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| By:
AH
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Rating:  |
Date of Hike: Sunday, July 04, 2010 |
| This is a nice hike of medium to low difficulty. It's not especially dramatic, but there are a couple of great scenic vistas and there's a good variety of different trails. Did not see much (if any) wildlife. My advice: skip the Snowden trail - it doesn't offer anything of interest. And next time I would hike it all counter-clockwise to avoid the long uphill slog up the AT and South Ridge. A low key and enjoyable way to spend a couple hours. There is plenty of parking and there are restroom/picnic facilities as well.
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| By:
Sporky
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Rating:  |
Date of Hike: Saturday, April 17, 2010 |
| This is a great hike due to it's customizable difficulty/distance. Especially good if you want to take your four-legged furry friends. We did the South Ridge/Appalachian/Ambassador loop in a group of four (2 veteran (plus 55lbs dog), 2 novices (plus 30lbs dog), in just under 4 hours. The views are nice, and the altitude isn't killer for those out of shape. Our only advice: 1) When you cross from the North/South Ridge to the AT, make sure you go the correct direction! When the foliage is in bloom, you might accidentally end up going the wrong way because the correct direction is obscured. 2) If you do bring your dog, ALWAYS check them for ticks before you head home. The grassy field for the Ambassador White House trail is a breeding ground for deer ticks. In this short distance our mutt gathered 5!
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| By:
Mike A
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, April 17, 2010 |
Sky Meadows is definitely different from most hikes I've been on--more family and pet friendly than most. Not too long or too difficult. The sky meadows and overlooks are really nice. But if you're looking for solitude and 'nature' for a weekend trip, probably not the best choice.
We probably passed by someone the trail at least ever 20 - 30 minutes, except on the purple-blazed trail.
Lots of wild flowers, but no wild life. But really nice day to be outside, and not a bad place to be.
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| By:
Cullen
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Rating:  |
Date of Hike: Saturday, March 20, 2010 |
Sky Meadows is probably one of the best hikes in this area. With a lot of interconnecting trails, you can custom your hike to be as short or as long as you like. The views are spectacular and the trails are well marked and well maintained. There are benches placed at various places along some of the trails including in the meadows where the views are.
The parking lot was full by the time we left at around 3:00 but the trails were not really crowded. With the historic sites and multiple trails, I don't think crowds are ever an issue.
This is a good place to go for all skill levels. Some of the hills could be challenging to you if you are not in shape but not too tough to discourage you. Some of the trails are rocky and can be pretty soggy after it rains so not all trails are good for little kids or small dogs.
I will definitely revisit Sky Meadows many times
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| By:
Gretchen
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Thursday, January 28, 2010 |
| I am fairly new to the N. Virginia area, and so wanted to find a place to hike. I haven't hiked in over 10 years, so I wanted something I could do, but was longer than a small nature trail. This was perfect! I had so much fun and loved the solitude. I went even further than I had planned! Definitely recommend this park/hike, I will be in the near future.
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| By:
MCT
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, January 23, 2010 |
| Did this on a warm (40 degrees) January day. The cold air made visibility from the meadows area great. Make sure to save those views for the end! There was some snow and ice at the top which slowed us down but didn't present any real difficulties. There were many trees down which, combined with the snow cover, caused us to loose the trail twice. We quickly fixed our errors though. I'd like to go back to explore some of the other trails at some point.
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| By:
Cathy and Mike
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, August 15, 2009 |
| Contrary to the previous reviewer, we did it in August and liked it. We had previously done a few of the trails that were mostly in the high meadows and expected more of the same when we did the full 8.4 mile hike suggested here. We were pleasantly surprised that about 80-85% of the hike was in forested shady areas. So the hot August temperature was not a problem. Also, hardly anyone else was on the trail. Yes, parts of the hike were along trails that were narrow and overgrown but we didn't see that as a big problem. And we didn’t see any poison ivy so shorts are fine.) On the Old Trail, we never saw so many spider webs as were strung along the trail. So we were constantly walking thru or under them. Some people might find that a big problem but we thought it was sort of fun as it was so unique.
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| By:
Eric
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Rating:  |
Date of Hike: Monday, June 08, 2009 |
| I would not recommend this as a summer hike. Most of the time it feels like nothing more than a slog through a jungle. Much of the trail is hemmed in by dense foliage that not only limits views but also makes things humid and VERY buggy. Other parts of the trail are little more than a mowed swath through tall grass fields. The "mountain meadows" are simply areas that had been mowed completely. There is little of interest to see along the trail. Yes, there are a few vantage points that allow one to observe the surrounding countryside, but they are not really so special. Most of the time (at least in the summer) you can only see the immediate surroundings and there are no notable water features (except for a really tiny creek) , almost no rock features, little in the way of vegetative interest, and the historic ruins are nothing more than an old stone wall and some very rudimentary remains of a house's foundation.
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| By:
Aaron Bagby
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Wednesday, February 18, 2009 |
| I hiked this on a cold, windy day and had the whole place to myself. Foremost, unless you are looking for a quick jaunt or have kids, I'd skip the interpretive trail - it pales in comparison to the rest. Another thing to note is that there is a $3 entrance fee, but I'd say it's definitely worth it.
