Let’s Check it Out

Since the last time we had camped there, Mathews Arm Campground had been updated, and we were interested to see how it had changed. In past visits, we had reserved one of the sites between A42 and A55, but you can no longer book those in advance. Instead, we grabbed the last site available for a weekend in late September, site C150.

After work on a Friday, we arrived at Mathews Arm Campground around 8pm. This was later than we wanted, but we still looked forward to a weekend of both relaxing and hiking. We went into the restrooms to brush our teeth and discovered a welcome addition – handsoap. In the past, there had only been hand sanitizer.

The campground seemed unusually crowded, probably due to the density of campsites in the C-loop. That night, we could hear people talking until after midnight. Many were still out around their campfires – some were yelling, others were playing loud music. We’ve found other campgrounds in national parks to be quiet; even Seawall Campground in Acadia, which has some crowded areas, was much quieter.

We didn’t see any rangers or campground staff around, so I guess no one was enforcing quiet hours. It’s hard to get quality sleep while camping, and the constant noise made it hard to fall asleep. Conversely, it’s generally been very quiet at night during previous visits. During a past visit, we even heard a ranger asking campers to let her know if other groups were disturbing them.

In the morning, we discovered we had forgotten our camp stove. So went to Elkwallow Wayside, a nearby camp store, to grab some breakfast. We had been there several times in the past to get firewood and random supplies we had forgotten at home.

Elkwallow is about 3 miles from Mathews Arm and also has gift shop items and basic hot food. T got a bacon, egg, and cheese muffin with hashbrowns, and I got sausage and egg on toast, also with hashbrowns. The servers were friendly and very accommodating of my dietary restriction. All the seating is outdoor, which you might expect. So we ate our breakfast at a sunny picnic table. The food was kind of like what you’d get at a fast food place. It filled us up and was better than cold pop-tarts.

After breakfast, we were both ready for a day of hiking. We had recently done a backpacking trip at Overall Run Falls, which is near Mathews Arm. So we decided to drive a bit further and hike a loop trail for Dark Hollow Falls and Rose River, which is close to Big Meadows Campground.

Dinner Time

When we returned to the campground that evening, we had to rely on our fire-building skills and the campsite grill since we had forgotten our stove. We had trouble getting it to light, but a couple in the adjacent site helped us out by giving us some fire starters. And we gratefully headed on to our main course of hot dogs and canned beans. And of course, s’mores!

After our gourmet meal, we cleaned up and slowly made our way toward our tent. We wondered if people would be loud again. To prepare ourselves for what might be a long night, we brought a national parks Trivial Pursuit deck we had bought at a gift shop on one of our adventures. It was a good thing we had something to do, and we were surprised to hear people making noise again until well after midnight.

Somehow, we finally got to sleep.

Campground Layout

In the morning, we packed up and drove around the campground to see whether any other major changes had taken place, aside from the addition of hand soap. It looked like bear boxes had been added to campsites on the perimeter of the campground.

Sites A23 through A53 (odd) seem relatively private. These sites also have pull-through parking rather than back-in, which we prefer. Sites A1 through A15 (odd) are relatively isolated from other sites, but will get more traffic since all vehicles entering the campground have to drive through this area.

All traffic must exit past sites A72 through A116, so there may also be more traffic in this part of the campground. However, the sites on the perimeter of the campground (mostly even-numbered sites) looked spacious.

Final Thoughts

On our way out of the park, we stopped at Apple House, a popular restaurant in Front Royal, Virginia, to grab brunch. The place is well-known for its doughnuts and located close to Shenandoah’s northern entrance. While we munched on pancakes and pulled pork, we discussed our thoughts on the changes to our most-frequented campground. Overall, we couldn’t argue with the changes to the campground itself, namely bear boxes and hand soap. But we were disappointed in the noise and the change in the site reservation system.

