Milam Gap hike is a nice little walk in the woods
MM: 52.8 on Skyline Drive. Closest Entrance: Swift Run Gap
2.2 Miles Roundtrip to Tanners Ridge Fire Road / Cemetery (but you can continue this hike North on the AT for miles…..and/or tie into the Lewis Falls Trail to add more)
Memorial Day is the perfect day for a hike, especially considering the weather we had. Our idea was to revisit the first hike we ever did as a family……Dark Hollow Falls, since we have not done it since that very first time in 2008. But, as we approached the trail head and saw the no dogs sign, we realized we should have consulted our blog for planning purposes!!! Of course we had J-Wow and Stevie the Wonder Dog with us so we had to turn back. Skyline Drive / SNP is actually a very dog friendly park, thank goodness. Turns out many National Parks are not. But, a handful of the trails….many of the most frequented ones prohibit dogs. For all you out there who have four legged hiking buddies, here is a good resource as to guidelines of dogs in the park: http://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/pets.htm Since the SNP is so dog friendly, we want to make sure to honor the guidelines so that it always stays that way!
With Dark Hollow falls out of the picture, we scrambled to ‘plan B’: Milam Gap hike, which was just on the other side of Big Meadows. We have passed this hike many times on our way to other hikes, and even parked in the same lot when we have done the Camp Rapidian hike. Yet, we knew nothing about what were were about to walk into. As it turns out, Milam Gap was the perfect hike for us on this day, and I am glad we gave it a go! Having just returned from Hawaii, I was still a little jet lagged, and quite tired. And the boys have been slammed with the end of the school year activities. A nice leisurely stroll suited all of us just fine.
Everything is green and in bloom this time of year.
White Blazes = AT
When I think of the word hike, I picture big elevation gains and either a summit or waterfall as our destination. I am sure that is not the official definition, but it is what is in my ‘minds eye’. So, using that as a barometer, Milam Gap is more of a ‘walk in the woods’ than a hike. And, a very enjoyable one at that. This trail has no discernible elevation gain, and the final destination is somewhat anticlimactic (a graveyard); and there are no major landmarks to see along the way. And yet, this hike is simply lovely. It passes over a few little springs (good for the dogs), through major patches of ferns, and if you look closely enough, you can see remnants of an old farm and field from a homestead of days gone by. If you were someone who can identify different plants (which I cannot), this trail would keep you busy with all its variety. I do know it is home to an old apple tree grove (of aptly named Milam apples).
What I loved the most about Milam Gap is that it is all Appalachian Trail. This hike follows it entirely. Again, bringing my minds eye into the equation, based on many pictures I have seen in guidebooks and memoirs, this is a ‘quintessential image of the AT ‘:
If you are doing the standard Milam Gap hike, this is your turn around point., with the grave yard off to the left. Or feel free to continue to ramble along this path like we did for as long as you wish…..in 1,000+ miles, you will reach the end of the trail in Maine!
And we had this view the entire time. A narrow worn out path that extends as far as you can see. So peaceful and inviting and full of possibility. And, on this day, and on this trail, we crossed paths with 11 AT Thru hikers. I chatted a few of them up, asking about their time on the trail (until Mickey scolded me and called me the AT nut!) Four things stood out from those interactions…….1) amazed that 7 of the 11 were young (college aged or so) females 2) How happy and energetic they all were…..I guess trail life is good for the soul! 3) Kicking myself again for not bringing up snacks/Gatorade to hand out for some ‘trail magic’ 4) Making a mental note that Memorial Day weekend is prime time to do some trail magic through the central portion of the SNP in future years.
Milam Gap trail will not knock your socks off in terms of the ‘wow’ factor of views or rock scrambles. But, it is a trail I would highly recommend. Though I said it before, it bears repeating, this is just a lovely stretch of the AT, and a nice little walk in the woods.
So, here is our rankings: 3.8 (out of 5)
Minnie (4): For the third time in this blog…..’just lovely’. But, know if you do it you will not be getting any ‘Wow’ factor. I loved meeting up with the AT thru hikers. And because the lack of elevlation, we all stuck together at the same pace….allowing for some great family time!
Mickey (3.5) I liked the trail a lot. It was peaceful and beautiful. It did not really lead anywhere and in the end might not be all the memorable, but I am glad we did it!
Billy (3.5) I am glad we did it because it was a new hike. But, I would not recommend it for anyone who is out of town or who does not hike a lot. But, if you are like us and always wanting to try a new hike. Do it!
JJ (4) It was good because it was flat. And because it was flat, I kept up with Dad and Billy.
J-Wow and Stevie the Wonder Dog getting refreshed at a spring. I love how their bodies form a heart, if you look really close. Though the rest of the family made fun of me for noticing that!
J-Wow and Stevie the wonder Dog: 4 : We liked the springs we passed for some refreshing sips of cool mountain water. We saw 2 deer which was really exciting (it would have been more exiting if we could have chased them!) and all the AT Thru Hikers we passed loved us and gave us good ear scratches!
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