The yellow-blazed Tibbet Knob trail offers spectacular views. Below: The first overlook on the trail comes within the first few tenths of a mile; The footing along most of the trail is extremely rocky.

Christine Says…

After a string of eight 90-100+ degree days, we finally got a break in the heat and humidity!  We picked a shorter, easier hike to celebrate the cooler weather – Tibbet Knob.  We’ve found we’re doing lots of longer hikes lately – partly because we’ve simply run out of shorter hikes.

I don’t know how Tibbet Knob escaped our notice for so long, because it’s a beautiful hike.  Tibbet seems to play second fiddle to its sister hike, Big Schloss – though I’m not really sure why.  The views are nearly as spectacular and the crowds are much thinner.  The terrain is definitely steeper and rockier, but not so much so it would scare hikers off.

We started our morning with breakfast at Cracker Barrel in Woodstock (worst/slowest service ever *and* they burned the bacon!)  We finally made it to the trailhead a little after 9:00 a.m.  At the very beginning, the trail passes through several lovely, primitive campsites.  One even has a picnic table that someone dragged a couple tenths of a mile into the woods.  The ascent starts almost immediately and follows a steady, but gradual, uphill to the first open view of the valley below.  This overlook is pretty, but pales in comparison to the summit of Tibbet Knob.

You can see Big Schloss way off in the distance (circled in yellow). Below: Adam enjoys his perch on the summit; The trail was often open and out in the sun; There is a lovely (but dry) campsite about 10 yards from the rocky ledge at the summit.

From the first vista, the trail drops gently into a saddle.  The footing becomes increasingly rocky from this point on.  Through some sections, it’s like walking on a dry riverbed of basketball-sized stones – some smooth, some pointy.  The last .8 of a mile is very steep and rocky.  There are two short rock scrambles.  At the first one, I abandoned my trekking poles because they were seriously getting in the way.  I can telescope them shorter, but I decided it was just as well to leave them stashed along the trail to retrieve on my way down.

Shortly after the second scramble, we arrived at the summit.  We stayed at the top for quite a long while.  Normally, we’re not the lingering type, but the morning was so pleasant that we spent at least half an hour sitting on the rocky outcropping.  It was cool and breezy.  The sky was crystal clear and blue and the scent of pine trees was all around.  There were several rocks to recline on, so I laid back and closed my eyes while Adam hunted for his geocache.  We didn’t see another soul on the entire hike.  I love having a beautiful summit all to myself.

The return trip was more downhill than uphill, so it went by quickly and we were back at the car within 45 minutes.

Adam Says…

We had been meaning to try out Tibbet Knob for some time now, since we’ve been several times to do the Big Schloss hike, but this was our first experience on this hike.  The hike takes off from Wolf Gap campground.  This campground is a great area for camping and has a lot of established campsites.  We always see plenty of cars in the campground and usually many of the sites are taken, but you should be able to find a spot for overnight camping.  We definitely plan on doing a camping trip in the future since this site provides access to some great hiking trails.

As soon as you begin the yellow-blazed trail, you will come across several other campsites alongside the trail – one even had a picnic table near the firepit.  At about .6 miles you come to a nice overlook with a decent viewpoint to the south.  If you look closely, you can even see cars on the road below you.  You descend from this overlook for a short distance, but then you begin your climb.  At some points along the ascent, the terrain opens up to larger grassland areas.  You will also pass by several blueberry bushes along the trail, which reminded us of our hikes in New England.  Due to the already hot and arid summer, the blueberries were already past their peak so we weren’t able to pick any on the trail.  The terrain does get quite steep towards the end of the trail.  You don’t have to quite crawl up the slope, but it is almost that steep.  Once you get pass the two steep areas, you are very close to the summit.  The views from the top were gorgeous and I believe give you a little better view than Big Schloss, since you get a better perspective of the valley with mountains around you.  To the east, you can see the side of the Big Schloss hike.   There is also a primitive campsite near the top of the overlook if you wanted to camp at the top, but there is no nearby water source.