We hoped the late-night noise was a fluke. We also questioned why the denser sites are reservable, while the quiet, less-dense sites are walk-in only. We’ll probably go back and try for a walk-in site, but I wouldn’t stay in the C-loop again. I might reserve a site on the B-loop in hopes that it would be quieter. Either way, we hope our next visit to Mathews Arm Campground is more peaceful.

Mathews Arm Campground | 167 Campsites

• Location: Shenandoah National Park, Northern District, Skyline Drive Mile Marker 22.1 (Google Maps Directions)
• Amenities: Potable Water | Fire Pits | Picnic Table | Flush Toilets | Bear Boxes on Perimeter Campsites
• Dates Open: Early May – Late October
• Prices: $15/night for campsite | $50/night for a group campsite
• Highlights: Closest campground to North Entrance
• Best Sites: Perimeter sites on A loop and generator-free sites on B loop. Avoid C Loop if you’re looking for peace and quiet.
• Notes: Sites B117-B141, C146-C164, and D165-D167 (group sites) can be reserved up to 6 months in advance. Generator-free sites are A42-A64 and B128-B141. Elkwallow Wayside is less than 3 miles away for camping supplies.

Places

• Mathews Arm Campground | Skyline Drive, Mile Marker 22.1
• Elkwallow Wayside | Skyline Drive, Mile Marker 24.1 | Open Sunday – Monday 9am – 6pm, Saturday 9am – 7pm | Breakfast served 9am – 11am, Lunch 11am – Closing | Closed in winter
• Apple House | 4675 John Marshall Hwy, Linden, VA 22642 | Open Monday 7am – 5pm, Tuesday – Sunday 7am – 8pm

Maps

• Mathews Arm Campground Map (NPS)

Links

• Mathews Arm Reservations (Recreation.gov)

The post Mathews Arm Campground appeared first on KTNPBlog.

Type: 2-day Backpacking Lollipop Loop
Distance: Overall 11.6 miles (18.7 km).  Day 1 – 5.5 miles (8.9 km).  Day 2 – 6.1 miles (9.8 km).
Cumulative Elevation Gain/Loss: 3,296 feet (1,005 m)
Net Elevation Gain/Loss: 2,624 feet (800 m)
Date Visited: May 12, 2018 – May 13, 2018
Overall Run & Beecher Ridge Trail Map (KTNP)

I had been wanting to check out Overall Run Falls in Shenandoah National Park for some time.  At 93 feet, Overall Run Falls is the highest waterfall in the park, but you don’t hear as much about it as other waterfalls like Dark Hollow Falls or White Oak Canyon.  So on a warm spring day, we went to see for ourselves.  We planned for a one-night backpacking trip to see the falls and make a lollipop loop with Overall Run and Heiskell Hollow Trail.  Our plans changed slightly during the hike, and we returned on Beecher Ridge Trail instead of Heiskell Hollow Trail, creating an 11.6 mi lollipop.  Either way, the route has the benefit of being in the Shenandoah’s Northern District – the closest one to the DC area and our house!  The route is also near Mathews Arm Campground, where we’ve stayed plenty of times.

Our plans in place, we drove to a small parking lot near Hogback Overlook at mile marker 21 on Skyline Drive.  We managed to grab the last parking spot there.  We wanted to eat a quick lunch before starting our hike, but we were immediately swarmed by small bugs.  K was content to sit on a rock while she ate, but the bugs annoyed me so much I chose to eat in the car.

Day 1 – Tuscarora-Overall Run Trail

Once ready, we set out south on the Appalachian Trail.  We would only be on the AT for about 0.3 miles before heading onto Tuscarora-Overall Run Trail.  The trees near the trailhead were still pretty bare, which was surprising since we visited in mid-May.  As the trail descended the trees became fuller and the wildflowers more scarce.

The AT was easy going, and in no time, we turned right onto Tuscarora-Overall Run Trail.  We would be on this trail until it split into two separate trails, Tuscarora and Overall Run.  The sun shone, and we made good progress as we continued to descend.  I knew the next day would be a quad buster and pretty much all uphill.  There weren’t many other hikers on this trail, which was surprising considering the parking lot at Hogsback was full.

