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Seneca Rocks (WV)

October 10, 2009September 4, 201822 Comments

The formation of Seneca Rocks is an exciting landmark for all to see. The trail is a pleasant three-mile hike along gentle uphill grades and switchbacks. The summit has a viewing platform suitable for all hikers and the opportunity for more adventurous folks to scramble out onto the exposed rock face for a more dramatic view.

The trail starts off over an arched bridge.

Adam Says…

When people first see the sheer rock face of Seneca, most probably assume they’re in for a really tough hike. However, I was surprised to find that this hike is not as difficult at all. This was my second time hiking up Seneca Rocks.

Seneca Rocks is probably most known among rock-climbers. You may see several dots scaling the face from the parking lot. There are multiple paths up the sections of rocks, but it is not for amateurs. Seneca Rocks is made of Tuscarora quartzite.

The trail starts off from the parking lot opposite of the Sites Homestead. You will see a sign marking the beginning of the trail, mentioning that it is 1.5 miles to the top along with 1000 feet of elevation gain. You will quickly come to a bridge across the North Fork River. The trail continues on the opposite side. There are interpretive signs along the trail that will give you a lot of information about the trees and geology of the area. You will slowly rise through the forests to meet a row of stairs which starts a steeper, uphill climb. You will have several switchbacks along the trail, but they help take the pain away you would feel for a steeper hike. Once you reach the top, there is an observation platform that allows for some gorgeous views to the west.

The view from the Seneca Rocks viewing platform. Below: Adam at the warning sign; More views

For those that are more adventurous, you will find a sign slightly above the observation point pictured above. You can continue past this point, but it is not for the faint of heart or the feeble-footed. This path will take you to actually hike the skinny area of the top of Seneca Rocks. At some points of this climb at the very top, you will be standing on rock about the width of your body with several hundred feet of drop-off on both sides of you. The views do allow you to see to the east and west from the top, but most people should stay at the observation point. Fearful of heights, the first time I did not venture much further past the warning sign. This time, I felt a little more confident and did explore things a little further. Several people have died on this portion, so do not attempt anything that is uncomfortable.

If you are interested in geocaching, there are several to find around the Seneca Rocks area. There are more than these listed, but these are the easiest to do while on this hike. Here are the ones I found in the area:

I would highly recommend anyone interested in taking a trip to West Virginia to take some time to visit Seneca Rocks. These formations are really an amazing site and the hike up is paid off by gorgeous views that will make you truly appreciate the breath-taking scenery of West Virginia.

Christine Says…

Seneca Rocks was the last stop of our whirlwind day in West Virginia. We’ve hiked this trail a few times, and wanted to take the time to share it on our website.

The hike is understandably the most heavily trafficked trail in all of Monongahela National Forest. Seneca Rocks has so much to see beyond its namesake attraction. The visitors center, located at the base of the rocks, is beautifully designed and is full of interesting exhibits, a theater and a small gift shop. The original visitors center burned to the ground in 1992, but the new one is even nicer than the original. The area also offers fishing, picnicking, nearby camping and even a restored homestead from the 1830’s. The Sites Homestead has lovely gardens and a spectacular view of the rock “spine” on the mountain above.

The Sites Homestead. Below: Horseback Riders; A peek between the rocks.

Since Adam has already described the hike itself so thoroughly, I wanted to share one of my memories from a childhood visit to Seneca Rocks. My family spent a lot of time camping and hiking in the area when I was a kid. On one trip to Seneca Rocks, I kept telling my parents that the “rock was shaped different”. My mom said that I probably didn’t remember what the rock looked like exactly. But, I insisted that a big part of the rock face had fallen right off the mountain. My parents just laughed at me. But, it turned out I was RIGHT. Two days before that visit, a large freestanding tower of rock (called the Gendarme) in the center notch of the rocks had toppled over and crumbled down the mountainside. You can see the Gendarme in this old historical engraving.

The hike to the top of Seneca is really pretty easy. You used to be able to take a guided horseback ride to the top, but Yokum’s Stables stopped operating in September of 2015.

Trail Notes

Distance – 3 miles out and back
Elevation Change –1000 feet
Difficulty – 2. The entire outbound hike is uphill along gradual grades and switchbacks.
Trail Conditions – 3.5 The trail is well-maintained.
Views –4. The view the platform is pretty to the west, but for a better view, climb beyond the platform onto the rocks for stunning east and west views.
Waterfalls/streams –3. The beginning of the hike takes you over an arched bridge and across a beautiful, wide section of the North Fork River. Several smaller streams converge near the trailhead.
Wildlife – 1. We saw lots of chipmunks and a gigantic black snake.
Ease to Navigate – 5. There is only one trail. It would be nearly impossible to get lost.
Solitude – 0. This is the most popular trail in all of Monongahela National Forest. Everybody hikes this trail, so expect lots of company along the way.

Directions to trailhead:
Seneca Rocks sits right at the junction of Rt. 33 and Rt. 55 in West Virginia. You can’t miss it. The hike starts out across the parking lot from the historic Sites Homestead.

Short and Scenic West Virginia Walks

October 6, 2009October 12, 201512 Comments

Last Saturday, we made a quick trip over the mountains into West Virginia. The foliage in the Canaan Valley (Tucker County) area is always way ahead of the color change in Virginia. We set out from home at 5:00 a.m. and made stops at Blackwater Falls State Park, Canaan Valley State Park, Douglas Falls and Dolly Sods Wilderness. Our whirlwind trip got us thinking about how many short walks in that area have major scenic payoffs.

Let’s start off with a few beautiful spots in Blackwater Falls State Park. All of the spots listed below are clearly marked on the park’s trail map. Pick up a copy at the lodge.

Lindy Point

The walk out to Lindy Point is no more than a third of a mile along a relatively level path. The trail passes through dense rhododendron and can be quite muddy if there has been rain. At the end of the trail, you’ll come out to a platform built onto the side of the rocky cliff. The point offers a spectacular view of the Blackwater Canyon. If you sit quietly, chances are good that you’ll hear the river rushing through the chasm below. The view is made even more unique due to the enormous free-standing rock “chimneys” that surround the platform. There are several places that you can crawl through the rhododendron to stand directly on the rocks for a better view. Despite the spot’s beauty, Christine has not had great luck photographing this spot, but it’s all been a matter of timing. We’ve just never been lucky enough to hit the point on a day with nice “photo skies.” The photo included really doesn’t do the place justice.

Elakala Falls

There are several "falls of Elakala" along Shays Run. — There are several “falls of Elakala” along Shays Run.

