(map is at bottom of page)
In 1912, a team of U.S. Forest Service employes headquartered at an inn named the Mountain House, walked, drove, and otherwise surveyed the mountains, hills, and valleys of Highland, Bath and Augusta counties. The recommendations contained in their reports led to the 1913 purchase of more than 38,000 acres on and around Shenandoah Mountain -- some of the first property to be acquired for the Shenandoah National Forest, which eventually grew to be the present-day, 1.1 million acre George Washington National Forest. Recopgnizing that much of the land still existed in its pristine state -- never having been logged -- the area has been managed essentially as a wilderness by the Forest Service since 1935. The Virginia Wilderness Act of 1984 ensured that lands around Ramsey's Draft will remain this way for generations to come.
Framed by Shenandoah Mountain, Tearjacket Knob, and Bald Ridge, Ramsey's Draft flows freely through these high Allegheny Mountains. From its headwaters of spewing springs at nearly 4,000 feet in elevation, the stream drains the wilderness's 6,500 acres. Up until the 1960's, it was possible to drive more than three miles upstream from U.S. 250 on a road made passable with the construction 11 fords by the Civilian Conservation Corpos in the 1930s. Automobile traffic came to an abrupt halt in 1969, when rainwater from Hurricane Camille, the same storm that did so much damage to the Tyre River valley, wiped out most of the man-made enhancements at the stream crossings. While not downplaying the need to negotiate the numerous fords, post-hurricane Forest Service literature spoke of the joys of using the flat surface of the old road to hike along the draft. That information had to be updated when the great flood of November 1985 not only caused the roadbed to deteriorate and, at some spots, completely disappear, but even changed the course of the stream in several places. Today's visitors definately have to be more determined than those of the past.
Don't let flood-damaged terrain deter you from taking this hike to explore the wilderness. The quiet, isolated hillsides of Road Hollow, a mile of gentle, nearly level walking in the deciduous crest on Shenandoah Mountain, and an easy descent amid the vintage hemlocks next to Jerry's Run are all things that will help you forget the stresses and strains of modern life. And besides, you'll have a chance to see firsthand the effects of hurricanes and floods on a mountain river valley.
Take US 250 west from Staunton, passing through Churchville. About 14 miles from the small hamlet, turn right onto FDR 68 and into the Forest Service's Mountain House Picnic Area. The area was named for a tollhouse on the Staunton-to-Parkersburg turnpike constructed before the Civil War. Being approximately 20 miles from Staunton, Mountain House was about as far as a team of horses could comfortably pull a wagon in a day, and the station became a popular overnight destination. It was a place to let the horses rest prior to making the long haul over Shenandoah Mountain and for travelers to enjoy indoor lodging and an evening meal for all of 35 cents. A local legend maintains that, during the War Between the States, an inebriated Confederate soldier, patronizing the house while on break from his duties at the breastworks on top of the mountain, made advances toward Mrs. Rogers, the proprietor. More than annoyed by his attentions, she dispatched the soldier to an early grave by using a rolling pin to deliver a number of blows to his head.
From the picnic area, which has a couple of outhouses and a water pump, continue on FDR 68 for a few hundred feet to the trailhead parking area. Begin the hike on Ramsey's Draft Trail {FS 440}, walking by the Bridge Hollow Trail {FS 442} as it goes to the right and ascends about two miles to connect with the Bald Ridge Trail {FS 496} running along the eastern border of the wilderness. At .1 mile, make a left onto the Road Hollow Trail {FS 448} . Bridge Hollow and Road Hollow trails were constructed during the summers of 1988 to 1992 by members of the Student Conservation Association. The nonprofit, educational organization provides highschool and college students the opportunity to volunteer their services and work for public lands throughout the country. You should thank these young folks for their hard labor, because prior to 1992 this circuit hike would have been longer, and you would have had to walk several miles along heavily travelled U.S. 250 to complete it.
The Road Hollow Trail leaves the hemlock trees along Ramsey's Draft and ascends in a forest of mountain laurel, blueberries, and pines. At .5 mile, cross over a small water run after having swung into the first of eight draws that you'll walk into during the ascent. The highway sounds of US 250 finally begin to fade at about 1 mile, when the trail makes a wide arc to the north and the road horseshoe bends to the southwest. With the gain in elevation, the evergreens become less common, replaced more and more by deciduous trees; in the spring, the draw at 1.75 miles is adorned by dozens of dogwood trees in bloom. Commonly mistaken for the flower, the pink and white that you see on the trees are actually leaf bracts encircling the petals of the dogwood's small blossom. Look inside the bracts to see the true beauty of the state flower of Virginia. The tree's green berries appear around the first of September, about the same time its leaves are changing to a deep, dark crimson. As the leaves drop off, the fruit turns a shiny red, providing the forest with some color for the cooler months ahead.
Road Hollow Trail ends when it tops the ridge and meets the Shenandoah Mountain Trail {FS 447} at 2.6 miles. To the left, it is one and four-tenths miles to the Confederate Breastworks Overlook on U.S. 250. You, however, want to make a right to walk along this wonderfully built, and nearly level pathway as it swings around a hollow at 3 miles, where there are some limited views to the west. Although the mountainside drops off steeply, the trail continues at a level contour and is almost wide enough for two people to walk abreast. The broadly flat ridge line at 3.5 miles may make you wish you had brought a tent so that you could camp amidst the hemlocks, hardwoods, and pines. Be sure to make an entry in the register as you enter the wilderness area. Registers such as this are not only helpful in locating people in case of an emergency, but also enable the Forest Service to document the amount of use an area receives, thereby substantiating the need to expend funds for trail maintenance.
A short distance from the wilderness boundary, leave the Shenandoah Mountain Trail to make a right and descend on Jerry's Run Trail {FS 441}. You'll cross the run a couple of times before coming to a large grassy lawn at 4 miles and an old chimney marking the site of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club's Sexton Cabin, which was dismantled in keeping with the spirit of returning Ramsey's Draft to wilderness status. Beyond this good campsite, the trail swings left, continuing downhill to cross the stream again as the valley becomes narrower and hundreds of hemlocks keep the forest looking green throughout the year. Be careful on an eroded section of trail at 4.9 miles -- in times of high water you may have to follow a scrambling trail around fallen trees, taking care not to tumble into the creek. The route crosses Jerry's Run twice more and enters a wide valley of hemlocks where jack-in-the-pulpits are unusually abundant. Be watching for the trail to make a faint, abrupt turn at 5.6 miles to recross the run and end as it meets the Ramsey's Draft Trail at 5.8 miles.
Turn downstream to follow the old roadbed and cross Jerry's Run for the final time before fording Ramsey's Draft for the first of many times. In fact, allow plenty of time from here to the end of the hike, because for the next two miles you're more or less on your own. The roadbed disappears in many places, and you'll have to make your own decisions as to what route to take around hundreds of blowdowns and giant boulders and logs carried down the mountainsides by raging waters. The draft is a native trout stream, but since the flood of 1985 changed their habitat, the fish are reported to be not as abundant nor reaching the size of their ancestors. The beaver population must have also diminished, because the only signs of activity look years old.
Passing by a large Forest Service structure and the Road Hollow and Bridge Hollow trails, arrive back at the parking area at 8.3 miles, possibly exhausted, but certainly richer in spirit from the experience.