We passed an intersection with Traces Trail, and more colorful wildflowers appeared.  I’ve always enjoyed hiking in the spring and seeing wildflowers like geraniums, violets, wild azalea, and orchids.  We pass over a couple small, probably intermittent, streams.  Near one stream are a few budding false hellebore wildflowers.  Suddenly, we heard something in the woods nearby.  Black bears are common here, but it turned out to be just a deer.

The trail continued until we passed Mathews Arm Trail on our left, which leads to Mathews Arm Campground.  We starting to see more hikers since the campground is so close.  In fact, Mathews Arm trailhead is closer to Overall Run Falls than Hogback Overlook parking lot is.  Soon we saw our first falls – not Overall Run Falls, but a smaller group of falls.  We decided to take a break and enjoy the views, even though many day hikers and a few backpackers were milling around too.

Pressing on, we quickly arrived at Overall Run Falls.  This is the longest waterfall in the park.  And?  It was pretty, but other waterfalls in the park are more impressive.  Perhaps it would be more eye-catching after a big rain.  Tree cover partially obstructed our view, which is already a good distance from the falls, and the base of the waterfall is hidden from view.  But don’t let that dissuade you; I still recommend checking it out.  Near the falls are several overlooks, including a picturesque view of the Massanutten Mountains to the west.

There are signs indicating that you shouldn’t camp on the falls side of the trail.  You could camp on the other side, though we didn’t notice any established campsites on that section of trail, and with all the people, I don’t think it would be particularly peaceful.  Immediately after we passed the sign saying that you could camp again on either side, we saw a couple hammock camping.  It’s possible they had a view of the falls from where they were, but it was hard to tell.  We weren’t ready to put up our tent yet, so we kept going.  We saw a few established campsites (check them out on the map below), but we planned to camp along Overall Run Trail.

Down we went, as the trail continued to descend.  Overall Run flows right next to and over the trail, so we had two easy stream crossings.  We came upon a family backpacking with two children who were taking a break on the side of the trail.  They looked exhausted from the uphill climb.  We commiserated, knowing we would ascend the next day.  We mentioned a nice established campsite that we had passed, waved goodbye, and continued on.

Day 1 – Overall Run Trail

Saying goodbye to Tuscarora Trail as it headed northwest, we continued onto Overall Run Trail.  Shenandoah’s website mentions a side trail to some cascades after Tuscarora Trail splits.  We weren’t sure what to expect, but the word “cascades” intrigued us.  So when we came to a junction – on our right was an established campsite; on our left, a social trail – we took the social trail in search of the cascades.

The cascades, it turns out, are a series of waterfalls, slides, and swimming holes.  It was a hot, muggy, buggy, humid day and I wanted to dive in.  There were a lot of visitors, as an access trail called Thompson Hollow leads there after about 1.1 miles.  My mind wrestled with itself as I thought about taking a dip, because we probably should keep going and make camp.  On the other hand, the water was so inviting with its sparkly blue-green tint.  We settled for walking alongside the flowing water past a series of scenic pools.  In addition to being pressed for time, there were other swimmers in the pools, so we just climbed on the rocks and enjoyed the water features before hiking back onto Overall Run Trail to find a campsite.  We discussed returning to the cascades after setting up camp if we had time (we didn’t).

The nearby campsite was an option, but we wanted more privacy.  I scouted ahead of K, onto Overall/Beecher Connector Trail where I found a site, but it was already occupied.  So we located another site near the end of Overall Run Trail.  It was close enough to Overall Run that we had a good source of water, and was far enough off the trail to offer some privacy.  We set up our tent, ate dinner, then went in search of the perfect branch to hang our bear bag.  We always seem to have trouble finding a branch that’s high enough, long enough, and thick enough to support our food and scented items, but we did the best we could.  We went to sleep with heat lightning illuminating the sky.