Signs of Fall? Maybe... but more likely evidence of the drought we've been having lately. We saw lots of patches of red trees in the distant mountains, too. Below: The only wildlife we saw was a toad; Adam looked for, but did not find, the geocache; It was a beautiful, breezy, blue-sky day; the trailhead starts across the road from the Wolf Gap campground.

The trail does continue on from the overlook, but it just leads to SR 671 after about .7 miles.  You can actually approach this hike from SR 671 for a shorter, less steep option to give you a 1.5 mile out-and-back hike.  We stayed up at the top for a while to soak in the views and for me to look for a geocache.  I wasn’t able to find this one, but there is an alleged geocache here:

• Tibbet Knob Geocache

We really enjoyed the peaceful hike for the day.  We had the entire hike to ourselves on a day that was in the 70s and we even had the bonus of not having any bugs buzzing around our face.  This is a great short hike that provides enough challenge to get the blood pumping and marvelous views at the top.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 3.1 miles out-and-back. Add another .1 mile to get to your car.
  
• Elevation Change –830 feet
• Difficulty – 3. There are two significant climbs on this hike.  The first ascent gains several hundred feet in elevation and is pretty easy.  After a short, gentle series of ups and downs, the second ascent is significantly steeper/longer and includes two short rock scrambles.
• Trail Conditions – 2. The trail is extremely rocky.
• Views –4. The view are beautiful and expansive – a little more than 180 degrees of mountains and valleys.
• Waterfalls/streams –0. Non-existent.
  
• Wildlife – 0. The only creature we saw was a toad.
• Ease to Navigate – 4. Just follow the yellow blazes. There are no turns or trail junctions.
• Solitude – 4. Tibbet Knob is less popular than its sister hike, Big Schloss. You may see a few hikers, but you probably won’t see large groups.

Directions to trailhead:
From I-81, take exit 279. Follow Rte. 675 until it meets Route 42. Turn right on 42 and then take almost an immediate left on 675 (Wolf Gap Road). Follow Wolf Gap Road until you come to the Wolf Gap Campground (right on the Hardy County Line.) The trailhead is across the road from the campground.

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The rhododendrons and wild azaleas are starting to bloom. Below: The view was cloudy and hazy from Kaylor Knob.

Adam Says…

For those that regularly follow our blog, you may know that Christine sprained her ankle badly during our hike up Buzzard Rock.  While she was healing, we participated in a Backpacking 101 course through PATC. The workshop concludes with an overnight backpacking trip scheduled for the first weekend in May.  We decided to test out the ankle with some extra weight to see if going on the backpacking trip would even be possible.  So, we got our gear together and decided to do a short hike to Kaylor Knob after work last Friday.

While you can approach this summit from Cub Run, we decided to try the shorter approach,  taking off from the overlook at Massanutten Resort.  The hike starts across the road from the parking lot at the top of the overlook.  We have hiked this trail several times to the first overlook where a geocache is hidden, but this was the first time that we took the hike to the summit.  Since the last time we did this hike, someone has improved the trail markings.  You simply follow the blue-blazed trail along the way (some points also have blue signs marked with a “K.K.” and the mileage).  At around .5 miles, you will come to a junction with another trail that is marked with pink blazes.  Just stay to the right and continue on the blue-blazed trail.  At .75 miles, you will come to a small rock outcropping that has a nice view to the west.  If you continue up the hill past this outcropping, you will continue to walk along the ridge.  You will see views to the west and east through the trees that will open up at different spots.  Shortly after 1.5 miles, you will come to the summit, which is marked with a larger outcropping and nice views to the east.  After taking some time to enjoy the views head back the way you came.  This trail also connects to Cub Run Road.  If you are interested in a longer hike (around 8.5 miles out-and-back), you could try this route.

Adam tries out the backpack.

