Parking
Park at Jewell Hollow Overlook on Skyline Drive, mile 36.4, then take the short access path to the Appalachian Trail. Park admission is required for Skyline Drive access.
Overview
About Leading Ridge Trail
Why go
- A tough ridge workout packed into a short out-and-back
Heads up
- The steep descent becomes a demanding climb on the return
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Shenandoah map
Full mapElevation1,896–3,392 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Shenandoah alerts
- ClosureOld Rag Trailhead main lot closedThe Old Rag Trailhead main parking lot is closed to vehicles and pedestrians for infrastructure improvements; use the existing overflow lots. - Work is expected to be completed by November 2026.Official details
- ClosureBackcountry camping and zone closuresBackcountry camping is prohibited on the Appalachian Trail from Lewis Mountain to Big Meadows, and the Naked Creek backcountry zone is closed.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Shenandoah Tour Guide
Your drive to Leading Ridge Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Shenandoah National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Shenandoah audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Jewell Hollow Overlook: Ridges and Morning Star Lake0:00 / 0:19
“Jewell Hollow Overlook is coming up, with a north-northwest view across layered ridges. Leading Ridge is nearest, with Jewell Hollow behind it and Morning Star Lake to the left.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Shenandoah Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Pinnacles Picnic Grounds: Lunch and a Four-Sided Fireplace
- Pinnacles Overlook: Old Rag Across the Valley
- Corbin Cabin Cutoff: A Steep Walk to a Log Home
- Meadow Spring: Summit View or Hidden Falls
- 146 audio storiesacross Shenandoah’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Bald Eagle, White-tailed Deer, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 163 trails, 142 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Leading Ridge Trail
The hikeLeading Ridge Trail is a roughly 2.7-mile out-and-back from Jewell Hollow Overlook.
Leading Ridge Trail is a roughly 2.7-mile out-and-back from Jewell Hollow Overlook. A short access path and Appalachian Trail approach bring you to the named ridge trail, which climbs to about 3,400 feet before dropping steeply toward the park's western boundary. Allow about 2½–3 hours. This is a short, demanding hike for people who want a hard climb, not a casual overlook walk.
The steep partFollow the Appalachian Trail to the Leading Ridge marker. The branch climbs for about 0.
Follow the Appalachian Trail to the Leading Ridge marker. The branch climbs for about 0.2 mile, then loses roughly 1,500 feet over about a mile toward the boundary. Some pitches exceed a 30% grade. The return retraces the same route, so the long descent becomes the main climb.
Turn back on park landKeep this as an out-and-back and turn around before leaving the park.
Keep this as an out-and-back and turn around before leaving the park. Available route descriptions do not pin down a current turn marker, so stay on the park side; access from Route 669 is private. Dogs may join this route on a physical leash no longer than six feet. Park admission is required to drive Skyline Drive.
Look across the ridge firstThe overlook faces north-northwest.
The overlook faces north-northwest. Leading Ridge is the nearest ridge, with Jewell Hollow behind it and Morning Star Lake to the left. Take a look before starting: it helps you pick out the ridge you are about to walk. The trailhead is the Jewell Hollow Overlook parking area at Skyline Drive mile 36.4.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Shenandoah
325 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
21 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
1,036 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
167 sightingsWild TurkeyMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
93 sightingsTimber RattlesnakeMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
24 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Shenandoah. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