Day 2 – Beecher Ridge Trail

Drip…drip…drip…dripdrip…dripdripdripdrip…woooshhhh!!!  Around 1am, we were awakened to the sounds of a torrential rain storm.  The forecast had said there was a small chance, but we had risked it.  Turns out, we had lost our bet with the weather.  Luckily, while there was lightning, it was far away.  I love hearing the sound of rain as I fall asleep, but I’m not a big fan of hiking in the rain.  Our tent kept us (and our gear) cozy and dry though.  It poured for the rest of the night, until around 6am.  We decided that we’d sleep for only an hour or so and then get up and go.  But we were awakened again, by more rain.  So we were lazy and decided to wait it out.

We woke up again around 9am, which is the middle of the day for some backpackers, but at least the rain had stopped again.  We quickly made oatmeal for breakfast and packed up.  Our tent left a nice dry patch where it had been.  Thankfully, we were dry, but the world around us was soaked.  And this would be the day with a lot of elevation gain, compared to the elevation loss we had the previous day.  There were fewer bugs due to the rain (at least initially), and it had gotten cooler.  But it had also become even more humid, and the bugs would be back before we knew it.

Our initial plan was to hike south on Beecher Ridge Trail, until the intersection with Heiskell Hollow Trail, where we would head east.  But since we got a later start than intended, we decided to cut off a couple miles and hike back east on Beecher Ridge Trail.  We didn’t know whether it would start storming again or not.  The sun had come out just in time for our first major incline of the trip.

Beecher Ridge Trail is pretty much all uphill, and it was again buggy, muggy, and humid.  Even with the uphill, we were making good time.  We stopped for a break and were immediately swarmed by gnats.  We could only stand around for a bit before we had to start moving again to get away from the bugs.  The trail was very green, narrow in some places, and almost overgrown.  Not a trail that sees a lot of use.  Since the previous day at the cascades, we hadn’t seen anyone yet.  Beecher Ridge Trail is also an area that is supposed to have a large concentration of black bears.  We didn’t see any, but we kept an eye out.

There is no rest for the incline on this trail, and it wasn’t until we reached the intersection with Matthews Arm Trail that we had any relief.  A ton of people (and thankfully, fewer insects) streamed past us on Matthews Arm Trail as we took a quick break.  This portion of trail leads to Overall Run Falls, so we weren’t surprised – in fact, the falls were probably more spectacular after the previous night’s storm.

Continuing on, we turned left on Matthew’s Arm Trail to see what we thought were black and orange butterflies dancing close to us.  As we stop and watch, we realized that they were actually birds!  They were beautiful, and we think they were American Redstarts, but it’s hard to know for sure.  They were gone before we knew it, so I couldn’t get a photo.  We continued on, and crossed Overall Run, where the rain had caused the stream to swell up and inundate the trail.  We decided it was a good spot to filter some water since I was running low.

The intersection with Tuscarora-Overall Run Trail came, and we had completed the main loop.  Heading right, there was – only – a very long incline over 2.4 miles to get back to our car.  I don’t mind doing the incline last in a trip, but I prefer hikes where you get the incline over with first.  We make it back to our car, which was wet and muddy from the downpour.  We were starving, so we headed to Sperryville to grab a burger at Headmaster’s Pub.  The chipotle mayo there is amazing.  I could drink it.  As we sat there gorging on burgers and fries, the sky opened up and poured.  We had finished the hike just in time!

Overall, the hike was very enjoyable and made for a nice 1-night backpacking trip.  It had some special waterfalls, inviting swimming holes, and beautiful views.  Someday we’ll make it back and do Heiskell Hollow Trail too.  But for now, we checked off somewhere I’d been wanting to see for awhile.