I do think the views to the east are better than the views to the west on this hike.  If you wanted to see a nice sunrise, you should get up early to make it to the summit by sunrise.  If you are a geocacher, there are two caches you could easily reach hiking this trail:

• Kaylor Kache
• Ivory’s Massanutten Micro

This is a great short hike to do if you’re visiting the Massanutten area.

Christine Says…

Adam and I have a backpacking trip coming up, so I needed to get out there and give the ankle a good test drive.  Our original plan was to hike somewhere in Shenandoah on Saturday and then spend the night camping in our backyard.  However, the weather took a turn for the worse, and we ended up just squeezing in a quick hike to Kaylor Knob on Friday evening. (we also skipped the tent in the backyard  and slept in our nice, plush bed instead.)

I managed to load about 25 pounds of gear into our backpack for the “dress rehearsal”.  My ankle felt completely fine for the entire hike – stable and painless.  The pack was easy to carry and comfortable.  It did make the hills a little tougher, but I still felt really good.  I know our packs for the trip will be a little heavier, but this was still a decent test.

The Kaylor Knob hike is not particularly remarkable.  It’s pretty and peaceful and has two nice viewpoints along the way.  There are definitely more impressive trails in our area, but this one is a five minute drive from the house, so it was perfect for a quick after-work hike.

The Kaylor Knob summit has a nice place to sit.

Unfortunately, the morning after the hike, my ankle and Achilles tendon were pretty sore.  Even though they felt great on the hike, I don’t know if I’m 100% ready to go on our backpack trip.

Note: If you have a couple days in the area, be sure to check out the Massanutten Ridge Trail!

Trail Notes

• Distance – 3.3 miles out-and-back
• Elevation Change – about 450 feet
• Difficulty –1.5 Most people should be able to do this.
  
• Trail Conditions – 3. While the trail is used often, it contains lots of pointy rocks.
  
• Waterfalls/streams – 0. Non-existent.
• Views – 2.5. Pretty, but not terribly open or panoramic.
• Wildlife –1.5 There isn’t much room for wildlife on the top of this ridge.  Expect to see birds of prey soaring in view as well as many of the local birds in the thickets.
  
• Ease to Navigate –4.5. If you stay on the blue-blazes, you’ll be fine.
  
• Solitude –3. You may see some people due to its popularity with vacationers, but you should still have mostly solitude.
  

Directions to trailhead: From Harrisonburg, head east on US 33 for about 10 miles. Turn left at the Exxon on the left and head on SR 644, Resort Drive.  Follow this road and take a left on Massanutten Drive.  You will reach a guard house.  Let the guard know that you are here to hike and they will give you a guest pass.  After about 3 miles, take a right on Del Webb Drive. Follow Del Webb Drive for about two miles until you begin to drive up to the ridge, where there is a parking lot on the left.  After you park here, cross the road.  At the end of the guard rail you will begin the Kaylor Knob trail.

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From Buzzard Rock, you get a great view of Passage Creek and Fort Valley below. Below: The view below from this vantage point; Scrabbly pines are the predominant tree at the summit

Adam Says…

This was the first time that we had done this hike.  The hike seems to be very popular for people from nearby Front Royal, Winchester and Northern Virginia.  It is not too difficult of a hike, which makes it a great hikes for families and newbie hikers.

You start the trail from the parking lot and you’ll follow the double white blazes for the entire trip.  You begin walking through a piney area that will smell nice if the area has been warmed up in the spring/summer sun.  The trail has some hills to go up and down and a few small streams to cross.  Around 1.0 miles, you will arrive at a frequently-used campsite.  Just cross the campsite and continue up the trail for about another .75 miles until you reach the first overlook.  You will continue up the hill to reach the ridgeline.  Continue to hike across the ridge to take in the views from different angles.  Once you feel that you have seen all that you would like, you can return the way you came.

The trail is well-marked and connects to other local GWNF trails. Below: Lots of stuff along the trail is in bloom now; the rocks at the top are covered in lichen.

