Sunday, September 18, 2016

Appalachian Trail - Thornton Gap to Mary's Rock and Byrds Nest 3 Hut and Spring



I’m planning on posting some videos showing shelters and more importantly (to me) the springs.
I visited the Byrds Nest 3 Hut in the Northern end of Shenandoah National Park in Virginia this past weekend as part of a planning trip for a longer section hike. This shelter is located 3.2 miles south of the Thornton Gap parking lot on the Blue Ridge Parkway where US 211 crosses. There is a restroom and water at the parking lot.  The Byrds Nest 3 Hut is a non-standard 3 sided stone structure with an internal platform that can sleep approximately 8. There is a privy nearby at this location and a pole to hang food bags from. The spring is 0.3 miles down a moderate grade grassy service road and most of the way down to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The spring is very nice, concrete boxed with a pipe coming out. It was still running nicely with cold clear water despite recent drought conditions. Mary’s Rock is a moderate 1.7 mile hike south of the Thornton Gap parking lot. The trail is not too steep, but is a constant upward slope for the entire distance. This is a very nice overlook at the top of the mountain with great views for 180 degrees toward the north. You can see the Thornton Gap entrance gate from Mary’s Rock. The view is worth the hike.

A free permit is required to overnight in the park.  More information can be found here: https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/campbc.htm

Watch my other hiking videos:

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