Passing the Bearfence rock scramble on your left, you will continue to rise for another . Bearfence Mountain is a very popular hiking destination in Shenandoah National Park. My younger two children wanted to attempt more scrambles before we left, so on a different day, we added Bearfence Mountain: Bearfence Hike - See 199 traveler reviews, 138 candid photos, and great deals for Shenandoah National Park, VA, at Tripadvisor. The beginning of the Bearfence Trail. Bearfence Mountain is one of the best places to watch the sunrise in Shenandoah National Park, but is also pretty awesome at sunset.The view from the summit isn’t a full 360 degrees, but it’s close enough. The rock scramble is much shorter than Old Rag's (as is the entire trail), but it felt a little more treacherous as the path was narrower. A fire in 2006 left the mountain top open with sweeping vistas in every direction. Shenandoah National Park is the scenic mountain haven of the Mid-Atlantic, the glittering jewel in the crown of the Virginia Appalachians. This appears to be a seldom traveled trail and therefore lends itself to being a great destination for some solitude. Take the Bearfence Viewpoint route to avoid the rock scramble. Bearfence Mountain: Great hike - See 196 traveler reviews, 132 candid photos, and great deals for Shenandoah National Park, VA, at Tripadvisor. For most of the trail hikers must use both hands and feet to climb over large sections of rock. AT Bearfence Mountain . Closest City: Stanardsville. Prints & Wall Art Photo Books Get Pro; Upload; Log In ; Sign Up; Log In Explore Trending; Events; The Commons; Flickr Galleries; Flickr Blog; Prints & Wall Art Photo Books Get Pro ← → Back to photostream. The trail hits the Appalachian Trail (AT), which you will hike back to the parking lot. The trail ascends again and at 6.8 miles, you will reach the junction with the Bearfence Mountain Trail. Don't rush it. Perfect area for sunrise and sunset - 360 view. Bearfence Mountain is a splendid destination where the path to the summit includes two rock formations with stellar views. There is a rock scramble at the summit of the mountain. World Map; Camera Finder; Flickr Blog; Prints. You have the option of doing a true rock scramble or just hike to a view point without a rock scramble. You will hike about 0.7 miles (fairly level) before you will reach a fork in the trail - to the right will take you up steep, to the left is still up just more gradual to the summit. My family of five (3 kids ages 19, 17,and 10) took many trails in the national park. Go early because you Elevations vary from 4,050 feet atop Hawksbill down to less than 550 feet […] The trail has an elevation gain of 311 feet. Cascades National Recreation Trail. The route is moderate and traverses rolling terrain. all shelters popup list of nearby shelters (mileage, bearing) (as the crow flies) NOAA weather near shelter or wunderground. Tackle adventurous trails that lead to the mountaintop and discover fascinating rock formations. - See 196 traveller reviews, 132 candid photos, and great deals for Shenandoah National Park, VA, at Tripadvisor. Bearfence Mountain: wow! Appreciate the views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are a part of the Appalachian Mountain range. As you start up the Bearfence Mountain trail from the parking area (Mile Post 56.4), you'll see a low, flat boulder on each side of the trail about 60 yards from Skyline Drive. The parking area for Bearfence trail is located near mile marker 56.4 on Skyline Drive. Parking: Park at the Bearfence Mountain Trailhead, which is at mile marker 56.4 on Skyline Drive. Include: Map Graph Paste this code anywhere on your website: Download image of current view Hide trail path. Bearfence Mountain Hut Access Road to Bootens Gap - Appalachian Trail - Shenandoah National Park We continued our late May 2019 trip to Shenandoah National Park with another hike on the Appalachian Trail from the Bearfence Mountain Hut Access Road north to Bootens Gap. May 18, 2009 August 25, 2015. To the west, along the border of Virginia and West Virginia, the unique stone High Knob Fire Tower can be reached (and climbed) after a 40-minute hike. We took the right. The 360 view gives you some of the best scenery you could ask for and is perfect for either sunrise or sunset hikes. Bearfence trail is a short uphill hike from the parking lot followed by a rock scramble to reach the summit at an elevation of 3,553 feet. By Trail Contributors: Christine and Adam Anderson. Bearfence Mountain is a short 1-mile rock scramble located off of Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. However, if you take your time, you will be fine. Both feature hiking along a stretch of the famous Appalachian Trail. Continue straight on Bearfence Loop Trail. My younger two children wanted to attempt more scrambles before we left, so on a different day, we added Bearfence to our agenda. What the hike lacks in length, it makes up for in challenging terrain. This is a Lewis Mountain trail map (150 kb), showing trails to Bearfence Mountain (including the Appalachian Trail hut), Lewis Mountain, South River Falls, Upper Pocosin