For any of those people that are interested in geocaching, you can grab three easy ones along the trail.  All of them are normal-sized containers and have some things to trade.  One of these was placed by our inspiration for a lot of hikes, Hiking Upward.

• Hiking Upward – Buzzard Rock Ridge
• Buzzard
• Buzzard Hideout

Unfortunately, this trip was marred for us since my wife sprained her ankle very badly at the top of the ridge.  She somehow managed to hike back down under her own power despite my offerings to carry her down – quite a trooper!  We definitely will do this hike another time.

Christine Says…

Buzzard Rock was a beautiful hike for a beautiful spring day.   The summit offers a great scenic payoff with minimal effort.  The elevation gain of 650 feet is very gradual with the exception of one very short, steep climb to the ridgeline.

The early part of the hike passes close to civilization, so the sound of cars and glimpses of houses are always in sight.  However, within a half a mile, the trail leads away from everything and passes through a pretty stretch of open woods with very little undergrowth.  In early spring, the forest floor is covered with tiny wildflowers peeking out from under the brown leaves. The view from the trail eventually opens up and provides a nice view of the Front Royal Fish Hatchery and the surrounding valley below.

The view of the valley below is beautiful! Below: The Front Royal Fish Hatchery; A view of the Buzzard Rock "spine"

From this point on the trail is extremely uneven and rocky – big slabs of stone, angle up out of the ground like jagged teeth… more about that later.  The view from the top is not as dramatic as other Virginia hikes, mostly because you can’t see many distant layers of ridges.  What you do see is a deep, narrow valley below with Fort Valley Road and Passage Creek winding their way through.  Because of all the recent rain, we could hear creek’s roar even hundreds of feet above.

We enjoyed the view, had some trail mix and then headed back down the mountain.  I stopped along to way to photograph some flowering trees.  When I turned to rejoin Adam, I moved a bit too hastily and carelessly.  The toe of my boot got caught between two of the “jagged teeth” on the ridge.  My toe stopped dead, but my ankle kept moving.  It completely rolled to the side, resulting in a bad Grade 2 ankle sprain.

I was extremely glad to get back to parking lot so I could stop walking on my injured ankle. Below: My bruised and deformed ankle.

My ankle immediately started to bruise and swell, but I had no choice but to hike myself out.  Adam found a makeshift walking stick in the woods, and that helped offset weight on my injured foot.  Nonetheless, it was a long two miles back down to the car. I’ll be off the trails for several weeks to come while my ankle heals and rehabs.  I’m hoping it won’t take as long as the doctor predicted.  I hate to waste three (or more) weeks of this fantastic spring hiking weather.

Wookie Says…

This was a great first hike of the year for me!  It wasn’t very steep, and I love to scramble on rocks.  What I liked less were all the small stream crossings on this trail.  I hate to get my paws wet and muddy, but that’s exactly what I ended up doing on this hike.  I actually acted quite brave, and on the return trip I crossed all the streams with confidence.  Maybe I’ll be a water loving dog yet!

Wookie had a great time on the hike.

I really enjoyed the breezy overlook atop Buzzard Rock.  I liked sniffing the air and feeling the sun on my back.  I even got to enjoy a few graham crackers from my masters’ trail mix.  I also got some water from my portable dog dish.

It was a great day, but I have a feeling I’m getting a bath when I get home.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 4 miles – out-and-back
• Elevation Change –around 650 feet
• Difficulty – 2 This trail isn’t too steep and most people should be able to make it up to the top.
• Trail Conditions – 3. The trail is in decent shape.  There are some muddy spots and a lot of jagged rocks on the ridge.
• Views –3.5. There are great views along the entire ridge.  We would have liked it better if we couldn’t see a road below.
• Waterfalls/streams –1. There are a few rock-hops across some streams, but nothing photo-worthy.
• Wildlife – 1. This is a better bird-watching trip than a trip for spotting any mammals.  We were glad we saw a buzzard at the top since it is their rock.
• Ease to Navigate – 4.5. The trail is well-marked with a white double blaze.
• Solitude – 2 . This is a popular trail for local families and also rock climbers.

