Shenandoah National Park, VA - Corbin Cabin

ABOUT THE PARK:
Shenandoah National Park - National Park Service
Skyline Drive - National Park Service
I highly recommend listening to this interview from January 1966 with George Corbin, builder of the cabin, before doing the hike.  He provides some fascinating firsthand information about life in the mountains, building of the cabin, the family cemetery and being forced out when the park service took over the land.  When you play the audio, the transcript automatically forwards so you can read along.

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 38.615904, -78.350614

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Parking long Skyline Drive.  The hike starts at the trail to the left of the handicapped parking sign.

TRAIL MAP:
Skyland Area Road and Trail Map - Shenandoah NPS
Shenandoah National Park Map 228 - National Geographic
Shenandoah National Park, VA - Corbin Cabin at EveryTrail


HIKE DISTANCE:  4.6 miles

THE DRIVE FROM SHENANDOAH RIVER STATE PARK TO THE HIKE:

Sunrise right outside of the cabin.

Daughter of Stars Drive through Shenandoah River State Park.

Sunrise at Culler's Overlook looking to the right.

Sunrise at Culler's Overlook looking to the left.

Driving through Mary's Rock Tunnel on Skyline Drive southbound.

Early morning view to the east from one of the overlooks on Skyline Drive.

THE HIKE:
This hike was done on Halloween because Corbin Cabin and the woods around the cabin (complete with family cemetery) are supposedly haunted by George Corbin's second wife who died there in childbirth. 

Take the trail to the left of the handicapped parking sign which runs into the white-blazed Appalachian trail in just a few steps.  Turn left on the AT.

All dressed up for Halloween.

Leave the AT by turning left on the Crusher Ridge Trail which leads to...

... Skyline Drive.  Turn left on Skyline Drive and walk a short distance to the post on the right.

Cross Skyline Drive and take the Nicholson Hollow Trail.

A contemporary dwelling in Nicholson Hollow.

Descending on the Nicholson Hollow Trail.

A rock hop over Hughes River.  The water is probably very low at this time of year.

Hughes River

The Nicholson Hollow Trail continues parallel to the Hughes River below on the left.

Coming up on Corbin Cabin.

The trail comes around the far side of the cabin ...

... where you can get around to the front.  The Hughes River is behind the cabin.

To continue on, rock hop over Hughes River behind the cabin on the Corbin Cabin Cutoff Trail.

Looking back at the back side of Corbin Cabin across Hughes River.

To the left off of Corbin Cabin Cutoff, Nicholson Cabin which has not been maintained.

The inside of Nicholson Cabin.  It's just one room of average size.

Nicholson Cabin sinking back into the earth.

In keeping with the Halloween theme, we took a break on Corbin Cabin Cutoff.  It was very pretty and peaceful with the gurgling water in Hughes River below and did not feel haunted at all.

In the interview with George Corbin, the cemetery is mentioned as having a nice fence and gate.  That would have been in 1966.  This is what is left of it now.

I found one field stone with an inscription - looks like it says "April 24, 1895" and under that "Tom Corbin(?)"

According to George Corbin, 25-30 people are buried here.

A tombstone?

View from the cemetery.

I had read that the graves were marked with field stones with the exception of George Corbin's second wife whose grave is marked with a concrete marker.  This broken piece of concrete has no inscription on either side so hard to tell if this is it or not and it might not even be in the right place any more.

Continuing on the ascent on Corbin Cabin Cutoff, some gorgeous foliage left even though peak foliage is over at this elevation.

Climbing up out of the hollow.

The Corbin Cabin Cutoff ends at Skyline Drive across from the parking area.

THE DRIVE BACK TO SHENANDOAH RIVER STATE PARK:

View from Skyline Drive

Route 211

Leaving Shenandoah National Park on Route 211.

Farms along Kimball Road with Shenandoah National Park on the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background .

A nice Halloween display on Kimball Road.

Route 340 heading towards Shenandoah River State Park.

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  Take the unmarked trail to the left of the handicapped parking sign
[  0.05]  Turn left on the white-blazed Appalachian Trail
[  0.65]  Turn left on Crusher Ridge Trail at cement post
[  0.75]  Turn left on Skyline Drive
[  0.80]  Turn left, cross Skyline Drive and take the Nicholson Hollow Trail
[  2.55]  Rock hop over Hughes River
[  2.65]  Keep straight on Nicholson Hollow Trail when the Indian Run Trail goes right
[  2.85]  Corbin Cabin on the right; retrace
[  2.90]  Return to Hughes River from Corbin Cabin and rock hop over on the Corbin Cabin Cutoff
[  2.95]  Nicholson Cabin ruins on left; retrace
[  3.00]  Continue left on Corbin Cabin Cutoff
[  3.05]  Look for path on the left to cemetery; retrace
[  3.15]  Continue left on Corbin Cabin Cutoff
[  4.60]  Cross Skyline Drive back to parking

Shenandoah River State Park, VA - Allen's Mountain to Wildcat Ledge

ABOUT THE PARK:  Raymond R. "Andy" Guest Jr. Shenandoah River State Park

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 38.862148, -78.305338

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Parking at the Cottonwood Trailhead next to the Massanutten Picnic Shelter.

