Shenandoah National Park managers will temporarily close the trails leading to Jones Mountain Cabin to all hiking and backcountry use during the final phase of operations associated with the restoration of the historic cabin. Since the cabin is located in a remote area, a team of mules will be used to retrieve materials from the cabin and carry them to the parking area at the Graves Mill trailhead (off of Route 662 in Madison County).
The temporary closure will be in effect from 7:00 a.m. Monday, October 29 to 12:00 p.m. noon Friday, November 2, 2018. The following areas will be closed while restoration work is completed:
- The Graves Mill trailhead parking lot off Rt. 662
- Graves Mill Trail from the parking lot off Rt. 662 to the intersection with Staunton River Trail
- Staunton River Trail from its intersection with Graves Mill Trail to the intersection with McDaniel Hollow Trail
- The entire McDaniel Hollow Trail
- Jones Mountain Trail from its intersection with Jones Mountain Cabin Trail to the intersection with Staunton River Trail
- The entire Jones Mountain Cabin Trail
The original Jones Mountain Cabin was constructed in 1918 by Harvey Nichols. When Shenandoah National Park was established, the Jones Mountain cabin was within the boundary of the park. Mr. Nichols left the cabin in 1937 and it was abandoned until 1969. The cabin was restored by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) in 1969-71 when it was largely rebuilt on the original foundation. Since that time, little work was done to the cabin other than routine maintenance. This project rehabilitated the cabin including replacing the entire roof, disassembling and rebuilding the existing porch and porch frame, repairing various log timbers using a combination of full replacement, partial replacement and epoxy repairs, stabilizing the fire place hearth, and replacing the wood stove. All repairs were critical to the preservation and structural integrity of this historic cabin. Currently, the cabin is available to the public to rent and is managed by the PATC http://www.patc.net. However, please note that the cabin is temporarily closed for rental until after the restoration is complete on November 2, 2018. This project will ensure the ongoing safety and positive visitor experience for the visitors who access and utilize this historic structure each year and it addresses one of Shenandoah’s deferred maintenance projects.
For updates, please check the Shenandoah National Park website at www.nps.gov/shen, our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/shenandoahnps , Twitter at www.twitter.com/ShenandoahNPS or Instagram at https://instagram.com/
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