Directions to trailhead: From I-66, take 340 South Exit.  Take a right on 55 – Strasburg Road.  Take a left onto 619 – Fort Valley Road.  Parking lot is on the right-hand side.  If you are arriving from the south, go up 340 (following directions for Front Royal Airport) until you reach 619-Rivermont Drive.  After a few miles, Rivermont Drive becomes Fort Valley Road.  Parking lot is on the left-hand side.

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Christine's dad and Adam at the Big Schloss overlook.

Adam says…

Since Christine’s birthday is this week, her parents wanted to do something to celebrate.  So, we decided to take them on a hike to Big Schloss and have a picnic.   We’ve done this hike on numerous occasions, but this was the first time for her parents.

German settlers to this area named this rock outcropping “Big Schloss” due to its resemblance to a castle.  “Schloss” means “castle” in German.

We parked at the Wolf Gap Campground.  There are outhouses near the parking lot in case you need to make a pit stop before the hike.   The Mill Mountain trailhead starts out from campsite #9.  You’ll see the trail marker indicating a distance of two miles to Big Schloss.

Christine's mom climbs the Mill Mountain Trail. Below: We saw lots of red and yellow in the trees already, the first panoramic view after the initial ascent, Christine's Mom and Dad check out the small cave

The hike starts off with a fairly steep and steady uphill.  However, you are getting this portion of the hike done with first, which is a nice bonus.  After .66 miles, your climb ends. When you reach the ridge, the trail takes a sharp turn to the left.   For most of the remainder of this hike, you will be walking on the top of the ridge, with occasional views through the trees to your left of the Long Mountain ridge and better views to your right.

At .78 miles, you will come to your first overlook.  We noticed quite a bit of tree color on the trail and at the overlooks, which gets us both excited for some fall hiking.   You’ll continue walking on the ridge, going slightly up and down, but not a lot of elevation change.  At 1.75 miles, you will reach a signpost leading you to take a right to take the Big Schloss spur trail to the summit just .25 miles ahead.   At 1.9 miles, you will see a campsite off to the left of the main trail and a small rock outcrop that holds a small cave.

You access the Big Schloss overlook via a small wood footbridge.

Shortly after this, you will cross a wooden footbridge and then reach the summit for the best views.  There is not a ton of room on the rocks to view the summit, but you will likely have a spot to enjoy the view and eat a snack.

At the summit, we ate a small handful of trailmix and then made our way back to the parking lot for a picnic lunch.  Christine’s mother went overboard on packing for the picnic.  She brought about 15 pieces of fried chicken, various pasta salads, pineapple, grapes, cheese & crackers, three different bags of potato chips, assorted beverages, and two birthday cakes (lemon blueberry cake and coconut cake).  We ate way more than should have, but we had a wonderful morning for a hike.

Adam and our friend Shannon found the Big Schloss Cache back in 2007.

If you are into geocaching, there is one that you can find not too far from the summit.

• Big Schloss Cache

Christine Says…

Big Schloss is one of my favorite hikes in the Lee District.  It’s a beautiful hike in every season!  Springtime brings a trail lined with mountain laurel and rhododendron.  In the fall, the changing foliage colors spread across the valley below like a colorful tapestry (photo from Fall ’08).  Summer brings fog in the valley and dense green foliage all around (photo from May 2007).  In the winter, views are crystal clear and unobstructed for miles and miles.

Big Schloss offers beautiful, panoramic views - especially to the west.

The area is popular with central Virginians.  The Wolf Gap campground is often full, and you’ll see hiking groups  – especially on weekends.  We’ve seen everything from hardcore mountain bikers to ultra-distance trail runners on the Mill Mountain trail.  A couple years ago, we even met a team of competitive cyclists helping an injured teammate off the mountain.  The terrain is very rugged, so I imagine you’d have to be an experienced mountain biker to travel this route.