This pretty waterfall is accessed by a short trail starting out from the park’s main lodge. The falls are less than a quarter mile down the trail. You’ll know you have reached the waterfall when you come to a wooden footbridge over Shays Run. The falls cascade directly under your feet at this point. The trail really doesn’t give you a good look at the waterfall, so take the time to follow the “unofficial” foot path down the ravine to the base of the falls. Elakala is prettiest in times of heavy waterflow. The stream leaving the base of the falls takes a beautiful swirling path across the moss-greened rocks. Don’t miss climbing a little farther down the ravine to see a couple other pretty waterfalls on Shays Run. The stream actually cascades all the way down to the bottom of the Blackwater Canyon, but it’s not really safe to go much beyond the second or third cascade. Last winter we were lucky enough to see Elakala falls completely frozen over. The sound of the water running under the ice was magical that day.

Blackwater Falls

This 62 foot cascade is park’s namesake and #1 attraction. You’ll have a couple options for accessing the waterfall. The park road that heads toward the main lodge has a paved, wheelchair-accessible path to a viewing platform far above the waterfall. The road that heads toward the picnic ground has a longer “staircase-path” that leads to several wooden viewing platforms. This path puts you a lot closer to the waterfall and offers a much prettier view. We’ve always liked visiting Blackwater Falls as soon as the sun comes up. At dawn, the path is deserted and the falls are often shrouded in a thin veil of fog. During more normal times, the area is extremely crowded with tourists.

And now a couple favorites outside the park.

Douglas Falls – Thomas, WV

The colors of Douglas Falls are amazing!

Blackwater Falls might be the area’s best-known waterfall, but we think Douglas Falls is the most beautiful. The rocks are brilliant red and the water is vivid green, making for a wonderfully photogenic color contrast. The color of the rocks is sadly unnatural, created by acid drainage from the mines and coke ovens in the area. It’s amazing that pollution could create something so pretty. The ride out to the falls is extremely rugged and potholed. You should plan on walking a mile or two if you don’t have a 4WD vehicle. The footpath down to the falls is very short, but very steep. Once you get down to the base of the falls, there is a path that follows the stream for a couple hundred yards. The whole area is worth exploring, but take extreme caution on the slippery rocks. The rocks around the stream are coated with slick, clear algae. We always move “crab-style” along the rocks to keep from falling.

Bear Rocks – Dolly Sods Wilderness

The landscape of Dolly Sods reminds us of Maine.

Another place to visit in the area is Bear Rocks in the Dolly Sods Wilderness Area. The overlook is surrounded by a vast plain of huckleberry and blueberry bushes that turn blaze red in the autumn. It’s a great place to spot migrating hawks. The rocky cliff is endlessly fun to scramble around on and provides beautiful views of the valley below. The plains framing the cliff are patterned with pathways through the berry bushes and punctuated with monolithic white rocks that have been sculpted by time and the elements. Whenever we visit Dolly Sods, we feel like we’re someplace far north of the Mid-Atlantic region. It feels more like Maine or Canada. There are several routes into Dolly Sods. We recommend the route from WV32 onto Laneville Road as the most passable and scenic. You might even see a black bear along the road if you’re lucky.

Millers Head

October 1, 2009October 16, 20091 Comment

Millers Head is a beautiful little hike that starts out from the amphitheater at Skyland Resort. There are three nice overlook spots along the way.

The view from a small rock outcropping before the observatory was prettier than the actual Millers Head

Christine Says…

Millers Head is a perfect leg-stretcher with wonderful scenic payoffs. It’s also a bit of an oddity for Shenandoah hiking. One unusual thing about this hike is that the trail is mostly downhill as you walk out to the observatory. In Shenandoah, it’s very uncommon to have a steady descent on hikes that offer panoramic vistas. In fact, I can’t think of a single other “view hike” that goes downhill quite as much as Millers Head. Another interesting fact about this trail; it’s one of only three places in the park that are authorized launch points for hang gliders. If you’re lucky, you might get to see some gliders taking off and sailing over the valley.

The first of the viewpoints comes atop Brushytop Mountain, just .2 miles into the hike. There is a lovely shady spot with large boulders to sit and take in the view. Near Brushytop, you’ll also get a nice look at Skyland Resort built into the mountainside to the east. In the afternoon, the sun hits the lodge beautifully and Stony Man looms impressively over the resort area.

Brushytop offers a nice view of the valley. Below: the signpost at the trailhead, view of Skyland Resort looking back from the trail

I wasn’t so lucky with the lighting conditions for photography on the day we hiked. The clouds were dark and moving quickly across the sky. Whenever the sun came out, it was fleeting. I missed the afternoon light on Skyland by mere moments.

In my opinion, there are two viewpoints even nicer than Brushytop on this hike. One is an unnamed rock ledge close to the Millers Head observatory. It’s not marked, but you can’t miss the well worn footpath up to the rocks. It looks back to the east. The other is right at the end of the trail and includes a stone observatory deck built by the CCC. The observatory is starting to crumble and the handrail is loose and rusty. Nonetheless, the views are wonderful from this spot. If you’re into photography, I’d recommend (unlike us) doing this hike in the morning. I had to shoot right into the sun on this particular day, and didn’t really get any nice photos at Millers Head.

On the hike back, I was really cold! I can’t remember ever being cold on a September hike before. We’re having such odd weather this fall, but odd in a good way. I love the crisp snap in the air after the heat of summer. Without a doubt, this is my favorite time of year to hike.

Adam Says

This was a great hike that we combined with the Traces Trail in the North District to get a couple of short hikes in one afternoon. For the shortness of the hike, you really do get some nice views.

The fall leaves provided a gorgeous blanket of color on the trail. Fall hiking is some of the prettiest hiking when you have a nice clear day for views. However, leaves can also cover trails easily, so you have to be aware of where you are. I don’t think anyone could get lost on this particular trail, but it is something to keep in mind while hiking.

The trail was covered with fall leaves. Below: A couple views from the Millers Head Observatory. The clouds were changing so quickly.

Once you start the hike, you will go up a short distance until you reach a building that I think was either a radio tower or weather station. Shortly after that at .2 miles, you will come to a cement post. Heading straight ahead for a few feet will lead you to the Brushytop overlook. From here, you will get nice views of farmlands and small communities in the Shenandoah Valley. Backtrack to the post and head down. You will pass by a few boulder falls along the side. There are a few views off to both sides of the trail along the way before you reach the observation outpost at .8 miles. We had some overhanging clouds from the storm front that was slowly moving through, but we still were able to get gorgeous 180 degree views to the east. We were also fortunate enough to see a peregrine falcon swoop by, reminding us of our Hawksbill Summit Loop hike.

