Fox Hollow Third Trail Post: Out in the Clearing
in Virginia · centroid 63 mi from Washington
As you approach the third trail post, take a second to look out at the clearing. As the forest opens up, imagine what the whole hollow would have looked like if it were cleared like this. When you think about living in the mountains, do you think of a hollow - low, narrow, enclosed on either side - or do you think of a home with a sweeping view?
The cleared pastures and farmland certainly would have created some views for the Fox family, but the view was a secondary consideration compared to the necessities of life. Unlike the Fox family, who cleared land to farm, Shenandoah National Park clears land for the views. All along Skyline Drive you will find overlooks with clearings in front of them, just like this one.
These clearings allow visitors to see down the hollows, into the valley, and out to rural Virginia. The next time you are at an overlook, look into the hollows, those small narrow spaces between the ridges, and know that there is history hidden under the lush forest canopy.
- States
- Virginia
- Trail type
- National Park trail
- Centroid nearest city
- Washington, DC · 63 mi · ~1.8 hr drive
- Centroid coords
- 38.8716°, -78.2027°
About Shenandoah National Park
This trail is inside Shenandoah National Park, a national park managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.
Entrance fee: $30 per vehicle (verify current rate on the park page). An America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) covers entrance to all NPS units.
Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/000/fox-hollow-third-trail-post-out-in-the-clearing.htm
Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/shen/index.htm
Plan your hike
Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.
Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.
When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.
If you've hiked Fox Hollow Third Trail Post: Out in the Clearing and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.
Stay nearby
Other trails within 50 miles
Fox Hollow First Trail Post: Tour Introduction
0 miles from this trail's centroid
Fox Hollow Second Trail Post: The Fox Family
0 miles from this trail's centroid
Massanutten Trail
14 miles from this trail's centroid
Stony Man: The Appalachian Trail
21 miles from this trail's centroid
Limberlost TRACK Trail - Kids' Activity
22 miles from this trail's centroid
Old Rag Fire Rd. - Limberlost Trail Junction
22 miles from this trail's centroid
Sources
Trail data on this page is compiled from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), the maintaining organisation's public-facing materials, and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA where excerpts are quoted). Distance, terminus, and descriptive text for nationally-designated trails are hand-curated from federal land-manager websites and trail-association sources. We do not modify the underlying data; this page presents what is already publicly recorded. To suggest corrections, see our methodology page.