On this particular day, we hiked with my Mom & Dad to celebrate my birthday.  In addition to their wonderful company, I also got the gift of a new hiking gadget before starting the hike.  My parents gave me a pair of Komperdell trekking poles.  I’ve been wanting to get a set of poles for quite some time now, so I was thrilled with the present.  I don’t really have the best of balance, so I loved the added stability the poles gave me hiking down the loose, rocky trail on the return trip.  I was also amazed with how much strain they took off my knees. The model they gave me has cork handles, which are apparently cooler and chafe less than other handle types.

We were surprised to see how many colorful leaves had already fallen.

When we started out on our hike, the sky was brilliant blue with just an occasional cloud passing by overhead.  By the time we got to the overlook, the sky was mostly cloudy and hazy.  It wasn’t the best view that we’ve ever had from Big Schloss, but it was beautiful nonetheless.  I loved seeing the hints of autumn starting to appear in the forest.  The Virginia creeper was crimson.  A lot of maples and dogwoods were starting to change, too.  At every open viewpoint, we could see distant ridges with red, yellow and orange trees peppered into the greenness.  Fall is definitely on its way, and I think it might be coming early this year.

We really didn’t stay too long at the summit, especially since we had a big picnic lunch waiting for us at the campground.  As Adam mentioned, my mom went nuts with quantity and selection.   I’m not complaining, but seriously… who brings two birthday cakes to a picnic lunch for four people?

My mom even brought birthday candles along.  My family “sang” Happy Birthday to me while the breeze repeatedly blew out the candles.  You’ll notice “sang” is in quote marks.  I have to tell you, my family cannot sing – not a single note.  They’re so bad, it’s become a family joke to make “Happy Birthday to You” sound like the saddest, most off-key, howl-inducing dirge you might ever imagine.  Since we were in a public place, my dad and Adam put extra effort into singing it loudly and badly.  I think I heard babies crying, dogs barking and campers exclaiming “What is that noise?”

After lunch, we parted ways with my parents and headed home.  It was a great hike.

Note: There is another great trail starting out from the Wolf Gap Campground.  If you have a couple days in the area, check out the Tibbet Knob trail.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 4 miles out-and-back. Add another .1 mile to get to your car.
  
• Elevation Change –1000 feet
• Difficulty – 2.  After a rather steep .7 mile climb at the beginning, the trail is mostly level and follows a ridge.  There is one other short climb after the Mill Mountain Trail meets up with the Big Schloss spur.
• Trail Conditions – 2.5.  The trail is well-maintained but it’s rocky and has lots of loose footing in the first .7 mile.
• Views –4.5. The view are pretty spectacular – especially on a clear day.
• Waterfalls/streams –0. Non-existent.
  
• Wildlife – 0 We didn’t see anything beyond chipmunks, birds and squirrels.  We did see a fawn near the Wolf Gap campground.
• Ease to Navigate – 4.  Just stay straight on the trail.
• Solitude – 2. This trail doesn’t see the same crowds as trails in Shenandoah National Park, but it is a popular hike with the local crowd.
  

Directions to trailhead:
From I-81, take exit 279.  Follow Rte. 675 until it meets Route 42.  Turn right on 42 and then take almost an immediate left on 675 (Wolf Gap Road).  Follow Wolf Gap Road until you come to the Wolf Gap Campground (right on the Hardy County Line.)

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Kennedy Peak Summit with View of Page Valley

Christine Says…

I love this hike.   We’ve hiked it in winter and fall before, but this was the first time we’ve hiked it in the spring.  Sunday afternoon was the kind of day that is custom made for hiking.  It was dry, sunny, breezy and in the low 70′s.  The trail was lined with brilliant, pink rhododendrons.   All the trees were covered with new, spring green leaves and/or blossoms.  Butterflies were fluttering all around the trail, taking pauses on the blooming trees and wildflowers.   It was, in a word, idyllic.  I had been up and on the go since 4:15 that morning, but the day was so perfect I hardly felt tired at all.

