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Horse Use and Pack Animal Rules and Regulations in Shenandoah National Park

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Horse Use and Pack Animal Rules and Regulations in Shenandoah National Park Shenandoah National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior 2/2018 Horse Use and Pack Animals Overview Numerous trails in Shenandoah National Park burros, and llamas are all designated as “pack are designed for horseback riding and the use animals.” Collectively, we refer to them as horses of pack animals. Legally defined, horses, mules, in this guide. Horse Trails To minimize trail use problems with hikers, traffic only and are not maintained for horses. riders may take horses only into areas designated Meadows and native grasslands, including Big for their use. Horse trails are marked with yellow Meadows, contain sensitive vegetation and are paint blazes on trees. Most of the Park’s fire strictly off-limits to horse use. The paved roads roads are included in the horse trail system and and developed areas in the Park (such as lodging are blazed accordingly. Commercial horse use areas and campgrounds) have high vehicle traffic services, such as guided trail rides, require a and other visitor use and are not suited for Commercial Use Authorization. horses. Use of horses in these areas is prohibited. Exceptions include short stretches of travel The Appalachian Trail (white-blazed) and along paved roads to access horse use trailheads other hiking trails (blue-blazed) are for foot close to one another. Trails Open North District: Central District: StonyMan Mountain Horse Trail to Park Animal Use Beecher Ridge Trail† Berry Hollow Fire Roadº Stony Mountain Trailº Bluff Trail Conway River Fire Road Tanners Ridge Horse Trailº Browntown Trail Conway River Trail† Tanners Ridge Roadº Compton Gap Trail Dry Run Fire Road Upper Dark Hollow Trailº Dickey Ridge Trail (portion) Fork Mountain Fire Road Weakley Hollow Fire Roadº Harris Hollow Trail† Fork Mountain Trail White Rocks Trail† Heiskell Hollow Trail† Furnace Spring Trail† Whiteoak Canyon Fire Roadº Hickerson Hollow Trailº Graves Mill Trail Hull School Trail† Hazel Mountain Trail South District Jenkins Gap Trail† Hazel River Trail Beldor Fire Roadº Jordan River Trail† Laurel Prong Trail (lower) Big Run Loop Trail (portion) Keyser Run Road Mill Prong Horse Trail Big Run Portal Trail Knob Mountain Trail† Old Rag Fire Roadº Browns Gap Roadº Lands Run Roadº Pine Hill Gap Trail† Madison Run Roadº Mathews Arm Trail Pocosin Fire Road Madison Run Spur Trail Mount Marshall Trail Pocosin Horse Trail† Stull Run Fire Road† Neighbor Mountain Trail† Rapidan Camp Road North Fork Moormans River Trail Piney Branch Trail (lower)† Rapidan Fire Roadº North Fork Moormans Fire Road Rocky Branch Trail† Red Gate Fire Roadº Paine Run Trail º Also for commercial horse Thornton River Trail (lower) Rose River Fire Roadº Patterson Ridge Trail use purposes Springhouse Trail Skyland Fire Roadº Simmons Gap Fire Roadº Weddlewood Trail† Skyland/Big Meadows Horse Trailº Smith Roach Gap Fire Road † Limited maintenance trail Slaughter Trail† South Fork Moormans Fire Road which may be a narrow path South River Fire Road Turk Branch Trail† in designated Wilderness. Use Turk Gap Trail† caution and expect obstacles. Trail Maps Recreational maps published by the Potomac District (US Hwy 33 to Waynesboro). These Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) clearly designate maps are available for sale throughout the Park horse use portions of trails. These include PATC at visitor centers, and concession facilities, and Map # 9 for North District (Front Royal to US through the PATC and Shenandoah National Hwy 211), Map # 10 for Central District (US Park Association websites. Hwy 211 to US Hwy 33), and Map # 11 for South Emergency 1-800-732-0911 • Information 540-999-3500 • Online www.nps.gov/shen Hitching Posts Hitching posts have been placed in a few areas of and killing tree roots. Pickets and other tethers high horse use. Please use them where provided. or restraints that will not damage trees or other Do not tie your horse to a tree. The horse’s vegetation should be used where hitching posts pawing at the ground causes “doughnuts” of are not available. Grazing is not permitted. eroded areas around the tree, compacting soil Watering Horses Water your horse at a low rocky spot in