Hiking Shenandoah: Hawksbill Mountain Summit Hike

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Shenandoah National Park stretches over 100 miles through the center of Virginia.    There are dozens of hiking trails.  One of the most popular is the Hawksbill Summit hike.  This takes you to the top of Hawksbill Mountain, the highest point in the park.

• Starting Point: Lower Hawksbill Trailhead, Skyline Drive mile 45.5
• Length: 1.8 miles
• Elevation: 700 ft gain and loss
• Type: out-and-back

The heart of Shenandoah National Park is the Skyline Drive.  Shenandoah is a long, skinny park that runs about 105 miles from north to south.  The Skyline Drive is the primary road running through the park.  Attractions in Shenandoah are labeled by what mile marker they are on starting from the north entrance at Front Royal.

The Hawksbill Mountain area is between mile markers 45 and 47.  The speed limit on Skyline Drive is 35 miles an hour so it is over an hour drive from the north Front Royal entrance.  The nearest entrance is Thornton Gap at mile marker 31.5.  The Swift Run Gap entrance is at mile marker 65.7.

There are multiple ways to hike Hawksbill Mountain.  The official map can be found here.

There is a lower parking lot at mile marker 45.5 and an upper parking lot at mile marker 46.5.  Three trails converge at the summit: Salamander Trail, Upper Hawksbill Trail and Lower Hawksbill Trail.

You can combine Salamander Trail and Lower Hawksbill Trail to create a 2.9 mile Hawksbill Summit loop.  Salamander Trail is not as steep as Lower Hawksbill Trail so they recommend you hike up that way and come back on Salamander.

We picked the most direct route, hiking straight up Lower Hawksbill Trail and going back the same way.  This is a 1.7-mile hike with a 700 foot elevation gain. Time was short for us, but we wanted a good workout.

A highlight for us on this hike was seeing a bear cub.  Shenandoah is noted for its bears and it is always exciting to spot one.  With a bear cub you need to keep your distance because protective mama bear is often nearby.

Both the Hawksbill Summit loop and Lower Hawksbill trail start at mile marker 45.5.  The Upper Hawksbill Trail at mile marker 46.5 is actually rated as the easiest hike.  This is a 2.1 mile out-and-back hike with a 500-foot elevation gain.

Whatever trail you take it will lead you to Hawksbill Summit at 4,051 feet.  Near the top is a shelter called Byrd’s Nest shelter.  Be sure and head past this shelter to the viewing platform to get great views of Shenandoah Valley below.

Overall Hawksbill Mountain is a great hike because it is not too long but provides a good cardio workout.  Of course, the scenery is spectacular.

Be sure and see our full guide to our Shenandoah visit here.

Guide to Visiting Shenandoah National Park

Shenandoah National Park is located in the center of Virginia.  This long park is in the Blue Ridge Mountains with a scenic view overlooking the valleys below.  This is our guide to Shenandoah National Park. Overview Shenandoah National Park is long and skinny.  The park runs 100 miles in length but is rarely more than […]

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