This is another good hike for families or with pets. While the trip back from the observation outpost was more uphill, it was easier to do than we thought it would be. I would recommend this hike to anyone looking for a short hike with a decent payoff for views.

Trail Notes

Distance – 1.6 miles out and back
Elevation Change –475 feet
Difficulty – 1.5. There are some rolling ups and downs on this trail, but overall it’s an easy walk.
Trail Conditions – 3. The trail is well-maintained, but rocky. When we hiked the trail, it was covered by a lot of wet, slippery leaves.
Views –3.5 The view from Millers Head is beautiful. You also get a pretty view of the valley and Skyland Resort from atop Bushytop Mountain, located .2 miles into the hike.
Waterfalls/streams –0. Non-existent.
Wildlife – 0 We didn’t see anything.
Ease to Navigate – 4. Just stay straight on the trail.
Solitude – 2. This trail’s short length and proximity to Skyland Resort make it quite popular.

Directions to trailhead:
Follow Skyline Drive to the Skyland Resort area, between mile markers 42 and 43. Pass the Skyland stables and continue up the road until you reach the amphitheater. You’ll see a sign for the Millers Head Observatory next to the theater.

Big Schloss

September 21, 2009August 26, 201511 Comments

Big Schloss is a moderate 4 mile hike with gorgeous views at the top. Located in George Washington National Forest’s Lee Ranger District, this trail is one of our favorite re-hikes due to great views and beauty of the trail.

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

Download a Trail Map (PDF)

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 (you will have to make a few turns so keep an eye at road junctions) until you come to the Wolf Gap Campground (right on the Hardy County Line.)

Cole/Cold Mountain

September 15, 2009September 25, 201741 Comments

Amherst County’s Cole Mountain Loop is a moderate 6 mile hike with serious payoffs at the summit. Situated in George Washington National Forest’s Pedlar Ranger District, this trail (also know as “Cold Mountain”) is one of Central Virginia’s only hikes to cross a bald, pasture-like summit. Views of the valley from the saddle and summit are open in every direction.

The Cold Mountain summit is open and offers panoramic views in every direction. In this shot you can see the white Appalachian Trail blaze and the USGS benchmark. — The Cole Mountain summit is open and offers panoramic views in every direction. In this shot you can see the white Appalachian Trail blaze and the USGS benchmark.

Christine Says…

Despite the busyness of our weekend, Adam and I made time to hike the Cole Mountain loop on Sunday morning. We had read a description of the trail on another hiking site. Their reviewer compared the summit to Scotland or Switzerland. I don’t know about that, but it was definitely some of the prettiest Virginia summit scenery I’ve ever seen.

We started out from home at 5:30 in the morning. It was still dark, but we wanted to hike before the crowds and heat got too bad. We made a short detour before the hike to visit Statons Creek Falls. It was just a couple miles from the trailhead, and was well worth a look.

The Appalachian Trail crossing is well-marked. Park across from this sign in a small lot.

The forest service road to the Cole Mountain trailhead is unpaved and bumpy. There is only room for five or six cars at the parking area, which is located right at an Appalachian Trail crossing.

The hike starts out downhill along the forest service road for a couple tenths of a mile. You’ll soon pick up the blue-blazed Hotel Trail on the right side of the road. The route follows the Hotel Trail for about 3.5 miles until a junction with the Appalachian Trail (AT). The AT takes you up a series of switchbacks, across the Cole Mountain summit and eventually back down to the parking lot where you started out.

Just a few of the gorgeous wildflowers on display in the meadow. Pictured below: The old hog wall, the open meadow along the Hotel Trail, a beautiful tree sheltering one of the loveliest backcountry campgrounds in Virginia.

The thing I loved about this hike was the ever-changing landscape along the way. It was a perfect sampling of Virginia’s varied scenery. The trail started off winding its way down through lush, green beds of ferns sheltered by old hardwoods. After passing through a short tunnel of pines, the forest gave way to a wide meadow-like clearing filled with shoulder high wildflowers in every shade of pink, purple, yellow and white. Descending back into the forest, we saw numerous remnants from a bygone mountain farm. Crumbling stone “hog walls” and errant apple trees were easily spotted along the trail.

The Cow Camp Gap Shelter. Pictured below: a checkerboard is painted onto the shelter floor, Adam enjoys reading the shelter journal

We took a snack break along a small stream just before the 3 mile mark. There was a fire pit and log seats that made a perfect place to enjoy some trail mix and water. We ended up taking another break a few tenths of a mile down the trail when we arrived at the Cow Camp Gap Shelter. This shelter is just one of many three-sided huts located along (or near) the Appalachian Trail. This one was especially nice. There was a checkerboard painted on the floor, with acorn cap and twig game pieces. The shelter had a newer log book, so there weren’t many entries to enjoy this time. The site also had the biggest picnic table I’ve ever seen. It made Adam look like he was hobbit-sized.

The shelter marks the beginning of the only serious uphill climb on this hike. About a half mile after leaving the shelter, you meet up with the Appalachian Trail and head north. Along the way, the forest begins to thin out, giving you glimpses of a view from rocky ledges along the trail.

Upon reaching the saddle of Cole Mountain, the terrain changes radically and instantly. The trees disappear and a wide, pasture-like alley appears across the summit. The field is dotted with giant boulders and speckled with wildflowers. It’s a great place for a picnic lunch. You certainly can’t beat the sweeping views in every direction.

Adam Says…

This truly was a wonderful hike! I don’t think this hike is very well known to those that don’t live in Central Virginia, but it is a true gem and definitely worth a trip no matter where you live. We had absolutely perfect hiking weather with beautiful blue skies, dappled with an occasional cloud. We plan on coming back down to this area soon to try the nearby hike of Mount Pleasant.

Cole Mountain is also commonly known as Cold Mountain (and is listed as such on Hiking Upward), but when we saw its official name through the USGS was Cole Mountain, we are sticking with their name. I know when I told my family about hiking Cold Mountain, they thought about the movie with Nicole Kidman and Jude Law. That Cold Mountain is actually in North Carolina, along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The first lookout point along the Appalachian Trail was already showing some signs of fall.

To begin the circuit that we chose, we took the Hotel Trail. The origin of the name is supposedly derived from the landowner Joseph Richeson, whose house was known as The Hotel, due to the number of frequent guests.

