Gordon Pond–Butterfly Alley Trail, 5 sights is a 15.4-mile out-and-back in Sweet Run State Park near Shannondale, WV. The route passes Keys Gap and Gordon Pond. It climbs 2,013 ft, with sections as steep as 16% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 23/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi446 – 1,529 ft · steepest grade: 16%15.7 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 39.20867, -77.79450
Nearest town Shannondale, WV
Directions
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Gordon Pond–Butterfly Alley Trail, 5 sights
15.4 mi · ▲ 2,013 ft · 6 hr 8 min
Elevation 445–1,529 ft
Out & Back · Sweet Run State Park
Trailhead: 39.20867, -77.79450
Weather Sep 20: sunrise 6:58 AM · sunset 7:13 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading E.
- 0.1 miTurn left onto Appalachian Trail, heading N.
- 4.5 miPass Keys Gap.
- 1.5 miTurn right onto Butterfly Alley Trail, heading N.
- 0.6 miBear left onto Lower Sweet Run Trail, heading NE.
- 0.4 miContinue straight onto Arnold Trail, heading NE.
- 200 ftSharp left onto Piney Run Trail, heading N.
- 0.3 miPass Gordon Pond.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Farmstead Loop, heading N.
- 0.2 miBear right onto Piney Run Trail, heading N.
- 50 ftReach Gordon Pond, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 50 ftBear left onto Farmstead Loop, heading N.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Piney Run Trail, heading SW.
- 0.3 miSharp right onto Arnold Trail, heading SW.
- 200 ftContinue straight onto Lower Sweet Run Trail, heading SW.
- 0.4 miBear right onto Butterfly Alley Trail, heading SW.
- 0.6 miTurn left onto Appalachian Trail, heading W.
- 6 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 400 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
100% dirt
Weather
Sunrise 6:58 AMSunset 7:13 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is right at the trailhead, so there is no walk out. Be there by 6:53 PM to have the sun's last 20 minutes of sky before it sets at 7:13 PM. Your car is right there — dark at 7:40 PM.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from this trailhead
- Gordon Pond–Butterfly Alley Trail, 5 sights 14.6 mi · ▲ 1,837 ft
- Fallen Tree–Blackburn Trail, 6 sights 13.7 mi · ▲ 2,309 ft
- Appalachian Trail 3.4 mi · ▲ 455 ft
- Blackburn Trail via Appalachian Trail 3.8 mi · ▲ 481 ft
- Appalachian Viewpoint via Appalachian Trail 3.3 mi · ▲ 455 ft
- WeatherTop Knob & Overlook via Appalachian Trail 2.2 mi · ▲ 281 ft
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