Virginians residing in the center of the state are
fortunate to live within a short drive of the Shenandoah National Park and a
wealth of maintained hiking trails. So
to gear up for National Trails Day on June 7, we’ve rounded up seven of our
favorite local Virginia hikes--listed from shortest to longest--for the
adventurous soul to tackle this summer.
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| The view from Humpback Rock. Photo by Matt Reilly. |
Humpback Rock
At milepost 5.8 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, at the
base of the Mountain Farm Trail, sits a 19th Century interpretive
farm setup—this marks the trailhead for reaching Humpback Rock. This is a short trail of modest difficulty,
roughly a quarter-mile round-trip; but the view from the large rock outcropping
at the trail’s end, looking west over the Shenandoah National Park, might tie
you up for the entirety of the afternoon.
If you don’t mind rising early, make the ascent before sunrise and enjoy
the sun’s appearance from on high.
Whiteoak Canyon
If waterfalls are your thing, Whiteoak Canyon is
for you. This is easily one of the
Park’s most popular hikes, and it has six gorgeous waterfalls to thank. Access the trail from the lower end off route
600 in Syria, Va. or from the Skyline Drive at milepost 42.6.
From the bottom, the climb is very steep, and a 6-mile
round-trip hike. From the Skyline Drive,
the way in is easier, but the latter half of the 7.3-mile round-trip hike is
much steeper.
Crabtree Falls
Need more waterfalls? Crabtree falls boasts the longest
vertical-drop cascades east of the Mississippi River; and the first showing of
five major falls starts just 100 yards away from the parking area. The trail is moderate in difficulty and, like
any other hike, should be tackled with the appropriate footwear. The last overlook sits about 3.5 miles in,
making this a 7-mile hike.
Access the trailhead from Crabtree Falls Highway
in Montebello, Va. A $3.00 fee is
required to use the parking area.
Mount Rogers
Seen enough waterfalls and white oaks? Take a break and visit a unique Virginia
ecosystem reminiscent of New England and southern Canada found in the Mount
Rogers National Recreation Area. Mount
Rogers is Virginia’s highest peak (5,726 ft.); and the trail to its summit
features grassy balds with breathtaking views of Virginia, Tennessee, and North
Carolina. Begin your hike at Elk Garden
Gap and hike 9 miles east along the white blazed Appalachian Trail to reach the
summit. Tackle the hike in June or July
to enjoy a fantastic display of native flora.
Strickler Knob
The Strickler Knob trail is not maintained and
includes some sharp, rocky scrambles suitable only for those in good physical
condition. But the trail’s end rewards
for its hardships with a stunning 360-degree panoramic of the Luray valley.
This 9-mile hike is more appropriately called a
“bushwhack” than a “trail.” So consult a
guide for directions. It can be reached
from the Massanutten trailhead on Crimson Hollow Road.
Old Rag Mountain
This hike can’t be left out with its reputation as
one of the Shenandoah National Park’s most popular hikes. “Old Rag” is a strenuous, nearly 9-mile hike
with a serious rock scramble near the summit.
No pets are allowed on the trail, a hiking partner is recommended, and
ample water is a requirement. Access the
trail by parking in the parking area off SR 600, Nethers Road, and hiking the
easy 1 mile to the trailhead.
Because of
this trail’s popularity, it might be worth a little less sleep to arrive early
before the summertime crowd.
Whitetop Mountain
The Appalachian Trail runs through Elk Garden Gap
in between Mount Rogers and Whitetop Mountain.
Proceed west from Elk Garden Gap to reach the meadow summit of Whitetop
(Virginia’s second highest peak). Equal
in length to the Mount Rogers hike, this nine-mile counterpart is a strong
competitor in scenery and abundance of wildlife.
With thousands of miles of trails veining the Old
Dominion, including the longest chunk of the Appalachian Trail in a single
state, it would be pretentious, and a lofty compliment, to name the aforementioned
hikes as Virginia’s best. That said,
none of them lack in scenery or physical challenge. So, lace up your boots, throw together a
pack, and check these trips off your summer to-do list. Then go find some favorites of your own!
Originally published in the Rural Virginian
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