Compton Peak
About
Compton Peak is a summit of 2,923 feet in Virginia's Shenandoah National Park, within the Appalachian National Scenic Trail corridor. The nearest town is Chester Gap, about 3 miles away. For comfortable weather, aim for late spring or early fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Luray show May highs around 74°F and September highs around 78°F, while temperatures on the summit run cooler than those figures. Several other destinations sit close by. Fort Windham Rocks, a climbing area, is less than half a mile away, and the Springhouse Trail and Jenkins Gap Trail are both within about a mile and a half. Paddlers can reach the Rappahannock River about 4.5 miles off.
Summit Facts
Summit elevation
2,923 ft
Elevation from USGS 3D Elevation Program terrain data (about 10 m resolution).
Location
Compton Peak
Virginia
Name and location: U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). Elevation: USGS 3D Elevation Program. View the GNIS record.
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: Apr–Oct. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 66–85°F and lows of 41–62°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Luray 5 E, VA weather station, 15 mi away. High / low in °F, and days with snow.
- Jan43° high23° low2 days with snow
- Feb47° high26° low2 days with snow
- Mar55° high32° low1 days with snow
- Apr66° high41° low
- May74° high50° low
- Jun81° high58° low
- Jul85° high62° low
- Aug83° high61° low
- Sep78° high54° low
- Oct67° high43° low
- Nov57° high34° low
- Dec47° high28° low1 days with snow
The station sits about 1,500 ft lower than this spot, so expect it to run cooler up here.
Where it is
- Appalachian National Scenic Trail · National Park Service
- Shenandoah National Park · National Park Service
- Nearest town
- Chester Gap, Virginia · 3.2 mi
Source: NPS Land Resources boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places
Conditions
Active alerts for Appalachian National Scenic Trail as of Oct 9, 2026:
Black Bears Frequenting the McAfee Knob Area in Virginia
Caution · posted Aug 24, 2026
List of trail closures post-Hurricane Helene
Park Closure · posted Aug 24, 2026
Source: NPS Alerts API
Nearby
- Fort Windham RocksRock climbing0.4 mi
- Springhouse TrailHiking0.9 mi
- Dickey Ridge Horse TrailHiking1.2 mi
- Jenkins Gap TrailHiking1.4 mi
- North DistrictRock climbing1.6 mi
- Rappahannock RiverCanoeing4.5 mi
- Mathews Arm CampgroundCamping7.8 mi
- Rush RiverCanoeing8 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
