These are three of my favorite short hikes in Shenandoah National Park. Hiking SNP is always a good time. And all these SNP hikes are all pretty epic in their own way - and two of them will take you along the mighty Appalachian Trail and its white blazes, at least for a bit.
These hikes are great for kids, but not all kids. If your are klutzes, stay away from Bearfence. But they should be fine with Stony Man and Buzzard Rock Overlook.
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| Sunset as Shenandoah National Park - No better time to hike SNP! |
Stony Man
A busy trail due to its proximity to Washington, D.C. and
the striking rock feature that give this hike its name, Stony Man has been my
favorite Shenandoah National Park hike ever since I was a kid. There are a
couple of ways to hike this trail. You can do a quick out and back from the Little
Stony Man parking area on Skyline Drive. On this trail you will reach Little
Stony Man rock outcrop first – and many stop here. But a little farther on you
will reach the highest point on the trail at the Stony Man summit. If you want
a longer hike, make a loop via the Stony Man Horse Trail and Passamaquoddy Trail.
The longer loop hike is epic and still do-able for novice hikers, so long as they
have packed plenty of food and water for an outing of several hours with the
possibility of weather changes and winds.
Bearfence Mountain
This is my go-to hike due to its amazing rocky ridgeline and
above-treeline 360-degree views. Start the hike on Skyline Drive at the
Bearfence Mountain parking lot. The first part of the trail is steep, but brief.
Then, most of the hike is going up and down several rock outcrops that make up
the rock “fence” that the mountain is named for. At the end of the rock fence,
continue onward and the trail loops back around to the parking lot after connecting
with the Appalachian Trail. This is a great winter hike because about half of
the two-mile stretch of it is above treeline. There is also an amazing viewpoint
that you will want to spend a bit of time at. It is a great place for a little
picnic, sun worship, or mediation. Be careful taking selfies here as the fall
from the ridgeline would likely not be a survivable one.
Buzzard Rock Overlook
This hidden gem of a hike is off route 340 east of the town
of Grottoes that takes you to an incredible view with just the right amount of
effort. There is a side entrance to Shenandoah National Park at the end of Horsehead
Road. Here you will find the Paine Run Trailhead. The Buzzard Rock Overlook
Hike. is a two-mile out-and-back with about a half a mile of a 350-foot incline,
just enough to get your heartrate up. You can find the trail on the 2014 PATC
Map 11.
