Dickie Ridge Loop - Shenandoah National Park
At almost 200,000 acreas in size, Shenandoah National Park offers more than 500 miles of hiking trails across the Shenandoah Mountains of Virginia. The park is traversed by the 105 mile long Skyline Drive, which follows ridge lines through the Park, and offers even for those who don’t hike, amazing vistas and experiences along the way. On this trip, we only had a day in the Park, and our day started in Front Royal at the northernmost end of the Park, so we looked to get in a few small hikes in the northern half of the Park. The first we decided to embark on was a 4 mile loop that begins at the Dickie Ridge Visitor Center on Skyline Drive, just a few miles south of the northern entrance of the Park.
The trails begins just across the Skyline Drive from the Dickie Ridge Visitor Center. The Dickie Ridge/Snead Farm Loop is an easy to moderate hike around and over Dickie Hill, with some great views along the way. The entire hike is about 4 miles in length with just over 700 feet of elevation gain. We completed the hike in a little over an hour and a half and it made for a great quick trek to stretch our legs and begin to explore just after we entered the Park.
We began by heading southbound on the Dickie Ridge Trail, starting at the Fox Hollow Trailhead just across Skyline Drive from the Dickie Ridge Visitor Center. From there we followed the Dickie Ridge Trail to the Snead Farm Trail, which we then followed past the old Snead Farm Barn and back to its connection with the Dickie Ridge Trail on the far side of Dickie Hill. We turned northward on the Dickie Ridge Trail at that point, and followed it over Dickie Hill. The trail itself just misses the summit, but there is an unmarked trail to the viewless mountain summit where the FAA maintains navigation equipment. Just down from the summit is a wide open view, which the Dickie Ridge Trail traverses. From here we continued on the Dickie Ridge Trail back to the northern intersection with the Snead Farm Trail and instead of following the Dickie Ridge Trail back to the Fox Hollow Trail, we followed the Snead Farm Trail out to Skyline Drive, crossed Skyline Drive and then walked through the Visitor Center's picnic area back to the parking lot and Visitor Center - making a figure eight hike out of the trip!
Not a hard hike at all, but the trail is well maintained, easy to follow, and has good footing the entire way. As we mentioned, we were able to keep a good pace and spent about an hour and a half completing the 4 mile loop. The views just below the summit of Dickie Hill were stunning, and well worth the time and effort of hiking there.
More Shenandoah National Park Hiking Resources:
Gear we used on this hike:
The trails begins just across the Skyline Drive from the Dickie Ridge Visitor Center. The Dickie Ridge/Snead Farm Loop is an easy to moderate hike around and over Dickie Hill, with some great views along the way. The entire hike is about 4 miles in length with just over 700 feet of elevation gain. We completed the hike in a little over an hour and a half and it made for a great quick trek to stretch our legs and begin to explore just after we entered the Park.
We began by heading southbound on the Dickie Ridge Trail, starting at the Fox Hollow Trailhead just across Skyline Drive from the Dickie Ridge Visitor Center. From there we followed the Dickie Ridge Trail to the Snead Farm Trail, which we then followed past the old Snead Farm Barn and back to its connection with the Dickie Ridge Trail on the far side of Dickie Hill. We turned northward on the Dickie Ridge Trail at that point, and followed it over Dickie Hill. The trail itself just misses the summit, but there is an unmarked trail to the viewless mountain summit where the FAA maintains navigation equipment. Just down from the summit is a wide open view, which the Dickie Ridge Trail traverses. From here we continued on the Dickie Ridge Trail back to the northern intersection with the Snead Farm Trail and instead of following the Dickie Ridge Trail back to the Fox Hollow Trail, we followed the Snead Farm Trail out to Skyline Drive, crossed Skyline Drive and then walked through the Visitor Center's picnic area back to the parking lot and Visitor Center - making a figure eight hike out of the trip!
Not a hard hike at all, but the trail is well maintained, easy to follow, and has good footing the entire way. As we mentioned, we were able to keep a good pace and spent about an hour and a half completing the 4 mile loop. The views just below the summit of Dickie Hill were stunning, and well worth the time and effort of hiking there.
For More Information
You can find this hike on:- National Geographic's Trails Illustrated Map for Shenandoah National Park
- Shenandoah National Park’s Trail Description
- Shenandoah National Park’s Trail Map
More Shenandoah National Park Hiking Resources:
- Hiking Shenandoah National Park: A Guide to the Park's Greatest Hiking Adventures
- Best Easy Day Hikes Shenandoah National Park
- Shenandoah National Park Day Hikes Map
- Top Trails: Shenandoah National Park: 50 Must-Do Hikes for Everyone
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Outdoor Hiking, Backpacking and Camping Guide Services
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Advice and Recommended Gear:
- Goodr Sunglasses
- Osprey Talon 22 Pack
- Osprey Kestrel 38 Pack
- Altra Lone Peak Shoes
- Black Diamond Trail Back Trekking Poles
- Darn Tough Socks
- Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter
- Nalgene 32-ounce Wide-Mouth Water Bottles
- Energizer LED Headlamp
- Columbia Titanium Outdry Ex Reign Jacket
- EMS Epic Active Hoodie
- Patagonia R1 Hooded Zip
- Patagonia R1 Pullover Eddie Baur Guide Pro Pants
- NEMO Chipper Reclaimed Closed-Cell Foam Seat Pad
- Garmin Instinct Watches
- Garmin inReach Plus GPS
- iPhone 13 Pro
Hydration and nutrition for this hike:
- Lenny & Larry's The Complete Cookie
- Gatorade Endurance Carb Energy Chews
- GU Energy Roctane Ultra Endurance Energy Drink
- Jelly Belly Sport Beans - Energizing Jelly Beans
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