By mid-afternoon the fog had lifted, so we headed for Crescent Rock Overlook to continue our northward trek on the Appalachian Trail through Shenandoah National Park. While it had only been a couple of weeks since our previous visit, the fall leaf season was in full swing by mid-October 2020.
Between access trails, this segment of the AT is approximately 0.9 miles and has a net descent of about 125 feet. The first 0.4 miles is fairly level before climbing forty-five feet in 0.12 miles yielding an average 7% grade. From this high point, the trail descends 175 feet in 0.3 miles for an 11% average descending grade. Due to significant wind and rain during the preceding days, the trail was littered with wet leaves making for some slippery hiking. Besides good footwear, good walking sticks have proven to be one of my best hiking equipment investments. I would recommend purchasing carbon fiber sticks as they are very lightweight but strong and easy to use.
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| Topographic map with GPS route |
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| Elevation profile |
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| Part of the Crescent Rock Overlook parking area |
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| Access trail |
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| More of the access trail |
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| Blue blaze |
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| Descending toward the AT |
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| Continuing the descent |
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| AT trail junction |
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| An ephemeral waterfall just south of the junction |
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| Northbound on the AT |
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| The trail is covered with damp leaves here... |
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| ...but mostly gravel here |
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| Another ephemeral cascade |
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| Skirting a very large boulder |
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| The trail breaks away from a rock wall |
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| Topping one of several hills |
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| Entering an understory tunnel |
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| Typical trail conditions |
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| An unofficial campsite |
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| Another white blaze |
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| Another boulder field |
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| Blaze on a dead snag |
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| More boulders |
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| Access trail junction |
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| Access trail up to the overlook |
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| View from the access trail |
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| Another view from the access trail |
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| Timber Hollow Overlook parking |
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.
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