Appalachian Trail - Mt. Rogers National Wilderness Area, VA
June 10th to June 17th
8 Days and 7 nights
$250 pp Lodging only
Join members of the Mid Hudson Chapter of ADK as we hike and explore the
Southern section of the Appalachian Trail from Damascus to Mt. Rogers
National Recreation Area (NRA) headquarters in VA. We will hike through Mt.
Rogers NRA, Jefferson National Forest and Grayson Highland State Park. June is
good month to see wild Rhododendron and other wild flowers and wild Ponies.
Our base will be a mountain top log cabin in a small mountain town, Two
Sisters, 1447 Ripshin Road, Troutdale, VA 24378. Our home away from home
has 3 bedrooms+den, three bathrooms and two kitchens and a wrap around
porch. We will prepare our own meals, pot luck style. Sleeping quarters will be
a mix of beds and bunk beds.
For more information contact Lalita Malik at (845) 592-0204 (H), (845)
724-5786, [email protected] or Marsha Kramer (845) 298-7916,
[email protected]
Damascus, Virginia, is a small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and is the
gateway to the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area (NRA). It is also called
Trail Town, USA and it is an AT Community town. Residents are very friendly to
hikers.
It is traversed by the Appalachian Trail, the Virginia Creeper Trail, the TransAmerica National Bicycle Trail, the Iron Mountain Trail, the Daniel Boone Heritage
Trail, the Crooked Road Musical Heritage Trail, Virginia’s Birding and Wildlife
Trail, and lies within a short distance of hundreds of miles of other hiking, horse,
and biking trails.
Located in southwest Virginia, the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area (NRA)
is approximately 200,000 acres of National Forest land near Mount Rogers. The
area features four Congressionally designated wilderness areas; the Virginia
Creeper Trail; the Mount Rogers Scenic Byway which traverses over 50 miles
offering views of the National Recreation Area and open rural countryside; the
5000 acre Crest Zone featuring elevations over 4,000 feet, large rock formations,
and a mixture of mountain balds and spruce-fir forests; a herd of wild, free-
ranging ponies; and the highest elevated road in the state of Virginia leading to
the summit of Whitetop Mountain.
Two Sisters Log Cabin
Our hikes will take us over VA highest mountain Mt. Rogers 5729 ft, Whitetop,
VA second highest peak 5520 ft. and. 4800 Pine Mountain, VA third highest
mountain 5050 ft. We will also crest Stone Mt. 4800 ft., Iron Mt. 4200 ft. and a
few more.
Check out these links for interactive map of the AT and more hikes in the area:
http://www.appalachiantrail.org/home/explore-the-trail
https://roadsendnaturalist.com/tag/mount-rogers/
http://www.appalachianhighcountrytrails.com/mt_rogers.html
To learn more about the area we are visiting check out:
http://www.visitdamascus.org/
http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/graysonhighlands#general_information
http://www.adventuredamascus.com/trail.htm
To reserve your spot, please send registration form and liability
waiver form, with check made out to Mid Hudson ADK for $ 250 by
March 31st, to Lalita Malik, 61 Patrick Drive, LaGrangeville, NY 12540
Tentative Itinerary: May change depending on weather
June 10th – Travel day. Arrive at Lodge
June 11th – Lost Mt. and Whitetop Laurel Creek – 9 mile Elev +/- 3500 to 2200 ft.
The trail visits wild Whitetop Laurel Creek Gorge, magnificent Hassinger railroad bridge,
panoramic views from Straight Mt. and meanders along a mountain stream.
June 12th- Whitetop Mt. and Buzzard Rock - 6.9 miles Elev. +/- 4430 to 5350 to
3160 ft. Views from Buzzard Rock and the bald crest of Whitetop. Trickling streams
home to endangered Salamander, Northern flying squirrel, two ecosystems. Southern
limit of red spruce and northern limits of Frase fir.
June 13th – Pine Mt. and M t. Rogers Circuit 10.7 miles, 8.5 on AT Elev +/- 4650 to
5400 to 4650. Wild ponies prancing through open meadows, hundreds of acres of
rhododendron in bloom, open balds at 5000 ft. that recall Alps of Europe, the tallest and
third tallest mountains in VA.
June 14th- Iron Mt. and Dickey Gap – 8.5 mi. +/- 3480 to 4200 to 3000 ft. Through
Jefferson NF., from Fox Creek, Moisture loving plants near the streams, Rhododendron
in dry area. Crest of Iron Mt. and Chestnut Flats. 10 ft. cascade and deep pool
(swimming hole)..
June 15th- Dickey Gap to S Fork of Holston River – 7.5 mi. +/- 33313 to 4040 to
32450 ft. Through Jefferson FNF. High Point for views of Mt. Rogers high country,
Whitetop and Pine mountains, site of a former surface mine known as Slabtown. Views
of Brushy and Iron mountains.
June 16th- Holston River to Mt. Rogers Natl. Rec. Area headqurters – 8 mi. +/- 2450
to 3260 to 3220 ft. Crest of Brushy Mt. rolling terrain over many stream crossings,
remains of pit mining during World War II.
June 1th- Depart for home
Mount Rogers Flora and Fauna near Troutdale
Ryan Somma / flickr
Mount Rogers is perhaps most well-known for being the highest peak in Virginia.
Standing at an impressive 5,729 feet above sea level, the mountain lies within the
Mount Rogers National Recreation Area and Jefferson National Forest. Surrounded by
breathtaking views from every angle, Mount Rogers is one of Virginia's most beautiful
sites.
Whitetop Mountain in Grayson County
Curt Fleenor / flickr
As the second highest peak in Virginia, Whitetop Mountain sits just below Mount Rogers
at 5,520 feet, but is an equal match in beauty.
Feral ponies at Mt. Rogers NRA