Hike: Compton Peak, Shenandoah National Park, VA
Sat, Jan 11
|Warren County
Compton Peak is notable for its columnar jointing of basalt crystals with their distinctive hexagonal shape.
Time & Location
Jan 11, 2025, 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM EST
Warren County, Compton Peak, Virginia 22610, USA
About the Event
$36 plus park fee or pass. Long hike: 10 mi., 3200 ft. ascent. Moderate hike: 6½ mi., 1700 ft. ascent.
Long hikers start in Chester Gap at Rt. 522 and ascend the AT into park, with moderate hikers joining their route at Compton Gap Trail. B oth hikes end at Hogwallow Flats Overlook on Skyline Drive. The high point of the hike, both literally and figuratively, is 2,909-ft. Compton Peak, where optional side trails lead to the columnar basalt outcrop and to a viewpoint of the Shenandoah Valley below. Each side trail adds about ½ mile and 100-200 feet of ascent to the total hike mileage and elevation gain.