Life Outside Spring 2018 - 19

of Staunton for about 10 miles to Buffalo Gap,
where it merges with state Route 42 at the Junction
Convenience Store. From the store, continue for
exactly 3.4 miles. On your right, you'll see the dirt
pull-in for a gated forest road. Park.
The Hike: Past the gate, follow the yellow-blazed
road through a number of meadows and thinning
trail segments to the steep access road near the
top, continuing to the summit.
Doyles River Falls / Jones Run Loop,
Shenandoah National Park. 8.5 miles

What to Expect: This popular loop will carry you
through the SNP via side trails and a couple good
stretches of A.T. The route passes through boulderstrewn gorges alongside spring-fed creeks, and
features three waterfalls-the 42-foot Jones Run
Falls, as well as 63- and 28-footers on Doyles River.
Get There: As in directions to Riprap, but continue
north to milepost 82.9, parking in the Browns Gap
parking lot on your left.
The Hike: From the lot, set out south on the A.T.
for 1.4 miles, turning left onto the blue-blazed
Jones Run Trail. Follow for about 2.3 miles to the
intersection with the Doyles River Trail. There,
turn left up the hill, following the blue-blazed DRT
to the A.T.. There, you will turn left, following the
A.T. south for 1.5 miles to return to Browns Gap.

DRIVE
The Overlook at Reddish Knob, North
River.

What to Expect: This trip will carry you into the
northwestern part of the county to the Virginia /
West Virginia border, deep in the George Washington
and Jefferson National Forests. An isolated singlelane asphalt road leads to an old parking lot at the
otherwise grassy 4,437-foot summit. From there,
you'll catch views of the Ramsey's Draft Wilderness
to the south, Shenandoah Valley to the East, and,
far to the west, the Alleghanies.
Get There: Follow U.S. 11 north from Staunton
for about 30 miles to Ashby. There, you'll turn left
onto Va. 727. Follow for 3.4 miles, then turn right
onto Va. 613. Go 2.3 miles and hang a left on Va. 257.
Continue for about 6 miles, where the road becomes
Va. 924. In another 6.7 miles, turn left onto Forest
Road 85. Go 2 miles and take a slight left onto the
Reddish Knob Spur. Reach the summit in .4 miles.
The Overlook at Fort Edward Johnson,
West Augusta.

What to Expect: Not far from Staunton is one of
the most beautiful - and frequently photographed
- overlooks in the state of Virginia. Follow historic
and scenery-rich U.S. 250 through the tiny town
of Churchville into the George Washington and
Jefferson National Forests. The road winds through
wooded mountains to the site of this former

VIRGINIA RIDGELINE
Reddish Knob offers
360-degree views from just
over 4,400 feet.

PAT AND CHUCK BLACKLEY

LifeOutsideMag.com // Spring 2018

http://www.LifeOutsideMag.com

Life Outside Spring 2018

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