500 Miles of Fun
There are more than 500 miles of hiking trails in and around Rappahannock County with the Appalachian Trail meandering through the county. Some of our favorite trails include the Thornton River Trail, Little Devil’s Stairs, Mary’s Rock, Old Rag and White Oak Canyon.
You can find printable trail maps from the Shenandoah National Park here. Our friends at Hopkins Ordinary have great directions to some of their favorite hikes on their website.
HIKING RECOMMENDATIONS
The easiest trail? Limberlost. The 1.3 mile flat and graveled loop starts and ends at mile 43 and boasts beautiful wildflowers, tall oaks and spruce, mountain laurel, wispy ferns and abundant wildlife.
Also good for first time hikers, Mary’s Rock is recommended. Roundtrip from the Meadow Springs parking area (mile 33.6 on Skyline Drive) to the spectacular views from the park’s eighth tallest peak is 3.6 miles, rated moderate. On a clear day, you can see the Washington Monument. And always, there’s the iconic vision of Blue Ridge foothills rolling into the distance.
Another favorite is Little Devils Stairs. Accessible, challenging and stunning, the 5.3 mile loop is rated difficult, thanks to the steep grade of the first two miles. But the huff and puff brings rewards in a string of waterfalls along Keyser Run and splendid views as the trail nears the top of the gorge. The loop back down is an easy walk on the Keyser Run fire road that passes a relic of the pre-park past, the Bolen cemetery. To the trailhead, take Rt. 622/Gid Brown Hollow Road to a left on Keyser Run Road to the parking lot.
WHEN YOU GO
Start your day with breakfast at Before & After, a popular espresso and wine bar on Sperryville’s Main Street that serves great baked goods and breakfast items. Around the corner, at the Sperryville Schoolhouse, Happy Camper Equipment Co. is your source for quality hiking apparel and accessories.
Pick up a snack or sandwich for your hike at the Sperryville Corner Store, a 150 year old country store with a wide selection of deli and other items.
After your day of hiking, join the locals at Hopkins Ordinary Bed, Breakfast & Aleworks, for a well-earned, brew, which you can enjoy indoors or in the garden. You can also check in to one of the five guest rooms and settle in for the night, while enjoying the view from your porch.
Follow your sleep-over with breakfast or lunch at Off the Grid. This restaurant, powered by solar, has its own garden and words like organic and free-range dot the menu. You’ll find breakfast and lunch items to suit any taste —vegan, vegetarian or meat-eater.
TREKKING TIPS
- Hike with a compass and a map. Maps and guidebooks are available at Shenandoah National Park entrances and the visitor centers at Dickey Ridge, Big Meadows and Skyland. They can also be ordered from the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club’s web page. Cell phones are unreliable in much of the park, but a GPS device will work in many areas.
- Bring water – more than you think you‘ll need — and a back-up filter, just in case. Do not drink from water courses. The streams in the park may look pristine but they are not. Critters poop in the woods, run-off carries feces into waterways and ingestion of bacteria in those feces can cause giardia, a serious diarrheal illness.
- Pack a basic first aid kit, matches, a flashlight, a snack and either a waterproof poncho or a solar blanket. And pack it all out, too. Leave no trace behind.
- Be bear aware. Yes, they are around. Park estimates put their number as high as 1,000 with a density from one to four bears per square mile. But these are Virginia black bears, normally timid creatures. Unless they have cubs with them, they pretty much ignore you. You can talk – or sing! — to keep them away as they’re not fond of people.
- Let someone know your plans – where you’re parking, where you’re hiking and when you’ll return.
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