Gordon Pond–Butterfly Alley Trail, 5 sights is a 14.6-mile out-and-back in Sweet Run State Park near Shannondale, WV. The route passes Keys Gap before reaching Gordon Pond at the turnaround, 7.2 miles in. It climbs 1,837 ft, with sections as steep as 17% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 22/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi486 – 1,529 ft · steepest grade: 17%14.8 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
14.6 mi · ▲ 1,837 ft · 5 hr 47 min
Elevation 487–1,529 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.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto Wood Thrush Trail, heading E.
- 0.5 miBear left onto Legacy Loop, heading NE.
- 0.3 miReach Gordon Pond, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.3 miBear right onto Wood Thrush Trail, heading S.
- 0.5 miTurn right onto Butterfly Alley Trail, heading S.
- 0.3 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 15.4 mi · ▲ 2,013 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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