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 very scenic, and has a 50ft wide swimming hole fed by yet another mountain spring.
From the Riprap parking area walk the 50 yards along the blue blazed trail to the intersection of the white blazed Appalachian Trail. Turn right uphill on the white blazed trail for 0.4 miles to the intersection of the Riprap Trail.
Turn left on the blue blazed Riprap Trail as it descends through a hollow on the ridge before climbing and arriving at the first vista point in 0.7 miles. In another 0.3 miles reach the second vista and Chimney Rock. From Chimney Rock the trail will begin to descend into Cold Springs Hollow. In 1.7 miles from Chimney Rock the spring fed stream that has come in on the left of Riprap Trail will pass through a small gorge and over a 20ft waterfall.
After passing the waterfall follow the blue blazed Riprap Trail for another 0.3 miles to a large swimming hole. Just past the swimming hole the trail will cross the stream, and pass a trail marker and an overgrown trail that leads to an old Riprap Shelter on the right. Continue straight on the blue blazed Riprap Trail next to the stream for another 0.7 miles to the intersection of the Wildcat Ridge Trail.
Turn left on the blue blazed Wildcat Ridge Trail and shortly cross the stream again before the trail starts heading uphill through a small gorge. In 0.6 miles the Wildcat Ridge Trail will make several switchbacks and become much steeper, as it follows the Wildcat Ridge for another 2.0 miles to the four way intersection with the white blazed Appalachian Trail.
Turn left on the while blazed Appalachian Trail for the remaining 2.8 miles back to the Riprap parking area.
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Reviews For The Riprap Hollow Hike (5 Most Recent)
Great hike. Wonderful foliage. Rhododendrons and wildflowers in bloom. About a hundred orange newts and frogs out. Weather cool and misty on ridges. Did this hike two years ago in early June which was hot and dry and difficult. This was the opposite. Everything lush, moist, and green. Saw a lot of people in parking lot but not on the trail. Lotsa variety for terrain.
By:
Anne
Rating:
Date of Hike: Sunday, March 04, 2012
Hiked Sunday, March 4, 2012. Our path took us over 9.8 miles in 5 hours with in over 3,000 ft of elevation changes by the end of it. For us, this hike represented an "everything" experience for hikers of Shenandoah. The first 4 miles of Riprap Hollow Trail offer beautiful mountainsides filled w rock formations and rock fields, another breathtaking summit panorama which we've come to expect on every hike, 4 stream crossings (so bring water shoes and don't change back into your hiking footwear until you've crossed the fourth, final and most shallow stream), and moderate elevation changes. Pull up a rock at the streams and take in your lunch. During the next few miles this terrific experience soon morphs into steeper, yet managable, vista style trails parts of which must really resemble true tunnels after the foliage fills in. For the last leg of our hike we switched to the A.T. at the trailhead for a couple of last easy, high altitude, gently rolling miles, again, offering additional high ridge line views. This hike was like a big platter of loaded nachos, you get a bit of everything wonderful in a diverse, doable 10 miles.
By:
Brian
Rating:
Date of Hike: Sunday, January 29, 2012
Up, down, up, down, up down with not much to look at. Very long hike with only a few places to step off of the trail and hang out, we were very disappointed, did all 9.6 miles in 5.5 hours with very little enjoyment.
By:
Scott
Rating:
Date of Hike: Sunday, January 29, 2012
I didn't enjoy this hike too much. I had expected much more. The reviews I read on here seem to hype up the hike. Maybe I am missing something, but this hike was far from "hype". The coolest part of the hike was...oh wait, there was no such part...
Trek Elsewhere...
Scott
By:
Rating:
Date of Hike: Thursday, January 05, 2012
Five of us started at the Rip Rap parking lot about 10AM on a sunny, cold and windy morning, for a day hike. There was a very light dusting of snow on the leaves, maybe the first of the winter. We warmed up quickly on the initial uphill climb and enjoyed the views from the two overlooks. As we moved further into the hollow, the wind became intermittent and most of us ended shedding layers. Several seeps had frozen into mini-icefalls, and some of the small waterfalls had some ice accumulations and icicles. We could only imagine the swimming hole on a hot summer afternoon! Had lunch a short way up the Wildcat Ridge Trail, a long climb out as advertised. Trail was in great shape, one tree down on the AT about 1.5 miles from the end, but it was easily stepped over. Only downside was that we didn't see any wildlife. A great day for a hike! Finished about 3:30.
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