Park at the Hawksbill Gap parking area (this is not the same as the Upper Hawksbill lot, which is just south). This 2.7-mile loop takes you directly to the peak on the Hawksbill Summit Trail and then takes the less aggressive Salamander Trail back down to the AT for a return to the parking lot on the Hawksbill Gap Trail. If you are entering on foot, horse, or bike the fee is $15 per person. The Upper Hawksbill Trail is the easiest route to the summit of Hawksbill, which is the tallest mountain in Shenandoah National Park. Rte 1 is clockwise and called the Lower Hawksbill Trail or the Hawksbill Summit Hike. Continue, mostly downhill, another two miles on the AT to your starting point in Milam Gap. There are two trails that set off from this parking area on the west side of Skyline Drive. Turn right on the AT. Hawksbill is very popular spot, at the trailhead it's hard to find regular parking spot, just park at road side; plan to spend 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours on the trail and reserve 10-20 minutes at the peak to enjoy the view at the highest point of Shenandoah mountain-4051 feet. The Hawksbill Mountain is the largest peak in the park and the 360° views at the top are some of the best to be found in the park. Short hike from the parking areas, with nearly 360 degree views. My wife and I enjoyed the 1.7 miles round trip Summit Hike. We did the upper Hawksbill hike to the summit. This hike was pretty much straight up so definitely take your time. The elevation gain. Please join SoulTrak on Saturday, October 10th from 7:00 am to 2:00 pm for a fun and engaging hike at White Oak Canyon!. Hiking up was tiring because it is steep. There are two trailheads that take you to the Hawksbill, Upper Hawksbill Parking and Hawksbill Gap Parking farther north. To return to the parking area be sure to take the blue-blazed Lower (NOT the Upper) Hawksbill Trail. From the Hawksbill Gap parking lot, one could simply hike uphill one fairly strenuous mile to reach the Byrd's Nest and reach the same climax as the full circuit however, doing the hike this way would cut out the views along the Franklin Cliffs part of the trail. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. parking area at mile 45.5, take the Lower Hawksbill Trail to Byrds On this 8 mile hike, you have the chance to see nine waterfalls! The trail on the right is for the Hawksbill Loop Hike. From the Thornton Gap entrance, take Skyline Drive south for 15.2 miles to reach the parking area, on your right. Hawksbill Summit from: parking area at mile 45.6 - 1.7 miles round trip, fairly steep hike to spectacular view. Directions: Start at the Passamaquoddy parking lot near Skyland Ranch (10 miles south of Thornton Gap). Rte 2 is the Hawksbill Loop Hike which heads counter-clockwise out of the parking lot, combines with the Salamander Trail and down the Lower Hawksbill and is 2.9 mi and 860' gain. Export To GPS Device. It goes to the peak of Hawksbill Mountain, and the views are beautiful from there. 10/18/2020 Hurnan V. Hurnan V. This trail reaches the highest summit of the entire Shenandoah National Park. My wife and I enjoyed the 1.7 miles round trip Summit Hike. I hiked AT Georgia section, and always wanted to experience AT sections of different states, this is my opportunity to do so. This 2.7-mile loop takes you directly to the peak on the Hawksbill Summit Trail and then takes the less aggressive Salamander Trail back down to the AT for a return to the parking lot on the Hawksbill Gap Trail. For a shorter, but steeper, rockier route, from the Hawksbill Gap . Hawksbill Gap Parking is at the trailhead between mileposts... Read more. The Big Meadows/Hawksbill Mountain/Rose River trail is actually a combination of short trails to create a nice 20-21 mile loop for those who are looking for a longer hike or a multi-day hike in Shenandoah. Don't become a statistic for mountain safety and fatalities. parking area at mile 45.6 - 2.9 mile circuit, moderate hike with beautiful views much of the way, and a spectacular view at the top. We took the Appalachian connector to the Salamander to the Lower loop. Very good 270 degree view of the Blue Ridge. The short spur ends at the AT. The summit can get cold fast even in summer. Popular Shenandoah National Park Categories, Commonly searched for in Shenandoah National Park. Wear hiking boots and bring some water as well as a camera. Waypoints. Technically, Hawksbill Summit has an upper trail and lower trail, but the lower trail is the more popular one. Hawksbill Summit Hike. The summit has a built-up observation area but also some rocky outcrops to accommodate the crowds. It is 1.7 mi and 690' in gain. The Upper Hawksbill Trail actually has a big parking lot so... Read more. Trailhead: Skyline Drive MP 42.6 at the Whiteoak parking area, or the lower trailhead at the Whiteoak Boundary Parking off Route 600. The Hawksbill Gap Loop Trailhead starts from the Hawksbill Gap parking area at mile marker 45.5. Top Selling Tours & Activities in and around Shenandoah National Park. Customize. This is a very popular hike, so make sure you plan on being patient when looking for a parking spot. Doing so, you’ll add at least two more wonderful waterfalls, creating a very strenuous 7.7-mile (12.4-kilometer) circuit. It was a pretty steep, but not long trail, about 2.5 miles. Enjoy ! But he view is great. You can start there, but we decided to stretch the hike out a little and combine the hike from Hawksbill Gap Parking with an area known as Whiteoak Canyon. Two starts at Hawksbill Gap parking area at mm 45.5. The trail is pretty heavily used but not too crowded during our visit. Share. It rained when we went so the path turns into mini creeks so wear sturdy shoes. It only depends how far and how steep you want to go. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Only word of caution is to watch the edge closely as some parts of the area are quite steep. Rte 1 is clockwise and called the Lower Hawksbill Trail or the Hawksbill Summit Hike. From the Hawksbill Gap parking lot on Skyline Drive, it’s a massive descent down to White Oak Falls and then a steep, strenuous hike up the Whiteoak Canyon Trail. The trail is very well marked. Just stick with the blue trail. The best place to start this particular hike is the Hawksbill Gap parking lot at MP 45.6. The starting point of the Tour is right next to a parking lot. 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