Little Calf Mountain

Little Calf Mountain is a rounded summit near Shenandoah’s southern end, reached from Beagle Gap on the Appalachian Trail. The top opens into a grassy meadow marked by a brown summit sign, with room to pause and take in the ridges. It’s a pleasant short hike if you’re already in the South District and want a walk to a view; the payoff is modest beside the park’s bigger summit outings. This is Little Calf Mountain, not the farther Calf Mountain summit or the roadside Calf Mountain Overlook.

Near Skyline Drive milepost 99.5, park in the large lot across the road from the Beagle Gap sign. The trail starts at the lot’s northwest corner, through an opening in a wooden fence. Follow the northbound white blazes across a grassy field and into young forest. The fork in the woods is easy to misread: another footpath looks more obvious, but the white blazes mark the Appalachian Trail. The meadow is about 0.9 mile in, making roughly a 1.7-mile out-and-back with 364 feet of climbing. Allow about an hour. The start has little signage, so don’t keep driving to the separate Beagle Gap Overlook at milepost 100. There’s a portable toilet at the lot; have your park entrance pass ready for Skyline Drive.

The meadow looks toward Bear Den and Scott mountains and the Rockfish Valley. Bear Den Mountain’s radio towers stand out across Skyline Drive, while haze can hide the farther ridges. For a photo, keep some of the open grass in the foreground and the ridges behind it; the towers give you a recognizable point to pick out.