Hiking in Sky Meadows

Two+ weeks ago, I led a hike for the Old Dominion Appalachian Trail Club to Sky Meadows State Park.  The weather was chilly but crystal clear, with lots of wind at times.  I'd been there once before, and recommend this park highly.  It is beautiful, has some easy and challenging hikes, some historical sites, and a hike-in campground.  Despite the cold weather, it was a very popular day to be there.

Here is the location of the park (orange circle) in northwest Virginia, not far from where Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia all come together.

Here is the track of the hike, starting and ending at the red star, and moving in a clockwise direction for just over seven miles.  We covered open fields, thick woods, and steep mountains.

By the day of our hike, November 10, there was very little fall foliage left in that part of the state.  I've been out on trails a lot, but have somehow managed to miss the great foliage that happens each fall.  Here is the rest of my hiking crew.  Can you tell that is was cold?

One thing that I liked about this hike was the many miles through open country with nice views.

This white-tailed doe had very little concern as our group hiked past her.

The Blue Ridge doesn't look very blue this time of year.

Some of the group on the trail...

I liked the starkness of these trees against the blue sky.

Once we hiked up the mountains and covered a mile or so on the Appalachian Trail, we headed downhill and had some wonderful views of the Piedmont.  You can see how the park got its name, as we crossed these high meadows surrounded by the sky.

I'd like to return here and maybe snag a few back country campsites for a group, set up camp as a base, and explore the many trails.  Sound good?