For travelers entering Shenandoah National Park at Front Royal, the hike up to Compton Peak is an interesting short hike.
The Appalachian Trail and Sidetrails
My wife and I made the 1.2 mile one-way trip up on the Appalachian Trail from Jenkins Gap (near Skyline Drive Milepost 12). Alternatively, hikers can opt for a shorter 0.8 mile hike on the AT beginning the trip from Compton Gap (near Skyline Drive Milepost 10).
One at the top, there are blue-blazed sidetrails in both directions leading to nice views. The sidetrail continuing uphill climbs over Compton Peak (elevation 2909) and leads to a nice view. The sidetrail on the downhill side of the Appalachian Trail leads to the top of a small cliff, where the trail appears to end. However, look for blazes and you will find that the trail continues to descend, leading to a display of columnar basalt. The rock formation reminds me of The Giant’s Causeway in Ireland.
Wildlife
When hiking in Shenandoah National Park, you never know exactly what you might be lucky enough to see. On our trip, we smelled, but did not see, a skunk. We also saw numerous jewelweed/touch-me-not wildflowers along the trail and many bugbane/black snakeroot wildflowers near the parking lot. Due to breezy conditions, I could not capture any good pictures of the flowers on our trip. Near the summit, I believe we found chicken-of-the-woods.
Resources
The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club offers a detailed guide to the trails in Shenandoah National Park, which includes three maps covering the entire park.