Once you start the Hotel Trail, you will almost immediately come to a horse gate. Go through the horse gate and continue to follow the blue blazes. You will follow these blue blazes until you reach the junction with the Appalachian Trail. At .9 miles, you will reach the beautiful field of wildflowers on your left that Christine mentioned. At around 1.3 miles, you will reach a gorgeous spot for an overnight camp. I would highly recommend this to anyone that is planning on doing a backpacking trip. There is a large firepit formed with logs to sit and enjoy some S’mores over an open fire.

From the firepit, look to the northeast and you will see the blue blazes continue. At 1.7 miles, you will come across the “hog wall”, which is neat to think about people that used this area in the past. Continue down the trail until you reach the bottom of Cow Camp Gap at 2.9 miles. On our way down, I heard some strong howling off in the distant which sounded like coyotes. Since we’ve heard of this from other hikers, there must be some nearby. You will see on the other side of a small stream, the Cow Camp Gap Shelter. This is a great spot for any thru-hikers or people that just want to have a packed lunch, rest, or fill up water from the spring. We always enjoy reading the logs that thru-hikers and backpackers leave during their trips there. Once you see the shelter on the right, just stay on the trail until you reach the junction just ahead. The path to the right will take you to the shelter and the spring, but after your stop, you will take the path to the left. I imagine that during rainier times, this would be a nice spot to hear a trickling stream, but it was dried out when we were there.

From the junction at the shelter, you will have another .5 miles to reach the junction with the Appalachian Trail. At 3.5 miles, take a right (North) on the Appalachian trail. You will continue your ascent through a few switchbacks. At 3.7 miles, you will reach the first of two nice spots for an overlook at the edge of the switchback. Continue on the trail until you reach the large meadow with the summit. You will see a few vertical 4 foot high rocks sticking out of the ground. On the ground in the rock, you will see the USGS benchmark which marks the summit of Cole Mountain at 4,033 feet. Take a moment to enjoy the views at the summit and continue to follow the AT white blazes going north. You will see many gorgeous panoramic 360 degree views as you cross along the highlands for a few tenths of a mile. The scenery was truly breathtaking as we trekked across the highlands of the saddle, across the bald summit. (Note: camping and/or fires are not allowed on the bald of Cold Mountain.) At the end of the meadow at 5.2 miles, you will begin your descent into the woods and back to your vehicle. You will cross over a fire road, but stay on the white-blazed trail until you reach your vehicle.

Adam makes his way across the bald summit of Cole Mountain. Pictured below: this bush was heavy with berries.

If you are into geocaching, there are a two that you can find along the way. The first is at the “hog wall” and the second is near the summit. There was also another at Statons Creek Falls, which I feel is one of the prettiest waterfalls in Virginia. Here are links to the sites for those that are interested:

As a slightly humorous aside, we did see a couple of guys hiking that came over from another mountain. They had already hiked for about 8 miles, making this hike their second summit. They were planning on going back the way they came and making it a 17 mile hike to do in one day. We saw them around noon and they were hoping to make it back to their car around dinner time. They had a poor map and we tried to show them directions, but they were off quickly. However, they ended up going the opposite way away from their vehicle. We thought we should probably check the news to see if they became lost. I hope they got back safely, but I’m sure they had to reheat their dinner.

I would definitely say that this hike is one of my favorites in Virginia. The views were exceptional and the scenery along the entire trail was magnificent. Make this a “must-do” hike in your future planning! You won’t regret it.

Trail Notes

Distance – 6 miles loop
(Check out the stats from Map My Hike)*
Note – the MapMyHike stats show the loop in reverse. When we rehiked the route on 6/25/16, we did it the opposite way so we hit the meadow views first.
Elevation Change – 1490 feet – The trail starts out both up and down, but the ascent to the summit is about 1.5 miles uphill.
Difficulty – 3. The trail starts with some ascents and descents. Once you meet the AT, you have about a steady uphill for 1.5 miles, but it wasn’t too tough.
Trail Conditions – 4. The trail is well-maintained and not too hard on the feet. There are some downhill portions that have some loose rock.
Views – 5. It doesn’t get better than panoramic 360 degree mountain views. We felt the scenery throughout the trail was gorgeous.
Waterfalls/streams – 0.5. There is a stream near the Cow Camp Gap shelter, but it was down to a trickle for us.
Wildlife – 1.5. We only saw a deer around here.
Ease to Navigate – 3. There aren’t a lot of turns here, but you may feel a little confused starting off.
Solitude –3.5. We did encounter a few people, but we had a lot of beauty to ourselves. Expect to see a few people along the highlands at the top, but there is a ton of room to enjoy the scenery privately.

* MapMyHike is not necessarily accurate, as the GPS signal fades in and out – but it still provides some fun and interesting information.

Directions to trailhead: Take Exit 188A off of Interstate-81, merging on to US-60 towards Buena Vista. After going through Buena Vista, take a left at Coffeytown Road/Rte 634. After 1.6 miles, take a right on to Wiggins Spring Road/Rte 755. While four-wheel drive isn’t necessary, I would recommend it since it is a rough gravel road. Stay on this for about 2.5 miles until you reach parking on the left side of the road. (GPS Coordinates for parking: 37.759652, -79.195336) Park your vehicle and then proceed further down the road for .2 miles. Before the road splits, you will see two posts marked with blue blazes which will begin the Hotel Trail.

Hightop Mountain

September 9, 2009December 22, 20161 Comment

Hightop Mountain is a nice hike along the Appalachian Trail in the Southern District of Shenandoah National Park. It features a super view and you can take a short spur trail to view an Appalachian Trail shelter.

It wasn't the prettiest day for hiking, but the view from Hightop was still impressive. Hightop is the tallest peak in the south district of the park. — It wasn’t the prettiest day for hiking, but the view from Hightop was still impressive. Hightop is the tallest peak in the south district of the park.

Adam Says…

Wow, it’s been a while. Sorry for the delay in posting anything new for a while, but life has just gotten in the way. We did get to go for a week in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and our annual trip to Acadia National Park in Maine, but we haven’t hiked in Virginia for a while. We’re just now getting back into the swing of things. We had a limited time on Sunday to do a hike, so we decided to pick something close by and relatively short. It was great to get back on the trails!

The hike was very nice. The trail had a steady uphill the entire way up, but it felt very manageable. We noticed that the trail was a little more overgrown than normal. This year has seemed to be great for weeds growing early on in the summer. Usually we have better views along the side of Skyline Drive and the trails, but things seem to have grown wilder this year. I’m sure the rain and cooler summer temps have caused this. The grass and weeds along the way tended to tickle our legs. The hike didn’t have a lot to view along the way, but it was nice to take a side trip and view the AT cabin and log. Around 1.2 miles, you will reach the intersection with the Smith Roach Gap Fire Road. Just cross the road to continue on the AT. You can reach the AT cabin by taking the spur trail shortly after the intersection with the Smith Roach Gap Fire Road. I always enjoy reading through the logs of those that have passed through. In this logbook there was some entries about people bringing the thru-hikers food, some card game scores, and a tale about how a bunch of them danced naked in the evening.