the soils. Water horses away from these sources streambank where little vegetation and soil to prevent damage, or use a collapsible water disturbance will occur. Many watering places are bucket. small or contain sensitive vegetation and fragile Parking of Trailers Horses are often trailered into the Park and Please be considerate; do not block private ridden out on the horse trails from points along property or Park access roads. Remember to the Skyline Drive. Trailhead parking may be clean up after your animals in the parking lots very limited or unavailable both on the Skyline and around high-use areas. Position your trailer Drive and at Park boundary access points. so you will be able to exit a full parking lot. Safety Concerns Please slow down to a walk when you pass hikers. your group is away, especially at Big Meadows, Few hikers know they should step off on the Skyland, and other developed areas. Young downhill side of the trail, so you may need to ask children have been known to approach horses them to hold up while you pass. If you are the one and may be kicked or bitten. Bears are present being overtaken, remember that hikers might be in all areas of the Park and may frighten your packing a load of gear and have a right to be on animals. the trail too. Find a good spot and let hikers pass. A little conversation as you pass each other may Reporting Accidents and Getting Help reduce the chance of your horse being spooked. In an emergency, call the Park emergency number There may be vehicle traffic on fire roads; please at 1-800-732-0911. Cellular phones have limited ride single file until the vehicle passes by. range from many trails. Phones are located in most developed areas in the Park, including No Unattended Horses lodging areas, campgrounds, visitor centers, gas Please leave someone to watch the horses while stations, and entrance stations. Overnight Stays Shenandoah National Park has no facilities for camping regulations. Backcountry camping with horses to stay overnight. The campgrounds horses can cause much damage to backcountry and concessioner are not able to accommodate natural resources, and visitors are urged to take horses. Horses may not be kept at the lodges precautions to reduce the impact on vegetation. overnight or left overnight in trailers. Backcountry regulations require all campers to camp at least 20 yards from and preferably out Several commercial facilities near the Park of sight of trails and fire roads. Please lead your will board horses and their riders overnight horse carefully to your campsite to minimize to facilitate early starts on the trail. Contact damage to the vegetation and avoid creating new Virginia Horse Council or local Chambers of “trails.” Commerce for nearby horse stable information. When camped, use the highlining technique to Please contact the Park ahead of time to discuss secure your horses to minimize damage to trees Highlining Technique your overnight trip planning. and other vegetation. Refer to “Leave No Trace” highlining techniques (www.LNT.org or 1-800- Horses are required to remain on the trails at all 332-4100). Tie the horse(s) off to a highline away times while traveling. Grazing is not permitted; from trees and rocks. Use “belts” such as tow you must bring your own feed for your horses. straps around trees to protect the bark. Do not We recommend that you use certified clear feed tie off the lead directly to the highline, but use for your animals since oats and hay may bring a swivel or cord to keep the lead from knotting damaging non-native grass species into the Park. up from horse movement. Try to highline your horses out of sight of trails and roads. Do not Although it is permitted in the Park, camping tie horses within 50 yards of streams or springs. with horses is discouraged. For all overnight Upon leaving the site, please scatter manure and camping in the backcountry, visitors must rehabilitate the highline site. obtain a free permit and observe all backcountry More Information Shenandoah National Park Backcountry Horsemen Virginia Horse Council 3655 U.S. Hwy 211 East 152 Richard Lane 368 Litton Reaves (0306) Luray, VA 22835 Star Tannery, VA 22654 VT (540) 999-3500 (540) 858-3503 Blacksburg, VA 24061 www.nps.gov/shen www.bcha.com (888) 467-7382 www.virginiahorsecouncil.org Illustrations courtesy of Leave No Trace, Inc. © 2001 .
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