Length: 3.7 miles

Gear: Lots of water, leash and daypack

Difficulty: 3 paws

Scenery: 4 paws

Pack: You and your dog

Location: Sky Meadows State Park  – Delaplane, VA

It really amazes me that just a couple months ago we were anticipate a record snow fall and now it’s spring. But it’s not just spring because the calendar says so. It’s spring because the trees are flowering and boasting buds or young leaves. It’s spring because you can spot 10 different shades of green in one glance and it’s spring because the wildflowers are popping up. Yes, I know this all sounds a little corny but it’s hiking season and I’m excited.

This past weekend Julie and I met for our own version of a two-a-day, two hikes in one day. We got an early start so poor Karma wouldn’t catch fire in the 80°+ temperatures. Little did we know that this would be a good call for all of us. Our first stop was at Sky Meadows State Park. There’s a three dollar fee (per car) to pay at the entrance gate which got us our parking hang tags. Then it was a short drive to the Visitor Center parking lot at historic Mount Bleak house, which served more as scenery for us than attraction. We got our gear together and let the dogs say a brief hello before we headed out on a ~3.7 mile hike.

The park offers over 12 miles of hiking trails. One of the highlights is that in just 1.7 miles you can hop on the Appalachian Trail (AT) and head to either Shenandoah National Park (SNP) or Harpers Ferry. We decided to take the North Ridge trail (1.7 miles) to where it intersects with the AT and then double back, picking up the South Ridge trail (1.6 miles) which loops back to the Visitor Center.

On our way out we were ascending part of what is essentially the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. If this hill or mountain had an official name we were unable to locate it. The trees were featuring immature buds so we were still seeing a lot of dull browns. The sometimes rocky trail (no scramble here) kept me watching my feet on the way up. This allowed me to catch a snake hurrying off the path as well as the early blooming wildflowers that were cropping up all over. The higher we climbed the more flowers we saw. I kept looking over my shoulder to catch the view across the valley below and hills beyond us but I could have waited for the trip back down.

The South Ridge trail offers a couple fantastic spots to take photos. No need to keep an eye on your map for these, you’ll know when you’re there. We took the opportunity to gather our shots as well as some of the dogs (see our pics). In all, it’s a fairly easy descent and the trail was wide enough for a truck. We came across 2 low flowing streams that made their way across the trail, which the dogs were grateful to stand in. The trek also meanders through a couple open grasslands. The ticks are out already. I pulled about 5 from Cannon. If you want to avoid these pests then keep your pup on the trail.

Back at the Visitors Center the traffic had picked up. The parking lot was nearly full and there were families picnicking and walking their dogs. We spent some time letting the dogs cool down and then it was off to our next hike at the State Arboretum.

Time: 3.5 hours

Length: 5 miles

Gear: daypack – lunch/snack – water – leash – map

Difficulty Level: 2 paws

Scenery: 4 paws

Pack: You and your dog – but trust your comfort level for hiking this distance in the woods on your own.

It’s a great thing that in little over an hour from Northern Virginia you can find yourself riding the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains, along Shenandoah National Park’s Skyline Drive. A quick drive west on I-66 brings you to Front Royal, VA and the north most entry point for the park. This beautiful mountain range offers a menu of options to those of us adventuring with our K-9 companions.

On this day Julie, Karma, Cannon and I set out to complete a 5-mile day hike that had eluded us back in April. And with a summer full of hiking and camping trips planned we each finally bought the park’s season pass at the entry station($15 fee for one week access, $30 fee for the season pass; there is no day pass). Then it was on to mile marker 21, the parking lot just past Hogback overlook on the west side of Skyline Drive. This parking area gets full on nice weekend days. We ended up parking along the road.

