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MILE 65.5, SWIFT RUN GAP. Elevation 2,365 feet. AT crossing. U.S. 33 interchange. To the west (turn right on U.S. 33), Elkton is seven miles and Harrisonburg twenty-two. Elkton has limited facilities. Harrisonburg offers a wide choice of food and lodging, a hospital, and access to Interstate 81. The Appalachian Trail crosses the Drive here, and crosses U.S. 33 on the overpass. Distances on the AT: north (on the east side, from the north end of the overpass) it's 3.0 miles to the South River Picnic Ground; south (on the west side, from the south end of the overpass), it's 1.2 miles to the AT crossing of the Drive at mile 66.7. History: Swift Run Gap has been an important Blue Ridge crossing for more than 120 years, although the present highway is relatively recent. On the east side it follows the original route closely; on the west it doesn't even touch the old road, except here in the gap. Beside U.S. 33, to the west of the overpass, are a historical sign, a stone pyramid, and a stone monolith. All three refer to the Spotswood expedition. Geology: The Swift Run formation was named and described from an exposure on an old road about a mile to the east. The rocks exposed beside the Drive in the South District of the park show more variety that those in the other districts. (To review the origin of the different formations, see the origin of the rocks.) All the formations that occur in the park, except the Erwin, are exposed in road cuts in the South District. White quartzites of the Erwin formation are visible from several overlooks, and can be reached on foot – for example, from the Riprap parking area. MILE 66.7, HIGHTOP MOUNTAIN PARKING. Elevation about 2,635 feet. There's a 5-car parking area on the west side of the Drive. Hike to Hightop Summit. Distances on the AT: north (on the west side) it's 1.2 miles to Swift Run Gap, mile 65.5; south (on the east) it's 3.4 miles to Smith Roach Gap, mile 68.6.
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Click here for a printable map MILE 69.3, BACON HOLLOW OVERLOOK. Elevation 2,455 feet. A good-sized overlook with a rocky, shady island. The sketch shows most of what you can see from here. Flattop, the mountain with the clearings on top, goes up and to the right, out of the sketch. The ridge at the left of the sketch goes up to Hightop, although you can't see the Hightop summit from here. Behind you, on the other side of the Drive, is Roundtop. Bacon Hollow is directly in front. With binoculars you can see a modern community. The park boundary is close to the Drive here – not much more than 100 yards below the overlook.
MILE 69.9, POWELL GAP. Elevation 2,295 feet. AT crossing. Distances on the AT: north (on the west side of the Drive) it's 1.6 miles to Smith Roach Gap, mile 68.6; south (on the east side) it's 3.2 miles to Simmons Gap, mile 73.2. MILE 70.1, GEOLOGY. In the deep road cut south of Powell Gap are pebbly and sandy phyllites of the Swift Run formation. Rock lovers only: there's parking space in the grass beside the Drive, about 0.2 mile in either direction, walk back to the road cut. MILE 70.6, EATON HOLLOW OVERLOOK. Elevation 2,500 feet. A fairly large overlook, with a shaded island suitable for picnics. There's a view from the north end of the overlook – directly north over Eaton Hollow. Hanse Mountain, four miles straight ahead, has two crests and three talus slopes. To the left of it, and somewhat closer, is Beldor Ridge. To the right of it are three small knobs; the highest, in the middle, is Dollys Knob. A mile and a half diagonally right is the rounded crest of Bush Mountain. Higher up to the right, a mile and a quarter away, is Roundtop – the knob that rises above Bacon Hollow Overlook. To the left of Roundtop is Hightop, three miles away.
MILE 71.2, ROCKY MOUNT OVERLOOK. Elevation 2,445 feet. In the island are a couple of good-sized basswood trees. Rocky Mount is the peak with numerous talus slopes, directly in front of the overlook (see sketch). The ridge just this side of Rocky Mount ascends to the left and joins the Blue Ridge near Two Mile Run Overlook, mile 76.2. The Rocky Mount trail (Hike HS-4) goes from mile 76.1 to the Rocky Mount summit. Geology: The rocks across the Drive from the overlook are dark, much- weathered Catoctin basalt. The talus slopes over on Rocky Mount are white quartzite of the Erwin formation. MILE 72.2, BELDOR HOLLOW OVERLOOK. Elevation 2,345 feet. This is just a road widening, without an island. Trees divide the view into two parts. From the north end you have a narrow view of Rocky Mount. From the south end (see sketch) you look into the upper end of Beldor Hollow – a very long hollow that runs down below the overlook and far to the right. Beyond the head of the hollow are a number of mountain crests, most of them on the main Blue Ridge. Skyline Drive winds its way among them. If you're going south, this is a preview of your route. If you're going north, the sketch shows where you've been.
MILE 73.2, SIMMONS GAP. Elevation 2,255 feet. AT crossing. Ranger station. Distances on the AT: north (on the east side of the Drive) it's 3.2 miles to Powell Gap, mile 69.9; south (on the west side) it's 2.2 miles to Pinefield Gap, mile 75.2. An old road, now a park fire road, crosses the Blue Ridge here. On the west it goes 1.5 miles to the park boundary at the head of Beldor Hollow, where it becomes SR 628. On the east it goes 0.8 mile to the park boundary in Fork Hollow, where it becomes SR 628, as on the other side of the mountain. Along this road, on the east side and within half a mile of Simmons Gap, was a small mountain community that included Simmons Gap Mission and Simmons Gap Post Office. MILE 74.4, LOFT MOUNTAIN OVERLOOK. Elevation 2,455 feet. The view is bounded on the right by the northeast crest of Loft Mountain, and on the left by Flattop. County Line Mountain is straight ahead (see sketch). The line crosses it just below the crest. You're in Greene County. The crest of County Line Mountain, and most of what you see beyond it, are in Albemarle County. Toward the left are houses and farms on the side of Flattop Ridge. Many of the owners live elsewhere and use the houses as weekend retreats or live in them and work elsewhere, depending on farming for only a part of their income.
Geology: The rocks exposed in the island and across the Drive are Catoctin basalt. Those near the south end of the island deserve a close look. Colors vary from gray through green-gray to green and purple. Here and there are veins of quartz, and a few small vesicles (gas bubbles in the lava which were later filled with other minerals). In places the rock is covered with thin sheets of asbestos, which you can recognize by its parallel, fibrous crystals. MILE 75.2, PINEFIELD GAP. Elevation 2,535 feet. AT crossing. There's no safe parking at the AT crossing, but there's plenty of room in the graveled area at the entrance to the service road, a hundred yards to the south. Distances on the AT: north (on the west side of the Drive) it's 2.1 miles to Simmons Gap, mile 73.2; south (on the east side) it's 1.6 miles to Ivy Creek Overlook, mile 77.5. There is evidence of a homesite here in Pinefield Gap. The AT south of the crossing follows an old road trace. There are fruit trees on both sides of the Drive just south of the service road. Oswego tea, Monarda didyma, and a cultivated species of Phlox are growing nearby. From the service road entrance, the AT is 100 yards north on the Drive and 250 yards down the service road. The Pinefield Gap AT Hut is a quarter of a mile from the Drive via the service road. MILEPOST 76.0, GEOLOGY. Phyllites and sandstone of the Hampton formation are exposed in the roadcut here. The closest parking space is at mile 76.1. Mile 76.1, ROCKY MOUNT TRAIL. The trail begins at a marker post on the west side of the Drive. There is parking at Two Mile Run Overlook, 0.1 mile south.
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