Mission, and others. Crowds. It’s not as well-known or traveled as other hikes in the park, but it has spectacular views. The Skyline Drive and Appalachian Trail run the entire length of this narrow park, along with more than 500 miles (800 km) of hiking trails passing scenic overlooks and cataracts of the Shenandoah River. Trail List; FAQs; Map; Bearfence Mountain . More Info. Bearfence Trail. The Bearfence Mountain Trail in Shenandoah National Park is shorter and less challenging, but offers a rock scramble and more rewarding views. Lewis Peak is a majestic summit in Shenandoah’s southern district. This past weekend I hit the trail with my brother David to complete the Bearfence Mountain, Conway River Loop. Having hiked this trail three times—the most of any Shenandoah hike—, this is my absolute favorite mountain hike in the park. You can either park at Stony Man Parking Lot or Little Stony Man Parking Lot. Bearfence Mountain sunset [explored] @ Shenandoah National Park. This hike can be done via the short trail from the Bearfence Mountain parking lot or via the longer Bootens Gap Appalachian Trail (AT)/Bearfence Mountain trail route. From Mapcarta, the free map. There are a couple of different routes that you can take to reach the peak but the way we came was filled with multiple areas in which you had to scramble across some rocks. Bearfence Mountain is a short, but deceptively challenging hike in the central district of Shenandoah National Park. Admire the sprawling wilderness of Virginia at Bearfence Mountain. We decided to do Stony Man as it was less mileage. Hikers cross the road from the parking lot and head uphill. Bearfence Mountain Trail | 1.1 Miles | Difficulty – Moderate Elevation Gain: 311 Feet Parking: Park at mile marker 56.4 on Skyline Drive (Google Maps Directions) Trail Directions: Cross Skyline Drive, and hike about 0.15 miles until you reach an intersection. Lewis Mountain is a mountain in Virginia and has an elevation of 3566 feet. The hike up Bearfence Mountain is fairly short, but the rewards are ample: one of the park's few 360-degree views and a fun rock scramble. You can check out the map here. Shenandoah's Blue Ridge Mountains are covered by hardwood forests that teem with a wide variety of wildlife. From the parking lot to the top of the mountain took about 20 minutes. The main spine of the park stretches for 70 miles end-to-end, dividing bucolic Shenandoah Valley from the Piedmont to the east. next shelter north ↑ 11.5 miles. Lewis Mountain is situated north of Upper Pocosin. Bearfence Mountain Hut Waypoint: Bearfence 38.44409,-78.47041 County/State: Greene VA Elevation: 3110' or USGS elevation 918.8 miles from Springer and 1274.2 miles to Katahdin next shelter south ↓ 12.4 miles. The last quarter mile of the Strickler Knob Trail offers some short but exciting scrambling. Off of Skyline Drive, Bearfence Trail is about a mile long ending in spectacular 360-degree views. The hike to Bearfence Mountain is not too bad and very close to the visitor's center. Bearfence. Moderate has a rock scramble which I personally didn't think was too difficult - just really fun! Though the scrambling is not anything like Old Rag Mountain it does have one advantage over Old Rag and Bearfence. The route was attractive because it was a reasonable length (12 miles), promised a rock scramble and views and allowed us to camp in Rapidan Wildlife Management area which unlike the neighboring Shenandoah National Park, allows open fires. Bearfence in the Shenandoah National Park is a short hike with one of the best views in the park. I saw lots of kids on this trail, some as young as 6 years old. The only challenging part is the rock scramble and there was one part that made me a little nervous. I've hiked this trail twice: once as a round trip to the true summit last September, once as a loop in December. The rock scramble is much shorter than Old Rag's (as is the entire trail), but it felt a little more treacherous as the path was narrower. linwk to the hiking trail… With Route 28 to your back - the trailhead to start your hike for Black Bear is to your right (Rocky Mountain trailhead is to your left) There is a sign in box at the start of the trail. 4 miles. Either hike features spectacular views with the rock scramble offering 360 degree views. The trail to the summit is a welcome change from the basic hike in the woods common to most Shenandoah mountains. Map. After the junction, you reach the steepest and slickest ascent over the rock-covered trail. Formed by lava millions of years ago, the greenstone provides a challenging path to the summit. Lukas Schlagenhauf By: Lukas Schlagenhauf. The easy route is a trail that doesn't include rock scramble and it's just as fast to get to the top that way. Stay on the AT heading south. This is a Loft Mountain trail map (150 kb), featuring hiking trails to Jones Run Falls, Doyles River Falls, and mountains and ridges such as Rockytop, Austin Mountain, and Patterson Ridge. My younger two children wanted to attempt more scrambles before we left, so on a different day, we added Bearfence to our agenda. 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