Hawksbill

"Second hike of the day in Shenandoah National Park. Since we had Sierra with us we decided to take the shorter/easier route of Upper Hawksbill Trail to the peak. Only about 520 feet of elevation gain. Easy hike with beautiful views of the Shenandoah Valley Below. Shenandoah High Point!" — Rob_Keller • Sep 19, 2023

"Last day in Shenandoah NP. Everyone was pretty beat after Old Rag and then Massanutten the day following. We headed out early to do Luray Caverns first thing in the morning and then strolled through the antique car museum and then on into the park for one last hike. This was the highest point in all of Shenandoah NP. Hit this, got a Polaroid of us near the north entrace NP sign and then drove home the next 3 hours." — wiweasel • Apr 9, 2023

"First time in Shenandoah National Park and it did not disappoint. The park is laid out perfectly , great trail signs, great views . No issues up or down from the lower Hawksbill trail. I did not see any geodetic markers at the top , somebody said there was one by the #2 hut , but I didn't see it. This park is perfect for peak bagging. You have so many trails that are 2-4 miles RT, you can easily hit multiple peaks in a day or 2 here. " — puddlepirate • Mar 22, 2021

"While driving Skyline Drive through Shenandoah Nat. Pk. I noticed this Nat. Pk. HP so I stopped and climbed it from the upper pkg. lot. I then did a loop with the A.T. SB bypass. This was my 2nd National Park HP this trip! " — SteveM_StickMan • Jun 28, 2020

"Hiked this loop from the first ascent CCW to the Lower Hawksbill pkg. lot, then Appalachian (SB) and Salamander (my first ever Scarlet Tanager sighting!) trails returning to the summit for a spell before heading down past a deer to the car. I was hoping to check out the Rock Spring Shelter but time constraints prevented me. A nice way to finish off this multi-state trip before heading home." — SteveM_StickMan • Jun 28, 2020

"This is the easiest way to get to Hawksbill Summit. Park at Upper Hawksbill parking at mile marker 46.7. Take the Upper Hawksbill Trail to intersection with Byrds Nest 2 Road and turn right. For a more challenging option park at the Lower Hawksbill lot at mile marker 45.6. You can hike up the lower Hawksbill Trail (out and back by the same trail) or make it a 2.9 mile loop by using the AT and Salamander trail on the way up and returning via Lower Hawksbill Trail." — LynnD • May 31, 2017

"Decided to hike up from below Skyline Dr. Glad I did. Went up past Cedar Run. Saw my first crawfish and lizards while hiking. Also saw my first owl in the wild. Also saw another bear. 2 days in a row now. Went up to Hawksbill and not overly impressed by the views. They were good, just not great. I was expecting more sweeping vistas in stead of strong directional views. Followed the AT to Skyline Dr, then went down the horse trail to White Oak Falls. There were numerous waterfalls, with swimming holes and people in them. Got to stand under a small waterfall that acted as a heavy misting machine. It was cold and refreshing. " — newenglandwarrior • Jun 11, 2016

"Climbed to top of Hawksbill which is highest point in Shenandoah on Skyline Drive. Had a great trek to top with my wife Tracey, daughter Rachel and her boyfriend Jimmy. Rachel led most of the way....made several short stops.....quite steep straight up! A lot of fun and the start of our desire to climb and reach higher points as we go. Walter & Tracey Oddo" — walteroddo • Jun 6, 2015

"Did the 2.9 mile loop. Started at Lower Hawksbill parking and took the Lower Hawksbill trail up to the summit. Returned via Salamander Trail and the AT. We wished we had gone the opposite direction. Although the elevation change is the same, the distance to the summit is much shorter on Lower Hawksbill trail (thus much steeper)." — LynnD • May 16, 2015

"Hiked on the AT from Big Meadows Campground to the summit of Hawksbill. Of course you can pretty much drive to the top of Hawksbill but we tried to turn it into a bit of a hike. I think we logged around 6 miles RT." — ClimbingRandy • Nov 6, 2010