Shenandoah Natl Park's RipRap Trail

Rip-Rap Trail runs between Skyline Drive and State Road 612 east of Crimora, about eight miles south of Grottoes. It's absolutely Gorgeous, pun intended. Click on the picture below and see if you can see the stream on the left. The trail is about five miles long top to bottom, and about a mile from the bottom, Wildcat Ridge Trail cuts off and returns to Skyline Drive, albeit about four miles south of the start of RipRap. Hence, it is a nice day-long loop. However, ... I like to start at the bottom. That way, when I get tired, it's downhill back to the car. I took it slow and easy today... there was lots to see -- such as this orange shelf fungus that caught my eye. And the lichen on this rock. Click for the big version. The canopy was solid all the way up, and the shady dale was nice and cool. You simply MUST click on the picture below to appreciate the colors in the rocks in the gorge. When you hike in the forest, you see a lot more than when you drive through the forest. And when you mosey through the forest, you see a lot more than when you hike. Today I was moseying. She didn't even notice that I was standing there. The mountain laurel is in full bloom. I had solid flowers for the first mile.

Click on the pic below and imagine "you are here". Ahhhh, heaven.

The picture below is just over two miles up the trail. The cascade empties into a pool that has to be at least 20 feet deep. Lots of huge trout swimming around, possibly as big as 10-12-inches. Click and look closely at the top above the cascade... those are pink rhododendrons blooming up there.

Words cannot begin to describe the solitude, the peace, the feeling of enjoyment I get from being out here...

The mountain laurel dominated the lower mile, the rhododendron started kicking in about a mile up. Solid flowers all the way...

Click below and see if you can see the rhododendrons up above the stream...

What is the plant below? Hint: it's used to make original root beer!

This is where I turned around to come back down. It is just under three miles up from the bottom -- a great walk in the woods.

You can't get lost.

Very enjoyable...