The views at the top really do show you a lot of mountains to the south and you can get nice glimpses of Skyline Drive. On a nice fall day, this could be a great photo opportunity when the leaves change color.

On the way back after .6 miles, you can take the option of taking the Smith Roach Gap Fire Road back to your car by taking a left, but the fire road looked very overgrown, so we opted to just go back the way we came.

Hightop Hut offers a nice rest stop for weary hikers and backpackers. Below: The hut has a trail journal. They are always a lot of fun to read.

Christine Says…

It was so great to get back out on the trail again! I loved lacing my boots up, feeling the trail crunching under my soles and hearing the sounds of late summer bees buzzing lazily through the wild flowers. I’ve been out of the woods for far too long.

The hike up Hightop is one we’ve done several times now, but we’ve always approached the summit as an out-and-back from the northern end of the trail. It’s shorter and steeper, but gets you to the same viewpoint. I actually enjoyed this southern approach quite a bit more. The grade was very gentle and gradual. This route also gave us the opportunity to visit the Hightop Hut. I always like to stop by the AT shelters and read the trail journals.

This cute little toad was one of the few wildlife specimens we saw along our walk.

The view from the summit of Hightop was beautiful. The sky may have been cloudy, but we could still see ten layers of mountain ridges fading into the distant southwest. We also got a nice view of our “home” mountain – Massanutten.

After the hike, Adam and I started casually tossing around the idea of doing a long backpacking trip next summer. We might try to hike the 101 miles of the Appalachian Trail through Shenandoah National Park sometime next spring. The more we talk about it, the less casual the idea seems. We’ll see…

Trail Notes

Distance – 3.8 miles out-and-back which includes an optional .2 mile trip to an AT shelter
Elevation Change –967 feet
Difficulty – 2. While it is a steady uphill the way up, it’s not too steep of a grade.
Trail Conditions – 4. The trail is well-traveled and well-maintained.
Views –3. At the summit, you do have a chance to get some nice views of Skyline Drive and beyond. We counted a series of 10 ridges of depth at the top.
Waterfalls/streams –0. Non-existent.
Wildlife – .5 Other than a toad, we only saw one doe. There also didn’t appear to be a lot of birds on this trail.
Ease to Navigate – 4. Just stay straight on the trail.
Solitude – 3.5 This trail doesn’t see a lot of traffic, but would be busier during the AT thru-hiking in the summer.

Directions to trailhead:
Park on the east side of Skyline Drive at Smith Roach Gap (around mile marker 68.5). At the end of the parking lot, go on the fire road. The trail takes off about 10 yards on the left.

Lewis Spring Falls

July 9, 2009August 26, 20154 Comments

Lewis Spring Falls is a hike leading to the fourth tallest waterfall in the park. It starts out from the Big Meadows amphitheater.

This nice view of the layered mountains comes near the end of the hike. This view is much more impressive than the waterfall this trail is named for.

Adam Says…

In my opinion, Lewis Spring Falls is decent for a waterfall hike. If you are visiting Shenandoah National Park, I would recommend Dark Hollow Falls, Rose River Falls, South River Falls, Doyles River or White Oak Canyon before this one.

We started this trail from the amphitheater at Big Meadows. You can also take off from the Big Meadows Campground, adding an extra .8 miles to your trip, but we feel this is the best way to see what is necessary. From the parking lot, you’ll go down a very short spur to connect with the Appalachian Trail. After a short distance, there is a cement post to let you know to leave the AT and proceed on the trail to the right for the Lewis Spring Falls.

Shortly after we started the Lewis Spring Falls trail, we had a great barred owl viewing. We heard a bunch of birds causing quite a racket. We stopped to try to identify the birds, when I spotted the barred owl on the tree. There were at least six chickadees that were dive-bombing the owl. Our guess is that they were trying to protect chicks nearby. As the owl looked in one direction, the chickadees took turns diving down to snip on the owl’s back. It reminded me of the old elementary school trick, when you would tap on someone’s shoulder to make them look behind their shoulder when nobody was there. We got to watch this interaction for several minutes before the owl finally flew away to a different tree, giving the chickadees a moment of victory. However, the owl may ultimately win the war when the sun sets.

The trail down to the falls is quite rocky. While it is well-traveled, the trail is very steep downhill. This will make you constantly have to watch where you are placing your feet, as rocks and gravel are very loose. Once you have traveled 1.2 miles, you will come to a post showing that the viewpoint is shortly ahead. This post also includes the junction of the trail for your return loop. You will cross a stream but there are tons of rocks in the trail to make this an easy crossing.

On your return trip from the viewpoint, shortly after crossing the stream, you will take the spur trail to the right that connects to the Appalachian Trail. This is a constant uphill through more rocky terrain for .7 miles. You will come to a gravel road and a cement post showing that the AT trail junction is up ahead 70 yards. Take the AT to the left (north) to get back to the parking lot. The AT is definitely easier to walk, but the trail stays uphill at a slightly lesser grade. You will eventually come up behind the Big Meadows Lodge. There is a nice viewpoint to the west from a rocky overlook, which may give you a nice place to view a sunset and still be close to the parking lot.

Along with the owl, lots of birds and several deer - we saw lots of chipmunks along the way. — Along with the owl, lots of birds and several deer – we saw lots of chipmunks along the way.

One side note is that before you reach the Lodge, there is a side trail to Blackrock, another popular trail to view a sunset. This has been closed until further notice due to Peregrine Falcons nesting.

Christine Says…

I told Adam I was going to write a one word entry for this hike and that word was going to be “lame”! Maybe I was in a crabby mood on this particular evening, but I still think there are so many nicer waterfall hikes in the park. We hadn’t hiked to Lewis Spring Falls in three or four years. I had remembered the falls being substantially more impressive than what we encountered on this particular night. Even with all the wet weather we’ve had this spring/summer, the waterfall was down to a trickle. When we got to the viewing point, I told Adam that the faucet in our bathtub has a more impressive flow. My other problem was the light. Even in late evening, the sun was still high enough in the western sky to put the waterfall in direct sunlight – so, alas – no nice photos of the falls.

The terrain on the trail down to the falls is tough going – steep, scrabbly rocks that force you to look down and pay attention to every step you take. I always prefer to hike places where I can look around and enjoy the trail-side scenery instead of constantly following every move of my hiking boots.

