end of the Pinnacle Picnic Grounds.

From the Corbin Cabin Cutoff parking area, also known as the Nicholson Hollow trailhead, a 180-foot access trail leads to the AT on the west side of Skyline Drive. At the AT, we turned right to continue our northward trek. The AT climbs 180 feet in just 0.35 miles for an average grade of just less than 10%. The trail descends 30 feet over the next 0.2 miles, an average descending grade of less than 3%. The next ¼ mile yields an average grade of well over 11% as the trail climbs 155 feet before leveling out for the final 250-foot distance. The only scenic vista along the route is the view created by clearing vegetation away from a powerline that crosses the trail about halfway along the path. At Pinnacle Picnic Grounds, the AT enters the picnic area passing between a vault toilet and the picnic tables. The picnic grounds are so large that the trail does wander back into the woods before emerging near the north end of the picnic grounds, but that's a story for another post.

Topographic map with GPS route

Elevation profile

Access trail kiosk

Appalachian Trail junction

Climbing

Still climbing

Rock outcrop marks the trail switchback

Continuing the climb

Not typical, but not uncommon trail conditions

Another of Shenandoah's massive boulders

Abandoned water line

View from under the powerline

Flat to slightly descending trail

Still enjoying the open, level conditions

"No camping beyond this point"

The trail narrows to a single track path...

...before widening out again

Double blaze on the left and sign mark the end of wilderness at Pinnacle Picnic Grounds

Trailside vault toilet

In case you wondered about this path

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 https://www.appalachiantrail.org/.