INFI in the Woods - An East Coast Camping Trip

[dogboye]

Hiking? Or camping? There is a place in GW Nat'l Forest, south of Skyline Drive, that is free for primitive camping. The hiking is along the AT, though. My family and I have been there often, car camping at Crabtree Meadows, and doing day hikes on the AT. It is just north of ... um... Spyglass(?) or Looking Glass Rock. I think it is Spyglass Rock. But it isn't someplace you can just go for a day. You have to drive up into the forest up a forest road, and it is about a half hour just on that forest road. Also, have you ever been to the Priest? That is just outside Culpeper. It's a good place to go for just a day. I've never tried overnight, although I've hiked it pretty late at night. Just can't camp on the mountain.

Check out Old Rag, though it's a couple hours from Winchester. South on I-81 then West near Woodstock and a bit into the GWNF is a place called Little Stony Creek...long, steep, beautiful hikes (Big Schloss and Half-Moon Lookout included). Easiest to rent the cheap Sugar Knob cabin from PATC, however, and stay for a few days.

Just a bit east from Winchester on Rt. 7, at the gap before you get into Loudoun County, there's a nice little hike up to Bear's Den rocks on the South side and a bit longer hike up to Raven Rocks on the North side.

All down the Skyline drive are great hikes as well, but there's a small fee (think $40 for a 1yr pass) and the nature of the road makes getting anywhere take forever.

Old Rag is what I meant in my post above. I don't know WHY I typed the Priest. I don't even know where that is!

 

[Dr. Lecter]

Old Rag is what I meant in my post above. I don't know WHY I typed the Priest. I don't even know where that is!

The Priest is a bit further South, down past Charlottesville and out West some. Good hike, but wouldn't drive from Winchester for it.

For Old Rag, while I haven't camped there in years, it used to be you could camp anywhere on the mountain below the ridgeline and first-come/first-serve in the shelters (one just before the ridgeline and one much further down, both on the shorter/steeper Southwestern approach to the summit). Did they enact a new rule about camping? I know the volume of traffic there has really picked up the last several years.

 

[dogboye]

The last time I was over there, which admittedly was probably 5 or more years ago, there were signs partway up the trail, I think on both approaches, that set a boundary above which you weren't allowed to camp. Nowhere near the top on the... north-east(?) side, but well further up the trail on the southwest side. Best I remember.

 

[zmbhntr]

Even though the INFI camping trip was postponed, I felt like going out in the woods today anyways. It was a bit chilly, I don't think it got over 38 degrees where I was, but it felt great to get out there. I gave the CGFBM a good workout on several different types of wood, got some target practice in, and did some relaxing. I didn't see any bears, but I did see quite a bit of bear sign. I did, however, see at least a dozen deer and three bucks; the season opens tomorrow in WV.

 

[rcb2000]

Glad you got out anyways,, it was windy and chilly in VA today.
Lets make the spring get together happen for sure.