Box Turtle, Swallowtail on Rhododendron, Indigo Bunting

When we got to the summit, we had the observation tower all to ourselves.  We watched birds in the treetops, spotted lizards climbing around on the rocks and took in a fantastic view of the Shenandoah River and the Page Valley.  It was one of the least hazy days we’ve had in a while, so we could clearly see Shenandoah National Park from this summit.  Lots of vultures were soaring overhead, and even though they’re kind of creepy, they were casting cool bird-shaped shadows onto the mountain top.  I always like it when they do that.

Sunday was the only time we’ve hiked Kennedy Peak in the afternoon.  Adam and I tend to be morning hikers — it helps us avoid the crowds.  But, the light is definitely prettier in the afternoon on Kennedy Peak.  If you hike it in the morning, the sun shines right in your face at the summit.  That makes it hard to appreciate the great view, and makes it nearly impossible to get any decent photos.

Adam Says…

This is one of our favorite, less-well-known hikes.  This hike is not very steep and the payoff is wonderful.   Once you get to the trailhead at the Edith Gap overlook, you will follow the orange-blazed trail.  This is a good multi-use trail, since there are campsites and good footing for horses.  There are a couple of campsites at the beginning of the trail, near the road.  The nicest campsites are further up the trail.  After two miles, the orange-blazed trail will come to a junction with the Stephens Trail and the Kennedy Peak Trail.  Take a right and follow the white-blazed trail to the peak.  Once you are on the white-blazed trail, you will find a couple of places where you can have some nice lookouts over the valley and the Shenandoah River.  From some points, you can see up to six bends in the River.  Once you reach the top, there is an observation tower where you can chill for a while before heading back down.

Kennedy Peak Tower

Inside the Tower

On Top the Tower

If you are into geocaching, there are a few in the area:

• Edith Gap Overlook Cache
• Kennedy’s Peak Green Cache
• Presidential Peek Cache

Be sure to visit Camp Roosevelt a little north further on the road.  This is a great spot for a picnic.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 4.75 miles round-trip
• Elevation Change - Maybe a few hundred feet
• Difficulty - 2.5.  The trail for the first two miles is usually either flat or gentle rolling terrain.  The last third of a mile up to the observation tower is steeper, but very manageable.
• Trail Conditions - 3.   The trail is well-maintained, but there are a lot of rocks, so you’ll need to watch where you step.
• Views – 4.  You can really see some gorgeous views close to the top.
• Waterfalls/streams - 0. This trail is dry as a bone.
• Wildlife - 2.  Seems like a great bird-watching area.  We saw an Indigo Bunting, Goldfinch, Wood Thrush, and Eastern Towhee.  Also spotted a box turtle and Eastern fence lizard.  No signs of deer or bear.
• Ease to Navigate - 5.   It would be nearly impossible to get lost.
• Solitude – 3.  This trail is well-loved by a lot of locals, but the bulk of area tourists stick to the trails in Shenandoah National Park.  You may see a few groups of hikers along the way, but it’s never a crowded trail.

Directions to trailhead: The trail is located on 675 – Fort Valley Road, north of Luray.   You will see a small parking lot on the curve for the Edith Gap Overlook.  There is additional parking on the other side.

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Rock Scramble on Strickler Knob

Adam says…

This is a great hike that is still not very well known.  There are some great views at the top and a mini rock scramble that is good preparation for anyone who wants a little practice before tackling Old Rag.  I wouldn’t recommend this hike for small children or dogs due to the rock scramble.

The hike can be a little tricky to navigate, so I have provided some clear directions for following the trail.

