A ranger at Shenandoah told me my route plan was backwards, and it fixed my whole trip

Wyatt Price · 2026-09-26T03:05:02.777752+00:00

I mapped out a 3 day loop in Shenandoah last spring going clockwise because the elevation chart looked smoother on paper. A ranger at the Dickey Ridge visitor center looked at my map and said flatlanders always do it that way, then pointed out I would hit the rocky descent on tired legs at mile 18. Going counterclockwise put the climb first but my knees thanked me, has anyone else had a route flipped on them by a stranger?

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A ranger at Shenandoah told me my route plan was backwards, and it fixed my whole trip | Backpacking Routes - Chatter Central