Parking
Older hiking accounts describe parking in the grassy meadow beside the Powell Gap sign on Skyline Drive. Current designated parking and capacity are unconfirmed; check park guidance before relying on roadside parking.
Overview
About Powell Gap
Why go
- A short Appalachian Trail climb reaches a distinctive rock ledge.
- The outcrop gives a close view into Bacon Hollow.
Heads up
- The half-mile climb is steep and rocky.
- The view is limited compared with larger park overlooks.
Powell Gap is a one-mile out-and-back on the white-blazed Appalachian Trail to a small rock outcrop, then back the same way. The ledge is about half a mile from the gap. Allow about an hour for the steep climb and descent; the full walk gains roughly 300 feet. The tread is rocky and uneven, so the short distance does not make it a flat stroll. Go for a quick ridge walk and a closer look into Bacon Hollow; the view is limited and similar to nearby Bacon Hollow Overlook, rather than a broad summit panorama.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this short climb worth it?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Shenandoah map
Full mapElevation2,336–2,628 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 Powell Gap, 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
Bacon Hollow Overlook: Toward the Piedmont0:00 / 0:18
“You're nearing Bacon Hollow Overlook, a short roadside stop for a south-facing view across forested slopes toward Virginia's Piedmont. That's the rolling country between the Blue Ridge and the Coastal Plain.”
Plays on the road 0.5 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Shenandoah Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Rocky Mount Overlook: A Tree-Framed Mountain View
- A Red Bird High in the Leaves
- Beldor Hollow Overlook: Two Views from One Pullout
- Sandy Bottom Overlook: The Community Below
- 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 Powell Gap
Follow the AT to the ledgeStart at Powell Gap on Skyline Drive, then take the AT south.
Start at Powell Gap on Skyline Drive, then take the AT south. The Appalachian Trail climbs gently through forest at first, gets steeper, then levels near the ridge. Mountain laurel borders parts of the route. The small greenstone outcrop appears beside the trail around the half-mile mark. The AT continues south toward Flattop Mountain; turn around at the ledge for this short hike.
From the rock, look east into Bacon Hollow, with Hightop's long ridge to the north. Bacon Hollow Overlook and a piece of Skyline Drive are also visible. For a photo, keep the ledge across the lower frame so the rock helps show where the viewpoint sits above the valley.
Access and simple prepOlder hiking accounts describe parking in the grassy meadow by the Powell Gap sign, but current…
Older hiking accounts describe parking in the grassy meadow by the Powell Gap sign, but current parking authorization and capacity are not established. Check current park guidance before relying on roadside parking. Shenandoah requires an entrance pass. Dogs are allowed on this route under the park's normal rule, on a physical leash no longer than six feet. Food, drinking water, and restrooms were not identified at the trailhead or on the route, so bring what you need.
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.
