With fall quickly approaching in Charlottesville, many University students hope to explore the Blue Ridge Mountains in between football games and mounting school work. With 500 miles of hiking trails, Shenandoah National Park is an obvious choice for students, but the George Washington National Forest offers alternative loops for ambitious hikers. Outdoors Club President Joe Gibson, a fourth-year College student, and Outdoors Club Community Service Committee member John Franklin, a second-year Engineering student, offered their advice for standout hikes in and around the Charlottesville area.
1. Humpback Rock
Located on the Blue Ridge Parkway about 25 miles west of Charlottesville, Humpback Rock is not a hidden secret.
“Everyone will tell you Humpback — it’s pretty big,” Gibson said. “[But] there’s not a lot of hikes where it only takes about 20 minutes, 30 minutes to get to the spectacular 360 degree view that Humpback has.”
Humpback Rock is a favorite among students for its impressive views, 3,080 foot summit and close proximity.
“Humpback is special in that it’s really good for sunrise hikes, night hikes and sunset hikes because it’s so easy to get to,” Gibson said.
2. Ramsey’s Draft
Situated farther off the beaten path, Ramsey’s Draft Wilderness is located in the George Washington National Forest less than an hour and a half away. The loop totals about 16 miles, with multiple ascents up to 3,170 feet and a diversity of natural wonders in the old-growth forest.
“You get a lot of different types of trees, different grass, a lot more moss and ferns,” Gibson said. “You get hemlock stands, which you don’t get in Shenandoah because they take a long time to grow.”
The length of the hike around Ramsey’s Draft makes it more suitable for a weekend trip.
“I do one hard 10-mile day and then camp at the spring, and then I do one four-mile day and hike out along the draft,” Franklin said.
3. White Oak Canyon
White Oak Canyon, a popular waterfall hike in Shenandoah National Park, is an hour’s drive north of Charlottesville.
“[White Oak Canyon is] a trail cut in the hillside, just following this river with all these waterfalls and at the end there’s a natural waterslide,” Gibson said. “It’s basically a giant, flat slab of rock that’s about 50 to 60 feet long and you can slide down it into a pool.”
White Oak Canyon is a suitable alternative to a longer or more treacherous hike because of its shorter ascents and safe crossings.
“It’s a [really] good summer, hot weather hike,” Gibson said.
4. Old Rag Mountain
Also located an hour from Charlottesville, the exposed summit of Old Rag Mountain can be reached on a nine mile circuit hike or a 5.4 mile out-and-back hike.
“It’s a lot of fun because there’s a lot of bouldering in the top half of it,” Franklin said. “It’s kind of free fall climbing, massive rocks, you’re jumping over stuff [and] there [are] a lot of crevices.”
Old Rag’s unique rock formations and spectacular views attract large crowds on the weekends.
“[On the weekend] you’re running into people on the trail, it’s very loud, it’s very much a production hike,” Franklin said. “There are a lot of rocks, cool views and everything you want in a day hike if you can get it when there aren’t crowds.”
5. Big Schloss Overlook
Located north of Harrisonburg in the George Washington National Forest, Big Schloss Overlook allows visitors to view the surrounding landscape from a large overlook rock perched on the mountain range.
“[There’s] a really nice view [at Big Schloss],” Franklin said. “You can hike along the ridge, … camp by the spring, [or] hike down Little Stony Creek.”
After climbing up to the overlook, visitors can enjoy fly fishing or normal fishing at the site on their way out.
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