What a day! The visibility was over 40 miles, and the view from the White Rocks lookout was unbelievable. Great North Mountain is a little further west than the SNP, but it is well worth the trip. Think of the SNP but you have it all to yourself :)

We didn't see another person all day, and had the vista all to ourselves. Lunch and taking a nap at White Rocks with the hawks circling the valley is something else. Being miles from even the closest forestry road, the only sound you could hear was the wind in the valley.

There are also three great campsites on this circuit, so if it’s a little to far as a day hike for you, consider doing it as a backpack. The high mountain campsite just below the lookout is our favorite. There is no water up here, but if you get up early and catch the sunrise from the lookout it’s well with hauling your own water :)

Riprap Hollow is one of the best circuit hikes in the southern section of the Shenandoah National Park. The views from Chimney Rock, and along the ridge of Rocks Mountain offer great vistas to the west and north. The spring fed stream in Cold Spring and Riprap Hollow is scenic, and has a 50ft wide swimming hole fed by yet another mountain spring.

We got out to the Riprap parking area at about 9:30 a.m., and just before getting to the trailhead we turned a corner on Skyline Drive and in the middle of the road was a black bear, who didn't seem at all bothered that we just drove up on her. Just as she moved past the car, her two cubs came scurrying out of the scrub and joined her as she crossed the road. Black bears are quite common in the SNP, and are most active in the early morning and at dusk. However, it is still rare to catch a glimpse of a bear and her cubs.

Once on the trail we were surprised to find the stream in Cold Spring Hollow still with plenty of water. A great way too cool down before making the long climb up Wildcat Ridge, and back to the Appalachian Trail. Overall this circuit has a bit of everything, from vistas to cool mountain streams.

Go north! Dolly Sods North that is :) This is arguably one of the most beautiful areas on the East Coast. Situated on a plateau at 3,900ft, the flora is completely unique for this part of the country.

We had planned on backpacking at the Forks of Red Creek, but with the two inches of rain the area had seen in the past couple of days, Red Creek was running a just a bit to fast and high to ford on the Blackbird Knob Trail. Instead, we still made a great single day hike out of the trails in the northern section of the forest.

When the days are long, and thermometer starts creeping towards 100F, Dolly Sods is the place to hike. Although the temps in the Washington area were in the mid 90's, it was only 75F up at Dolly Sods. So next time you think it's too hot to head out on the trails this summer, give the Monongahela National Forest and Dolly Sods a try. You'll be glad you did.

What a beautiful place. A reclaimed old iron ore mining area, St. Mary's Wilderness has an abundance of diverse scenery from waterfalls, fern forests, open meadows, valley vistas, and high mountain wetlands, in Virginia's largest designated wilderness area. No wonder it's one of the most popular circuit hikes in the northern section of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

I met up with BGordon, a long time reviewer here, and we got started on the trail at about 9:30. The Mine Bank Creek Trail has been cleared and was easy to negotiate, especially near the valley, where the rhododendron gets thicker.

Once past Green Pound, and on the forestry road hike up to Flint Mountain, we met up with Mike who was doing the hike solo, and had left the same starting point just before us. When we caught up with Mike he had just taken this shot of a large Timber Rattlesnake sunning on the road.

One important note if you’re planning on doing this hike, just past the high point of Flint Mountain is a grading area off the road with a small unmarked trail at it’s end. The trail leads to the best vista on the mountain, and as far as I’ve seen, isn’t mentioned in any hiking books for St Mary’s Wilderness. A definite must see.

The remainder of the hike is a pleasant hike down the valley, then back up to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Didn’t make it down to the falls this time, but look forward to doing it next time around.

Laurel Fork is one of the few secluded backcountry areas left in Virginia. With high meadows, wetlands, and the fast running Laurel Fork in the valley, this has to be one of the best backpacks in the region.

The Laurel Fork trails had fallen into poor shape over the past five to ten years, with very faint, if not missing blazes, as well as numerous blowdowns. In conjunction with the USDA Forest Service we reblazed the Locust Spring Run, Locust Spring Run Spur, and Slabcamp Run trails in June 2007, as well as removing the more obstructive blowdowns.

The Slabcamp Run Trail passes through spectacular old growth forest and meadows. Because of its infrequent use, the trail itself is difficult to locate in places, but now can be hiked following the new blaze markings. This gives the route a real backwoods feel where you’re hiking from blaze to blaze, as apposed to following a narrow trail.

If you're a backpacker looking for a secluded hike, I'd highly recommend this circuit. Although we did see another car in the parking area, we didn't see another person all weekend. The whole area has breathtaking scenery.