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Riprap Hollow Hike

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Distance:
9.2 Miles / 14.8 km
Type:
Loop
Difficulty:
Hard
Time to Hike:
4 hours, ~36 minutes
Features:
Appalachian Trail hike
Surface Type:
Dirt
Park:
Shenandoah National Park
Town:
Crimora, Virginia
Directions:
38.177108, -78.765093
Added:
March 18, 2025
Updated:
April 05, 2025
Guide by:
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1,363'

Total Change
2,207'

Ascent
2,207'

Descent

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Riprap Hollow Hike

Riprap Hollow is one of the best circuit hikes in the southern section of the Shenandoah National Park. The views from Chimney Rock, and along the ridge of Rocks Mountain, offer great vistas to the west and north. The spring fed stream in Cold Spring and Riprap Hollow is very scenic, and has a 50ft wide swimming hole fed by yet another mountain spring.

From the Riprap parking area walk the 50 yards along the blue blazed trail to the intersection of the white blazed Appalachian Trail. Turn right uphill on the white blazed trail for 0.4 miles to the intersection of the Riprap Trail.

Turn left on the blue blazed Riprap Trail as it descends through a hollow on the ridge before climbing and arriving at the first vista point in 0.7 miles. In another 0.3 miles reach the second vista and Chimney Rock. From Chimney Rock the trail will begin to descend into Cold Springs Hollow. In 1.7 miles from Chimney Rock the spring fed stream that has come in on the left of Riprap Trail will pass through a small gorge and over a 20ft waterfall.

After passing the waterfall follow the blue blazed Riprap Trail for another 0.3 miles to a large swimming hole. Just past the swimming hole the trail will cross the stream, and pass a trail marker and an overgrown trail that leads to an old Riprap Shelter on the right. Continue straight on the blue blazed Riprap Trail next to the stream for another 0.7 miles to the intersection of the Wildcat Ridge Trail.

Turn left on the blue blazed Wildcat Ridge Trail and shortly cross the stream again before the trail starts heading uphill through a small gorge. In 0.6 miles the Wildcat Ridge Trail will make several switchbacks and become much steeper, as it follows the Wildcat Ridge for another 2.0 miles to the four way intersection with the white blazed Appalachian Trail.

Turn left on the while blazed Appalachian Trail for the remaining 2.8 miles back to the Riprap parking area.

Explore 50 trails near Crimora, VA
  1. Parking

    38.177108, -78.765093
  2. Main Trailhead

    38.177667, -78.765171
No community routes found. To add your own hike as a Community Route for this Trail guide, leave a Trip Report with an attached GPX file.

Hazards

Ticks - Lyme Disease More Info (CDC)
Snakes
Poison Ivy/Oak

Seasons

All

Blaze Color

Blue

Trip Reports (Reviews)

Rated 4.07 out of 5 based on 83 ratings.
By: mark
9.2 miles / 14.8 km
March 05, 2017
First, Thank You Hiking Upward! You have a fantastic and much appreciated site. Review: You know how you can go to a restaurant and everyone shares the sampler appetizer? After tasting it, you kind of wish you just ordered this for yourself rather than ordering an entree? That is this trail. It doesn't have the best stream and swimming hole, but it is really nice. It has nice vistas, but there are better. It has a nice hike through mountain laurel, it has pine forest with dirt trail, nice bottom hardwoods with a rocky trail, and so on. Each time I can think of better, but none that gives me a nice taste of everything like this trail. Depending on how you like samplers, this trail could be rated anything from a 2-5. I gave it a 4 because it is a great hike that I'll definitely come back to, but I still have my favorite entrees elsewhere. I hiked this clockwise (opposite of description) having seen a number of reviews suggesting this and I believe they are right. Just feels like I've earned the vistas if they are near the end and I think it makes the climb a little easier. Other than that, trail was in great shape with only a few rough spots or fallen trees. Impressive fire damage near Chimney Rock. Next, having hiked lots of trails in this guide that are rated a 3 or 4 for difficulty, I think a 4 is probably overstating it here. It is a little longer, but I've hiked 3's that I thought had more strenuous sections.
Legacy Review
By: Don Mac
9.2 miles / 14.8 km
February 07, 2017
Did this hike on Tuesday Feb 7. Views were spectacular. We started from the Rip Rap trail off the AT. Trail was in great shape although we came upon numerous trees down but were able to navigate over them. The stream crossing in several places was a challenge...not wanting to get real wet this time of year we had to carefully choose our steps on slick rocks. The toughest part of this loop came on the return up Rip Rap trail to the Wildcat Ridge trail to the AT. The elevation gain was tough and the trail quite rocky. Overall it was a good hike and took us 5 1/2 hours which included a lunch break.
Legacy Review
By: Stu S
9.2 miles / 14.8 km
December 10, 2016
Did this one on a very cold (mid 20's) but sunny Saturday. Did not see a single other person all day. We parked at the Wildcat lot and hiked in the opposite direction of the write up. There was a stream crossing at the bottom of the Wildcat Ridge trail that required us to get wet. I actually fell in while my buddy crossed it barefoot. It was surprising and sad to find a few huge old eastern hemlocks in the hollow. Just like at Ramsey's Draft they were all dead from woolly adelgid. The views from higher up were fantastic, I suspect this one is best in the winter with no leaves on the trees. Will definitely do this one again in summer to get in the swimming hole.
Legacy Review

Weather Forecast

In Crimora, VA

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