We only saw one other pair of hikers along the trail – a couple guys trying to find their way down to the base of the falls. Another drawback to the Lewis Spring Falls is the fact that there is no good, safe way to reach the base of the falls. Our hiking book advises explicitly not to attempt to climb down – there is no trail and there have actually been fatalities at this waterfall. I do know a few people who have climbed to the bottom, none of them said it was worthwhile. We watched the two guys make a couple unsuccessful attempts to descend before they eventually gave up.

The hike back up is on the long arm of the loop, so it’s a long, steady uphill back to the amphitheater. By the time we got back, I was pretty tired and hungry. I’m definitely a morning person through and through. Evening hikes, even the short and easy ones, really have a tendency to kick my butt. If I was pressed to share my favorite thing about this hike, it would have to be the owl sighting. That was pretty cool.

Trail Notes

Distance – 3.0 mile loop trail (longer options are also possible depending on how you connect to the trail)
Elevation Change – 990 feet.
Difficulty – 3. The route we hiked was moderate.
Trail Conditions – 2. The AT section is nice footing, but the trail down to the falls and back up is quite treacherous.
Views –2. There are views from the overlook near the falls, but the nicest mountain views are near the end of the hike.
Waterfalls/streams –3. Decent waterfall views, but because you can’t get to the bottom easily, you can only appreciate it from afar.
Wildlife –3. We have heard a bear on this trail before. We saw a barred owl and several deer near the Big Meadows area.
Ease to Navigate – 4. The trail is easy to follow and marked with blue blazes.
Solitude – 2. You’re likely to see some people here since the close proximity to Big Meadows.

Directions to trailhead:

Follow Skyline Drive to the Big Meadows Area near mile 51.2. Follow the signs to the amphitheater. At the parking lot near the amphitheater, you will see the post marking the trailhead.

Turk Mountain

June 28, 2009April 29, 202218 Comments

Turk Mountain is a 2.2 mile hike of moderate difficulty. The trail is located at the far southern end of the park, and is less-traveled than many of the park’s other hikes.

Wookie and Adam enjoy the summit of Turk Mountain.

Adam Says…

We weren’t feeling terribly energetic on Saturday, so we decided to do a short hike in the southern district of Shenandoah National Park. Since it was cool, we even got to bring our pug, Wookie, along. The Turk Mountain trail is only 2.2 miles long, but it seems a bit longer due to the uphill portion. When you start, you will be on the Appalachian Trail for .2 miles. Then you will split off to join the Turk Mountain trail (marked by blue blazes). The last half of a mile is all uphill. During the climb, the side of the mountain blocks all breezes. We recommend hiking this on a cooler day with low humidity. Most of the times we have hiked this trail, it has been hot and humid, and when the breeze is blocked it feels stifling. There are some views to the east at about .9 miles into your hike at the last switchback, but the views are much better ahead. When you reach the summit, the breeze will instantly greet you again. Continue just past the marker to climb onto the summit rocks. You will get some great views of a large talus slope and the valley below to the west.

The talus slope below the summit is expansive and impressive.

This is a fun hike that a lot of people try due to the shortness in distance and close proximity to the southern entrance to Shenandoah National Park.

Christine Says…

As we entered the park on Saturday morning, I was telling Adam that I don’t feel like we see as much wildlife in the southern district as we do elsewhere in the park. Wouldn’t you know, as soon as the words finished coming out of my mouth, we passed a huge bear sitting right on the side of the road. I like to think he was serving as the park’s official greeter that day. A little later we passed a doe and fawn and a turkey with her brood of babies. What are baby turkeys called – turklings? turklets?

I digress… and now onto the hike! Turk Mountain is a fun, short hike that we’ve done several times in the past year. It’s a hike I choose a lot when I want an excuse to go to Sonic (this hike is near the Waynesboro park entrance. That town is home to our area’s only Sonic). I just love their coconut creme pie milkshakes. 🙂

Wow, I digress again. We had beautiful weather for this trip along the Turk Mountain trail. For the first half of the hike, we enjoyed cool, pleasant, breezy weather. The conditions were ideal for hiking, and I started wondering if we’d made a mistake in not selecting a longer hike. By the time we passed through the saddle and started our uphill climb, I was glad we’d decided to keep things short. The uphill portion of Turk Mountain isn’t terribly steep, I think I was just a bit tired from my busy week.

Indian Pipes along the trail. Pictured below: Butterflies and other wildflowers were also seen along the trail.

When we arrived at the summit of Turk Mountain, we had the entire rocky jumble all to ourselves. We climbed around on the rocks and enjoyed the crisp, gentle wind. The rocks at the summit of Turk Mountain are somewhat different looking than other rocks in the park. I don’t know much about geology, but the color seems to have more pink and gray undertones than other summits. Because this summit receives less foot-traffic than other SNP hikes, the rocks are in better shape – still covered with lichen and other plants. When you visit more popular summits like Old Rag or Stony Man, be sure to notice barren the rocks are.

The rocks on the Turk Mountain summit are different.

Wookie was so cute climbing around like a tiny mountain goat. I’m always amazed by how confident and agile he is on rock scrambles. The view from the top was a bit hazy, so I didn’t get any great photos. But it was still a fun hike and a very pleasant morning in the park.

Wookie Says…

It’s been a while since I’ve gotten to accompany my masters on a hike. The last hike I did with them was the Dry Run Falls hike and I got a lot of ticks that day. Since the temperature was cool for late June, I was allowed to come along. This hike had a few things that I like – scrambling over rocks and views. I’m really good at climbing over rocks, so I was able to do this pretty well. I wouldn’t recommend all dogs to attempt this hike, since you really have to watch your paws or you could hurt yourself. Adam had to carry me over a few precarious rocks because I have short legs. However, I was able to confidently go back quicker than he could. On the way back down from the summit, I ran across a couple hiking up. For some reason, the woman cowered behind her husband and didn’t want to be near me. I tried to sniff her leg and she jerked it back quickly. I guess she thought I was really scary or vicious. Or maybe she was intimidated by my colorful Aztec-pattern collar. The bonus for the day is that I didn’t get any ticks on me.

