SEGMENT 5.
CHESTER GAP TO HARPERS FERRY

34. LAKE THOMPSON

See Hike 10: G. Richard Thompson Wildlife Management Area.

35. SKY MEADOWS STATE PARK

A 3.6-mile piece of the AT runs through this beautiful Virginia state park set hard against the eastern foothills of the Blue Ridge. Large meadows lend the area a pastoral feel, but steep climbs await hikers on North Ridge Trail. Gap Run Trail follows a woodland stream, and Piedmont Overlook Trail features nice views of the meadows that sweep off the mountainside. Sky Meadows operated as a farm in the mid-1800s. A stone farmhouse now serves as a visitor center (seasonal) and there are several outbuildings, including stables for horseback riders. Entrance to the park is on US 17, 1.2 miles south of US 50. An entrance fee varies by season. Call (800) 933-PARK for camping reservations. DeLorme: Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer: Page 75, A5.

36. LOUDOUN HEIGHTS TRAIL

A 2.4-mile stretch of the AT joins the Loudoun Heights Trail for a moderately difficult day hike. There are views over the Potomac from Split Rock, a promontory on Loudoun Heights Trail. (The view also explains why Stonewall Jackson bombarded Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, from this hill in 1862.) This hike requires some roadside trekking on busy US 340 and navigation through Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. There are two access points: Harpers Ferry National Historical Park (fee charged for parking in a secure overnight lot) or a roadside pull-off on US 340 at VA 671 in Virginia (unsecured and suitable for day hikes only). Call the park at (304) 535-6298 or the ATC at (304) 535-6068. In wintertime, the ATC headquarters is closed on weekends. Outfitter at Harpers Ferry, 189 High St., Harpers Ferry, WV (888-535-2087) sells maps. DeLorme: Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer: Page 79, B7.