Time: 2 hours
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.