Trail Notes

Distance –2.2 miles out-and-back
Elevation Change – 690 feet
Difficulty – 3. This hike has some nice flat parts to it, but the elevation change is over a short distance, making this a strong uphill for a portion.
Trail Conditions – 3. Some of the trail is very smooth, but other parts are covered by sharp, pointy rocks.
Views –3. There are some nice views from the top, but there are better hikes with more expansive views. The talus slope makes for some interesting scenery to add to the view.
Waterfalls/streams –0. Non-existent.
Wildlife – 1. You likely won’t see a lot here due to the steepness of the trail. The summit does provide for nice hawk and bird viewing.
Ease to Navigate – 4. Just one turn from the AT on to the Turk Mountain Trail.
Solitude – 3. There aren’t as many visitors to the southern section as other areas of SNP, but it is fairly popular. The summit rocks don’t lead to a lot of room to get views, so you may be sharing the beauty with others during mid-day hikes.

Directions to trailhead:

Follow Skyline Drive to mile 94.1. Park at the Turk Gap parking lot. Cross the drive and pick up the trail.

Mary’s Rock

June 26, 2009August 26, 201551 Comments

This hike to Mary’s Rock starts from Jewell Hollow. The route follows the Appalachian Trail for roughly three miles to Mary’s Rock. After spending some time enjoying the views, simply retrace your steps back to Jewell Hollow for a total hike of roughly six miles. There are other ways to reach the summit, but in our opinion, this route offers the best scenery and the most pleasant trail conditions.

Adam enjoys the view from Mary's Rock. — Adam enjoys the view from Mary’s Rock. Below: Check out this photo from one of our website visitors, Martine Zimmer. She spotted a rock on the Mary’s Rock summit that looked like a bear! It really does!

Adam Says…

Mary’s Rock is a great view hike on the Appalachian Trail. There are many theories on how the summit got its name, but my favorite one is that Francis Thornton’s daughter Mary climbed up to the rock and came back down carrying a bear cub under each arm. Francis Thornton III owned a lot of land to the east of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Thornton Gap is named for him.

The trail is rocky and passes many large boulders.

We have hiked to Mary’s Rock numerous times in the traditional way, from the trailhead at Panorama, but the trail from Jewell Hollow is not one to be missed. In my opinion, this is definitely one of the best hikes to do in the park for scenery. In the fall, you will be able to see great colorful views looking into the western valley below.

The trail is probably roughest during the first .75 miles, but then the rocks tend to give way to easier footing. There are great places to take in the views at .85 miles at the Pinnacle and at another overlook at 2.0 miles. You will also pass a AT hiker hut (Byrd’s Nest #3) about halfway through the trip.

The columbine is starting to bloom all over the park. We saw tons of it along the trail.

Despite the fact that we had to rush to make it back to the car by sunset, we really enjoyed this trail. We saw a bear on the trail going up and probably the same one again coming back. On the way back, I was probably only 75 feet away when the bear crossed our path, but he quickly took off as soon as he realized we were nearby. We also encountered two large bucks on the trail, too. When we saw the first one, we were coming downhill and it appeared that the buck wanted to stand his ground and approach us. So, we yelled at him and shooed him back into the forest.

The Byrd's Nest #3 Shelter is a popular camping spot for backpackers. — The Byrd’s Nest #3 Shelter is a popular camping spot for backpackers. The shelter was day-use only until 2008. It has since been remodeled for overnighters.

There is a geocache at the top of Mary’s Rock requiring you to identify dates on the USGS markers. You will have to climb up on the steep rocks to find them, but if you feel comfortable scrambling on rocks, this isn’t too tough.

Mary’s Rock Geocache titled “At the Rock”

Christine Says…

What can I say… we didn’t do a very good job using the distance scale on our map for this hike! I would have sworn that our PATC map made the hike look like 3.5 – 4 miles total, rather than the 6 miles it actually turned out to be. Normally, that wouldn’t be a big deal, but we didn’t start walking until 5:45 p.m.

This was the first time we’ve accessed Mary’s Rock via the Appalachian Trail. In the past, we’ve always gone by-the-book, and followed the designated Mary’s Rock trail. That trail begins at the Panorama parking lot, and makes its way up the mountain via a series of switchbacks. The Mary’s Rock trail is fine, but it’s really quite boring in way of scenery and views. The hike we did along the AT is longer, but it’s also flatter and tremendously more scenic.

The trail we hiked primarily follows the ridgeline, making one dip down through a saddle between the mountains. The trail is lined with ferns, mountain laurels and rhododendrons. There are many truck-sized boulders along the trail. They kind of look like graveyard headstones for giants. At the .85 mile mark, hikers are treated to an absolutely spectacular view from the Pinnacles, which is the highest point in Rappahannock County. The craggy, boulder-strewn mountains sweep down into the valley, hawks soar below and you get a nice look at Mary’s Rock way off in the distance. As I was enjoying the Pinnacles view, I said to Adam “You know… Mary’s Rock still looks pretty far off. Are you sure we got the distance right? We’re not going to be hiking back in the dark, are we?” He responded “Nah, we’re fine! You need to trust my map reading skills.”

A while later, we passed the Byrd’s Nest #3 Shelter, which was close to the halfway point of the walk up to Mary’s Rock. Time was passing quickly, and I was getting the distinct feeling that the hike was longer than the mileage we estimated. I started to get a bit squirrely at this point. We didn’t have headlamps or a flashlight, and I seriously did not want to get stuck out on the trail after sun down. A lot of the trail’s footing is made up of loose rocky terrain that twists its way through dense mountain laurel thickets. Also, there was a bear lurking in the area – we had heard him crashing through the woods and seen his rounded ears peeking up through the brush.

A back view of Mary's Rock. — A back view of Mary’s Rock.

After passing the shelter, we started almost jogging the trail to make sure we’d have ample daylight for the return trip. We got to the summit around 7:20, just a little over an hour before sunset. Mary’s Rock is an impressive rock outcropping that overlooks both the Shenandoah Valley and a little bit of the eastern Piedmont. In the late afternoon, the light is so warm and lovely on the rock. We enjoyed the vista for a couple minutes, and then promptly began our return trip. Along the way back, we crossed paths with about a half dozen thru-hikers. Many of them were setting up camp at the Byrd’s Nest shelter. We hiked the entire return trip very quickly, and made it back to our car just about ten minutes before the sun set. As we stepped off the trail onto Skyline Drive, I noticed a bear with cubs in the woods on the other side of the road. It was nice to see the bear family as a grand finale for our hike.

We saw this adorable cub and his mother right as we finished the hike.

Under normal, non-rushed circumstances, I’d have to say this is one of the prettiest and most pleasant hikes I’ve ever done in the park. I’d love to go back and re-hike it in the fall. I think the views along the way would offer some amazing places to photograph the fall foliage. And from now on, we’re not hiking anything over three miles in the evening.

