Virginia trails · Skyland-Big Meadows Horse Trail

Skyland-Big Meadows Horse Trail

A 21.2-mile loop in Virginia, with 815 ft of climbing. Reaches Fishers Gap and other pass/viewpoint destinations. Managed by the National Park Service.

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Length

21.2 mi

Elevation gain

815 ft

Difficulty

Expert

Max grade

27%

Steepest mile

+606 ft

Tread at ≥10% grade

6.0 mi

Shape

loop

Bikes

Horses

yes

Managed by

National Park Service

Elevation profile

The climbing is spread fairly evenly along the route. It gives back about 3,403 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.

3-D terrain

USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5

Reaches

Fishers Gap (pass)
Hawksbill Gap (pass)
Old Rag View Overlook (viewpoint)

Heads up

Stream ford: expect at least one unbridged crossing.

Terrain graded T2 (SAC scale).

Getting there

Skyland-Big Meadows Horse Trail junction. About 1 h 10 min drive (39 mi) from Harrisonburg. 38.52391, -78.42895 · directions

Daylight at the trailhead

On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:54 a.m., the sun rises at 7:21 a.m. and sets at 6:37 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 7:04 p.m. (EDT) — 11 h 16 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 21.2-mile route takes roughly 8 h 16 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 3:37 p.m. — 3 h 00 min before sunset.

Loop options

Appalachian National Scenic Trail + Red Gate Road + Skyland-Big Meadows Horse Trail — 14.7 mi loop, 3,286 ft gain
Skyland-Big Meadows Horse Trail — 2.7 mi loop, 443 ft gain
Story of Forest Trail + Skyland-Big Meadows Horse Trail + Rose River Fire Road — 3.5 mi loop, 772 ft gain