Overall Run & Beecher Ridge Trails
Dates: We did this backpacking trip from May 12, 2018 to May 13, 2018
Type: Lollipop Loop
Total Distance: 11.6 miles (18.7 km) round trip
Cumulative Elevation Gain/Loss: 3,296 feet (1,005 m)
Net Elevation Gain/Loss: 2,624 feet (800 m)

• Day 1 (estimates depend on campsite):
  • Distance: 5.5 miles (8.9 km)
  • Overall Cumulative Gain and Loss: 371 feet (113 m) Gain, 2969 feet (905 m) Loss
  • Time: 4.5 hours hiking including occasional breaks
  • Overnight: A site along Overall Run Trail
• Day 2 (estimates depend on campsite):
  • Distance: 6.1 miles (9.8 km)
  • Overall Cumulative Gain and Loss: 2924 feet (891 m) Gain, 327 feet (100 m) Loss
  • Time: 5 hours hiking including lunch and rest breaks

Trail Markings: Well-marked with yellow, blue, and white blazes depending on the trail type
Difficulty: Moderate, decent elevation gain but otherwise not too bad
Crowds:  Lots of people near Overall Run and Mathews Arm, otherwise only saw a few groups.
Water: Plenty of streams, waterfalls, swimming pools
Directions to Overall Run Trail Parking: Google Maps Directions
Trail Directions: 

• Mile 0.0 – From the small parking lot near Hogback Overlook, head southwest on the white blazed Appalachian Trail.  The trail will ascend slightly, then descend.
• Mile 0.4 – Turn right onto the blue blazed Tuscarora-Overall Run Trail.
• Mile 1.0 – Pass Traces Trail on your left.  Bear right to stay on Tuscarora-Overall Run Trail.
• Mile 2.6 – Pass Mathews Arm Trail on your left.  Continue straight on Tuscarora-Overall Run Trail.  A small group of waterfalls is on the left after about 1,000 feet.
• Mile 3.0 – On your left is Overall Run Falls!  Enjoy from afar.
• Mile 4.9 – You’ve reached the end of Tuscarora-Overall Run Trail.  Continue straight onto Overall Run Trail (still blue blazed).
• Mile 5.0 – To the left, a social trail leads away from Overall Run Trail.  Check out the cascades, a series of waterfalls and swimming holes.  When you’re finished, head back out the same way to Overall Run Trail.  Continue on Overall Run Trail and look for a campsite along the next 0.6 miles.
• Mile 5.6 – Overall Run Trail ends; turn left onto the Overall-Beecher Connector Trail.
• Mile 6.3 – The trail runs into the yellow blazed Beecher Ridge Trail.  Yellow blazes means the trail is shared with horses.  Take the left side of Beecher Ridge Trail, which starts gaining elevation.  Beecher Ridge is supposed to have a high concentration of black bears, so stay alert and make noise!
• Mile 8.6 – Beecher Ridge Trail ends; turn left onto Matthews Arm Trail.
• Mile 9.0 – The loop is complete; turn right onto blue blazed Tuscarora-Overall Run Trail, which you were on the previous day.
• Mile 10.6 – Stay left to continue on Tuscarora-Overall Run Trail.
• Mile 11.2 – Turn left onto the white blazed Appalachian Trail.
• Mile 11.6 – Back at the parking lot.

Highlights: Waterfalls, streams, wildlife, views

Places:
Hogsback Overlook Parking Lot | 38.7612, -78.2822
Overall Run Falls | 38.78335, -78.29449
Mathews Arm Campground | Rileyville, VA 22650
Headmaster’s Pub | 12018 Lee Hwy, Sperryville, VA 22740

Maps:
Overall Run & Beecher Ridge Trail Map (KTNP)
Mathews Arm Area Map (NPS)

Links:
Shenandoah Overall Run and Beecher Ridge Trip Guide (NPS)
Shenandoah Backcountry Regulations (NPS)
Shenandoah Backcountry Planning (NPS)

The post Backpacking Overall Run & Beecher Ridge Trails appeared first on KTNPBlog.