Trail Notes

Distance – 6 miles total, out-and-back
(Check out the stats from MapMyHike)*
Elevation Change – About 800 ft.
Difficulty – 2. Nice and mostly level, with only a few very moderate climbs.
Trail Conditions – 3. There are some loose and pointy rocks along several sections of the trail. If you don’t pay attention, this trail can be an ankle-turner. But overall the trail is smooth and well-maintained.
Views – 4. On a clear day – the views are amazing!
Waterfalls/streams – 0. Non-existent
Wildlife – 5. Bears, bucks, chipmunks, rabbits, squirrels and many species of birds. It was a great trail to see animals.
Ease to Navigate – 4. After a very brief walk on the Leading Ridge trail, you follow the AT all the way up to Mary’s Rock. You will not see signs for Mary’s Rock until the cement marker post at the Meadow Springs trail junction.
Solitude – 3. You probably won’t see many hikers between Jewell Hollow and the Meadow Springs Trail junction (with the exception of AT hikers in June). However, the officially designated Mary’s Rock is very popular. It is likely you will see many people in the last mile before reaching Mary’s Rock.

Directions to trailhead: The trail is located on Skyline Drive at mile marker 37. Park at the Jewell Hollow Overlook. Walk 50 yards north on Skyline Drive. You’ll see a cement marker for the Leading Ridge trail on the west side of the drive. Follow the Leading Ridge trail for .1 of a mile to a junction with the AT. Turn right and proceed from there.

* MapMyHike is not necessarily accurate, as the GPS signal fades in and out – but it still provides some fun and interesting information.

Stony Man and Little Stony Man

June 23, 2009April 29, 202212 Comments

This hike is an easy, 2.9 mile walk along (mostly) the Appalachian Trail to the summit of Shenandoah’s second highest peak. The two main vantage points along the way provide nice views of Skyline Drive and Skyland Resort below.

Christine Says…

We chose this hike for a quick evening trip to the park. Before I get started on the trail description, let me share what an amazing night we had for wildlife watching. We saw eleven bears (four of them were young cubs), a couple pairs of twin fawns, many large bucks and a beautiful barred owl. No matter how many times we visit Shenandoah, the park always has something new to offer in form of scenery or wildlife.

Now, onto the hike! We started out at the Little Stony Man Cliffs parking area, a few miles north of Skyland Resort. The route is all uphill with 750 feet of elevation gain. For that bit of climbing, you get to enjoy the views from Little Stony Man Cliffs, which (in my opinion) are far prettier than the Stony Man summit. I love the way Skyline Drive looks winding through the woods from the cliffs’ vantage point. In autumn, the afternoon light sets the foliage ablaze at this spot. If the sky is clear, you get a beautiful view of the Page Valley. The lake you see down on the valley floor is Lake Arrowhead. We had a lot of haze on our trip, which was no surprise – thick, milky skies are the norm during Virginia summers. Until this week, we had been lucky and had been enjoying unseasonably clear skies (on the days it wasn’t raining, at least). 🙂

The haze seen from Stony Man Summit was so milky and thick.

There are several trail junctions along this route, so pay attention to the cement trail markers. If you keep following the arrows for the Stony Man summit, you can’t get lost. The climb to Little Stony Man Cliffs is short – less than a half mile of the hike. After crossing the cliffs, the grade of the trail moderates. At around the 1.3 mark, the Appalachian Trail crosses the blue-blazed Stony Man loop trail. You can take either arm of the loop at this point. We usually follow the right side of the loop up and take the other side back down. This section of the hike includes an interpretive nature trail. If you pick up a brochure at Skyland, you can read information coinciding with a series of numbered markers along the way.

When we got to the summit of Stony Man, it was cloudy, chilly and exceedingly windy. I could hardly take a photo without feeling like I was going to blow off the mountainside. We could still see all the cabins and main lodge of Skyland, but most of the valley view was completely obscured by the haze. We noticed that one small section of the cliff-side was closed for peregrine falcon activity. We didn’t stay long at the summit because sundown was rapidly approaching and I didn’t want to hike in the dark. On our way down, we crossed paths with a doe and her twin fawns. They were very cute, but quite skittish. They darted off into the woods before I could manage any photos. The entire walk back to the car was easy and downhill, and retraced the same route we had taken up.

These twin fawns quickly disappeared into the woods.

Adam Says…

This was a great hike to get big view payoffs with minimal effort. We were able to do this after dinner in a little over an hour.

The Little Stony Man Cliffs are a popular spot for Virginia rock climbing. The cliffs provide several different paths to climb and rappel off the cliffs. We once ran into a group of college students from The College of William & Mary that were learning rock climbing skills.

We encountered a pair of hikers as soon as we got to the first junction. The two hikers shown below were from Louisiana and they were taking seven days to hike the entire stretch of the Appalachian Trail that goes through Shenandoah National Park. They were averaging about 15-16 miles per day and were on their way to Skyland. Their backpacks were quite heavy, since they were packing for their entire trip. They told us they weren’t regular hikers, so we wondered afterward what compelled them to do this trip. It sounds like a fun trip!

We met two guys who were hiking the 105 miles of the AT through Shenandoah.

From Little Stony Man Cliffs, you can get a good look at the “stony man”. If you look to the south from the overlook, you can see the profile of what looks like a face. The Appalachian Mountains are some of the oldest mountains on the planet. The volcanic activity that occurred when tectonic plates moved against each other formed these mountains. Once you can picture the nose of Stony Man, you can quickly see the forehead, eye, mouth, and beard.

Stony Man from Skyline Drive - Can you see the face? — Stony Man from Skyline Drive – Can you see the face?

If you are interested in geocaching, there is a geocache through the Little Stony Man trail that gives you a lot of information about the geology of the area.

Little Stony Man Geocache

Trail Notes

Distance – 2.9 miles for the round-trip
Elevation Change – 750 feet
Difficulty – 2. This is a relatively easy walk with a little moderate uphill walking.
Trail Conditions – 3.5. There are some rocky sections and a little rock scrambling at viewpoints, but the trail is well-maintained.
Views – 3.5. Pretty views of the drive, Skyland Resort and the Page Valley
Waterfalls/streams – 0. None.
Wildlife – 2.5. Maybe some deer and birds. There are a lot of bears around Skyland, but we’ve never seen them along the Stony Man trail.
Ease to Navigate – 3.5. Pay attention at the cement markers. As long as you follow the arrows pointing to Stony Man, you won’t get lost.
Solitude – 1. This trail is one of the park’s most popular short hikes. If you want to avoid crowds, hike it on a weekday or very early on a weekend morning.

Directions to trailhead: The trail starts at the Little Stony Man Cliffs parking area along Skyline Drive. The lot is near mile marker 39.