TRAIL MAP:
Shenandoah River State Park Trail Guide - Virginia State Parks
Shenandoah River State Park, VA - Allen's Mountain to Wildcat Ledge at EveryTrail


HIKE DISTANCE:  7.5 miles

THE HIKE:
Our video production of hiking at Shenandoah River State Park.

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  Start on the blue-blazed Cottonwood Trail from the trailhead opposite the Massanutten picnic shelter
[  0.10]  Keep straight on blue at the first post when the yellow-blazed Turkey Roost Trail goes right;  after a few steps at the second post, turn right on the silver-blazed Allen’s Mountain Trail
[  1.60]  Keep straight on silver Allen’s Mountain Trail when the magenta-blazed Campbell’s Jump Trail goes left
[  1.95]  Partial view of Shenandoah Mountain as power cut
[  2.65]  Keep straight on silver Allen’s Mountain Trail when the magenta-blazed Campbell’s Jump Trail goes left
[  3.25]  Turn right on the blue Cottonwood Trail then after a few steps turn right on the gold Point Trail
[  5.50]  Turn right on blue Cottonwood Trail then after a few steps turn right on the beige Wildcat Ledge Trail
[  5.70]   Bench
[  5.95]  End of trail at views
[  6.20]  Bench
[  6.40]  Turn right on the Cottonwood Trail then left at the fork
[  6.80]  Completion of loop back at fork, continue straight on blue Cottonwood Trail
[  7.50]  Back at parking lot

Shenandoah River State Park, VA - Bluebell Loop

ABOUT THE PARK:  Raymond R. "Andy" Guest Jr. Shenandoah River State Park

DIRECTIONS:
GPS coordinates to cabin trail head: 38.848503, -78.318693

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This hike started at the kiosk at the cabin access trail right outside of my cabin.  There is no parking if not staying in a cabin so this hike would need to start from one of the public parking lots below.

Parking at Culler's Overlook:  GPS Coordinates 38.8522,-78.30646
Parking at the canoe launch:  GPS Coordinates 38.8636,-78.309898

TRAIL MAP:
Shenandoah River State Park Trail Guide - Virginia State Parks
Shenandoah River State Park, VA - Bluebell Loop at EveryTrail


HIKE DISTANCE:  4.3 miles

THE HIKE:

Trail head at the cabins.

Descending towards the river.

At the intersection with the orange-blazed Culler's Trail, a jog to the left then a right turn on a mowed path cuts over to the green-blazed River Trail.

Turn right on the River Trail; there are several short side trails on the left to benches at the river.

Shenandoah River with Massanutten Mountain in the background.

Steps down to the river from the trail.

The River Trail ends and the blue-blazed Bluebell trail begins, continuing along the river.

Straight ahead is the canoe launch parking, an alternate parking spot for this hike.  Here turn right on the green-blazed Hemlock Hollow Trail.

A bridge over Hemlock Hollow,

Coming up behind the visitor center.

Culler's Overlook up above.

View from the trail under the Culler's Overlook deck.

View from the Culler's Overlook deck.  (The other parking option for this hike.)

Continuing on the blue-blazed Campground Trail from Culler's Overlook.

View of the campground from the trail.

A very short walk on Overnight Road ...

... to just beyond the trail crossing sign ...

... leads to the orange-blazed Culler's Trail.

There birds were having a blast splashing around in a puddle on Culler's Trail.

Waiting for me to pass so they could get back to bathing.

Culler's Trail along the fields.

Heading back up to the cabin.

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  Take cabin access trail at trailhead kiosk next to cabin 6
[  0.20]  Turn left on orange-blazed Culler’s Trail briefly then right on unmarked mowed path
[  0.30]  Turn right on green-blazed River Trail (watch for multiple side trails to river views on left)
[  0.90]  Continue straight on blue-blazed Bluebell Trail
[  1.90]  Turn right on green-blazed Hemlock Hollow Trail
[  2.40]  Turn right on burgundy-blazed Overlook Trail behind visitor’s center
[  2.90]  At intersection continue straight to Culler’s Overlook; retrace
[  3.05]  Back at the intersection, turn left on purple-blazed Campground Trail
[  3.65]  Turn left on paved campground road then at the stop sign turn right on Overnight Road
[  3.70]  Turn right on orange-blazed Culler’s Trail just beyond “Trail Crossing” sign
[  4.15]  Turn left on unmarked cabin access trail
[  4.30]  Back at trailhead at cabin 6