There are two trail markers at the south end of the parking lot, so make sure you’re headed in the right direction (I learned this lesson the hard way). We picked up the Appalachian Trail (AT) heading north, which from the start crosses the Skyline Drive. Just over a 1/4 mile in we took a right onto the Sugarloaf Trail (blue-blaze). The mile-and-a-half we trekked on this trail offered up lush woodland views and the trail was lined with blooming wildflowers. Great photo opp. Due to the rain earlier in the week, we found mountain streams running across several sections of the trail. This only slowed our progress when the dogs wanted to stop to get a drink or play in the water.

Tip: This is not the situation you want to find yourself in if you hike in sneakers. If you’re going to hike in this park you should upgrade your footwear.

From here we took a left onto the Pole Bridge Link Trail for just a half-mile and then another left at Fourway Junction, which is cleverly named for the fourway trail intersection, onto Keyser Run Fire Road. At Fourway Junction we found a nice spot to stop for lunch. There’s a portion of a downed tree that you can use to sit on for resting and eating lunch. It’s a shaded but open area at the junction – you can’t miss it. As Julie and I downed some lunch and watered the dogs a family passed with a Golden Retriever. Their dog was pulling hard to come say hello and his owners asked “is it okay if he says hello?” just as the introductory sniffing began. Though we don’t mind saying hello to friendly dogs/hikers along the way this visit meant dropping our lunches and seeing our settled dogs get amped up once again.

Tip: If you’re traveling with your dog remember to ask first if it’s okay to visit and don’t assume the answer will be “yes.”

It was a brief visit. We packed up our daypacks and headed up the fire road. This section of trail is wide enough to accommodate at truck. It was a nice break from the single-file formation we’d taken walking in.

At the top of the trail we crossed over the skyline drive for the second time. We quickly came to a T and headed left, back on the AT but this time heading south. With that last turn behind us, we ascended a short rise and were rewarded with an overlook on Little Hogback Mountain to the Shenandoah Valley and beyond. Moving on – we descended a short distance and followed the trail right (double white blaze) to descend further and then make our way up the first crest of Hogback Mountain. There are approx. 10 switchbacks here to help you up the slope. We took a short stop half-way up to get some water and then it was a quick couple more minutes until we reached the top. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find any views through the trees.

The trail wasn’t without its rewards though. A little further on the AT and we came to a rocky overlook that sits next to a radio tower. Karma thought he was in heaven as he stood at the edge of the rock jetty. He was truly in his element. This is the highest point in the park’s North District and Hogback Mountain’s second crest. After several photos were taken, Julie called Karma to press on.

We descended towards Skyline Drive and crossed over for the third time. A short distance and we could see our cars and headed over the drive for the fourth and final time. The trip took us just around 3.5 hours to complete. We didn’t take much time loading the dogs back into the car and hit’n the road. After all we had to reward ourselves for the afternoon hike and so we stopped for ice cream on the way through Front Royal.

In review: I highly recommend this trip! The Hogback Mountain switchbacks were the most strenuous part of the hike. Otherwise, I’d categories this as an easy trip. If you wanted to do this hike and skip the switchbacks, you could follow the Skyline Drive south (left) when you come to the top of Keyser Run Fire Road. You can either hop back on the AT further down or walk the road back to your car. There’s plenty of grassy shoulder to keep walkers safe along the drive and the speed limit is only 35 mph. This makes for a safe walk even with dogs and kids.

Directions for this hike:

• From the parking lot after Hogback Mountain Overlook, mile 21, cross over the skyline drive on the Appalachian Trail (AT) north
• Turn right onto Sugarloaf Trail (blue blazes)
• At the T go left onto Pole Bridge Link Trail (blue blazes)
• At Fourway Junction stop for lunch or a snack and then go left up Keyser Run Fire Road
• Cross the Skyline Drive and take a left at the T to hop back on the AT, heading South
• Ascend Hogback Mountain via the switchbacks
• Continue straight on the AT and then descend, crossing Skyline Drive
• Follow the AT, cross Skyline Drive to return to the parking lot
• Celebrate with an ice cream and a treat for your pup