The trail has a nice variety of historical buildings & ruins, elevation changes, and nice vistas. By following the route described (with the exception of Snowden), you get a very nice transition of scenery that just seems to get better as you go. The trail is incredibly well-marked and at no point did I feel the slightest bit lost (although a trail map is always a good idea, regardless). I'd say this is a solid 4 when I went, but I assume the crowds in the warmer months would lessen the experience a bit. Overall, this is one of my favorites in the area with easy access to DC.
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| By:
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, January 31, 2009 |
| Did this hike last year with Mr. and Mrs. Hiking Upward. Today I returned with a crew of hearty Sierra Club hikers. The Sky was a clear blue azure without a hint of a cloud and the temps were in the low 20s as we left the parking lot of the Mt. Bleak House. As we crunched across the ice-covered lawn we realized the degree of difficulty would be much greater than if we were doing the hike without any snow on the ground. Although the sun shinning off of the unbroken ice made for a beautiful sight it was a challenge to hike on. We found ourselves intentionally breaking its surface with the heels of our boots as we walked along. We pretty much stuck to the planned route although I had prepared some bailout routes in case the going got too rough. We managed to see all of the vistas save one and although we had some falls and slips along the way there were no serious injuries. We were back at our vehicles and heading down the road by 3:00 o'clock having completed 8.4 miles with a 1600 foot elevation gain.
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| By:
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, December 22, 2007 |
| We modified this one by by-passing the Snowden interpretive trail and adding a short section of the AT and the Ambassador Whitehouse Tr. The result was hiking trhough more open meadows and adding an additionial vista at the Paris View. Total distance was increased by 0.2 miles and the total elevation gain increased from around 800 feet to 1000 feet. A bit more mileage can be added by including a section of the old AT now called the Old Trail. This is definitely a good hike for families and beginners.
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| By:
Countertop
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, November 11, 2007 |
Took my son here for his first ever "big boy" hike. He just loved it. Weather was gorgeous, views were stunning, leaves were pretty, and the variety of scenary and trail types (not to mention the periodic benches) made it easy to keep a 5 year old interested over the course of a long afternoon.
Highlights included the ruins, the view of the Piedmons, and sitting down to have lunch at the top of Gap Run Trail looking down the trail.
All in all, a great day. Perfect for the family and a perfect way to get a young kid interested in hiking some more.
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| By:
Snoweater
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Monday, October 29, 2007 |
Beautiful views. We started out in the morning with kids 7 and 9. There were only a few hikers by the time we finished the park was getting full.
A hard climb up for them but the views made it worth it. There are benches here and there on the trail where we stopped and drank hot chocolate. We are looking forward to doing this hike again.
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| By:
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, October 14, 2007 |
First, I'm assuming the Virginia State Parks System people are responsible for the signs in the area. They are, hands-down, the absolute best signs on a hiking trail I've ever seen. They're like little mini road signs. I wish all other parks in VA, heck the country, used these signs (Shenandoah are you listening?).
Anyway, a great hike for cooler seasons (lots of sun exposure). Even though the parking lot was pretty full when I returned, not many of those people were hiking. Thus, there was more solitude than I expected.
Make sure to go all the way to the Appalachian Trail and head north, for more "sky meadows."
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| By:
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, September 16, 2007 |
| Did this hike on a Sunday afternoon. More crowded than I expected. Made the hike a little less enjoyable. I printed out the hiking route from this site and did that route. Great scenery and well marked route. If you have kids this is a good hike to take them on. If your're out for a quite afternoon hike on a weekend pick another hike from this site. One side note you do need to pay to get into the park. I'm a life member for virgina state parks so I got in free.
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| By:
Richard
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, April 22, 2007 |
| A good hike with fantastic views of the piedmont area, which, I understand, will be preserved from development through conservation easments. The weather was picture perfect - the first warm weather of the year. Walking among the cows was a treat, especially for the "city folk" on our hike. I live in Frederick, MD, and the drive was well worth it.
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| By:
Mike
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, July 16, 2006 |
| Depending on when you go, this park will either be packed with people, or ghost-town deserted. I decided to go on one of the hottest days of the summer in the middle of the week, so of course I got the ghost-town. The best advice I can give is to heed the direction of the arrows on the map -- going the other way around is pure uphill masochism.
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| By:
Rich
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, July 15, 2006 |
| Very nice hike. We got an early start due to the hot weather, but it seemed to be a very degrees cooler than DC out here. We followed your hike exactly and appreciated the varied terrain and great views. We stopped at Maxwell's Pub in Middleburg - not too great.
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| By:
Judy
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Tuesday, July 04, 2006 |
| Great hike even on a very very hot day. We tried to start at 730am but the park gate is padlocked shut until 8am so don't arrive too early!
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| By:
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Monday, January 16, 2006 |
| We loved this hike. The wide trail, the expansive views and the loop hike. Winter time is perfect for this hike; I can see why the park would fill up in the Summer.
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| By:
SaraJ
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, September 11, 2004 |
| I was looking for a hike where I could take the kids, and this was it. Most of the trails intersect so you can cut it short if the kids get tired and the views are fantastic!
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