After parking at Scothorn Gap, you’ll immediately wade or rock hop across Passage Creek.  The hike starts off on a fire road.  The way starts to get fairly steep at .4 miles, but levels off again at .65 miles. At .8 miles, the hike gets steep again, but levels at .95 miles. This is the hardest part of the hike, so once that is done, the elevation changes are small. At 1.07 miles, you will see a nice campsite for anyone that wants to stay overnight. At this point, you will see an arrow pointing to the right, where you will pick up the trail again. The trail continues SSE from the campsite and you will be leaving the fire road for a hike through the woods. At 1.3 miles, you will come to a junction sign. Head straight on to Gap Creek Trail.

At 1.94 miles you will come to the junction with the Strickler Knob trail to the right. This trail was built and opened in 2006 by some anonymous trailblazers. The blazes for this trail are marked as pink on rocks and typically red or purple rectangles on trees. This trail is fairly rocky, so be careful not to turn your ankles. Around 2.5 miles, you will see gorgeous views of the Shenandoah River and the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east. To the west, you will see more of the Shenandoah valley and the Appalachian Mountains. At 2.67 miles, you will reach a rock scramble for about one tenth of a mile until you reach the summit. This is a great spot to have 360 degree views of the area around you. Tied to a tree, you will also see a logbook that someone placed for people to journal about their hike.  It’s definitely a good read to those that are interested.

Trail Journal at the Summit

For those that are interested, I also placed a geocache up there.  The direct link for the geocache can be found at:

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=eee5a759-fab2-4f22-a121-77eccf0c9b19

Christine says…

We hiked the Strickler Knob trail on the recommendation of a friend of mine from Flickr.  He said it was a fun hike with excellent views.  He wasn’t kidding!

We walked the trail on a bitter, windy winter day shortly before the forest road closed for the season.  The section of road that leads to the trailhead is periodically closed in the winter to prevent damage to the road surface.  (You can always check the status of roads and trails in the George Washington National Forest on their website) The hike was fairly easy and passed through the beautiful woods of Massanutten Mountain.  The Strickler Knob trail branches off the main trail and follows a rocky ridgeline over to the knob.  I love scrambling on rocks, so the last portion of the trail was my favorite part.

When we reached the knob, the view was amazing.  We got there mid-day, so it wasn’t a great time for photography.  I’d like to hike it again in the afternoon sometime.  I think the late day light would be prettier on the rocks and over the valley below.

While Adam hid his geocache, I spent some time reading the trail journal at the summit.  It was entertaining, and I even came across the name of an old co-worker in the book.    I also remember it being super windy at the summit.  It was so bad, my bag of trailmix blew over and (sadly) sent chocolate covered peanuts spilling all over the rocks.  I hate it when I lose chocolate like that.  I’m sure some stupid crow enjoyed it though.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 5.5 miles round-trip
• Elevation Change - 2,240 feet
• Difficulty - 3.5
• Trail Conditions - 3.   Most of the trail is nicely graded and well maintained.  But once you turn onto the Strickler Knob trail it’s rocky and requires some scrambling.
• Views – 4.  Once you reach the top you have some great views.
• Waterfalls/streams - 1.  Just a small stream to cross at the beginning.
• Wildlife - 2.  Hunters like this area, so there must be wildlife (although we didn’t see any.) During hunting season, make sure you’re wearing bright colors and making noise.  A co-worker who was running up here also got attacked by a wild goat here.
• Ease to Navigate - 3.   The blazes can be a little tricky to follow on the pink blazed Strickler Knob trail.  Otherwise, the trail is pretty straightforward.
• Solitude – 4.5.  You aren’t likely to spot many people on this one.

Directions to trailhead:

Reach the trailhead by turning on to Crisman Hollow Road (FD 274) off of 211 near Luray. Continue on this road for a few miles and park at the Scothorn Gap trail parking.

Once you have parked follow Orange Blazes on Scothorn Gap trail.  Follow trail directions above.

Check out other descriptions of the Strickler Knob Hike

• http://www.hikingupward.com/GWNF/StricklerKnob/This version of the hike is longer than the version we did – 9.1 miles
• http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=100467

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