Parking
Use the designated Pass Mountain boundary spaces on the east side of U.S. 211, across the highway from the cement trail post. Cross the road to start; the access table lists room for four cars.
Overview
About Pass Mountain and Piney Ridge Loop
Why go
- A full two-day boundary circuit includes a Piney Ridge backcountry overnight.
- Hull School passes former home and school sites.
Heads up
- Long, mountainous mileage makes this a serious two-day commitment.
- The parking-lot connection to Hull School is unmarked.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Shenandoah map
Full mapElevation1,450–3,054 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 Pass Mountain and Piney Ridge Loop, 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 area
A Journey Across Generations0:00 / 0:32
“If you see a monarch visiting wildflowers, its family may be on a journey that takes several generations. In spring and summer, successive generations move north, laying eggs on milkweed along the way.”
Plays on the road 0.1 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Shenandoah Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Turkeys in the Treetops
- Wilderness Within the Park
- Tunnel Parking Overlook: A View and a Road-Building Story
- Panorama: The Climb to Marys Rock
- 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 Pass Mountain and Piney Ridge Loop
The circuitPass Mountain and Piney Ridge is a strenuous, 22.9-mile, two-day backcountry loop from U.S. 211.
Pass Mountain and Piney Ridge is a strenuous, 22.9-mile, two-day backcountry loop from U.S. 211. It climbs Pass Mountain, turns north on the Appalachian Trail to Rocky Branch, crosses to Hull School and Fork Mountain, then follows Piney Ridge and the southbound AT back over Pass Mountain. Plan about 16 hours of hiking across two days, plus the overnight. The printed itinerary calls it 21 miles, but its daily ranges add to 21.6–23.6 miles; tracing the connected route as directed measures 22.9. Carry a detailed North District map: the directions date to 2012, and the unmarked connection from the Rocky Branch parking lot to Hull School is easy to miss.
Day one to Piney RidgeFrom the Pass Mountain boundary access, cross U.S.
From the Pass Mountain boundary access, cross U.S. 211 to the cement post and climb about 3 miles to the AT. Go north 1.9 miles, turn onto Rocky Branch for 0.4 mile, then cross the paved lot to the unmarked Hull School connection. Hull School runs about 2.9 miles to Fork Mountain; follow Fork Mountain for 1.2 miles, then climb Piney Ridge. Find a permitted dry-camp area along the ridge; the route does not end at a fixed campground.
The returnContinue on Piney Ridge until you have covered about 2 miles from Fork Mountain, then take the…
Continue on Piney Ridge until you have covered about 2 miles from Fork Mountain, then take the short service road to the AT. Turn south for about 8.2 miles. The route offers water options near Elkwallow Gap, but check availability and do not count on untreated natural water. Turn onto Pass Mountain for the final 3-mile descent to the boundary access.
Water, camping, and petsCollect and treat water before the overnight climb; Piney Ridge is a dry-camp.
Collect and treat water before the overnight climb; Piney Ridge is a dry-camp. A backcountry camping permit and park entrance pass are required. Pets are allowed on this route on a physical leash no longer than 6 feet, but the long, mountainous two-day outing is a serious endurance test for a dog.
The Thornton RiverThe itinerary identifies Thornton River as its one major stream crossing.
The itinerary identifies Thornton River as its one major stream crossing. It can run high after heavy rain and sometimes in spring; if the crossing looks unsafe, turn around rather than trying to force it.
Hull School's earlier residentsThe Hull School Trail passes former home and school sites.
The Hull School Trail passes former home and school sites. That short historic stretch adds a human story to a route otherwise defined by long ridge climbs, forest trails, and a quiet overnight on Piney Ridge.
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.
