Awesome hike — definitely a new favorite! Passed about 15 backpackers &3 on-leash dogs at 11AM on a Tuesday(just the right amount of crowded). About an hour away from DC/Arlington. 3 hours round trip w/minimal & short breaks. 5.5 miles with a lot of rocky elevation gain made it a challenging but rewarding hike(my mom & I are avid runners and this was a good workout in our books). Dog friendly according to our 50 pound high-energy mutt. Well-marked trail — follow the white blaze. Great overlook at the top. Not many overlooks throughout but beautiful with the spring greenery. Not recommend for kids under 10(or really for any kids). Very small parking lot so I imagine it fills up quickly on the weekends/nice days. Near some great wineries if you want to make a day out of it! Stopped at a super cute market for sandwiches on the way home but can’t remember the name. About 5 minutes East on Route 7. Great selection of beer, wine, pies, desserts & sandwiches.
Roger C.
Place rating: 3 Bluemont, VA
nice hike, can be kind of crowded
Caitlín K.
Place rating: 4 Woodbridge, VA
Fun, but strenuous! Trail was well-marked, and terrain was varying(leafy; rocky; stream beds). Nice view from the top. My sister’s miniature pinscher made it, so you can too!
Shayda W.
Place rating: 5 Falls Church, VA
5 stars due to proximity to our house! We live in Purcellville and I’m pretty sure this is the closest hiking trail to us. We took our toddler with us who does awesome on trails but didn’t realize this was a more rocky/steep climb than most trails in the area so just be ready for that.
Mari M.
Place rating: 4 Sterling, VA
Hike wasn’t too difficult, parking was though. Nice for a shady cool day. However, the view at the top was not spectacular. Overall, nice trail.
Marcelle A.
Place rating: 5 Huntington Beach, CA
Awesome hike … Yesterday weather was a mixture of sun and downpours or rain. Trail had a lot of ups and downs but we kept up a good pace and made to the overlook in about 2 ½ hrs. It was beautiful. I would definitely recommend this trail
Jodie C.
Place rating: 5 Warrenton, VA
Another day, another great hike. This one though was very different. Like Arin says, it does go up and down bringing balance to the extremely long hike. Somehow, I failed to note it was an 11 mile round trip hike! We started out good and strong. very shady. Lots of rocks. Be careful. Watch where you step. Crossed two creeks. I think over three mountains! It’s not just one mountain… you clearly cross creeks and start back up another mountain. 10 min to the top and BAM!!! A torential rain fell upon us like none other! The whole forest was dark as night! Seriously. It was amazing!!! It did cool off our sweaty bodies and gave us a second wind though. The rain was monsterous. As the rain was stopping we stepped out onto the cliff’s edge! Fog from the rain and hot Earth coming out of the tree lines. You could track the storm across WV from the cliffs. Again, Amazing!!! Shot some pic… ate some cheetos and cashews, and started back to the start line. Obviously, after the rains it was a sloppy mess! The water also weighted down our apparal and hiking sacks. A lot different from coming in. Wet and soggy we trudged on… and on… and on… seriously another 10 min to the finish line where we parked, that rain started again. Pelting us! Dark again was the forest. We jumped in the car and drove off. So– Wildlife? We saw a bumblebee, that stung me 3 times.(WTH), a black snake I almost stepped on! A Millipede, a Centepede, a fluffy catapillar, a big black beetle… We may have made it there and back, but on this day ladies and gentlemen, Water Won!
Sonya F.
Place rating: 3 Seven Valleys, PA
This is a good either starter hike if you’re just getting into more challenging terrain and hills or if you’re a more experienced hiker, it could be almost a quick trail run. Nice mix of terrain, a break away from civilization, and I personally enjoyed the ups and downs. Did not find the hike to be challenging with it being such a short distance. This is coming from someone who thinks 20 miles is a nice day hike though. I did not find it overly rocky either and did it in low tops and forgot to bring socks. All in all, a nice day hike on the AT and looks like it would make for a great introductory backpacking destination. The view at the top is quite nice for a lunch or just a stop and sit and spell, ponder existence. There are definitely more scenic and more challenging hikes in the area but if you are just looking for a good nature fix, it’ll do the trick. A quick note for summertime hikers, the hike will make you sweat, even if you are in good shape and the overlook doesn’t have much shade. Do not skimp on bringing water. The parking area off 679 is SMALL. We were in the overflow off 7. Yeah, you better be able to play Frogger when crossing the highway and the directions how to get there from that lot aren’t entirely clear. We started heading up to Bears Den before we realized we were going the wrong way.
Arin S.
Place rating: 4 Washington, DC
I think this is a great hike if you’re already in the area or have already done a lot of hiking in Virginia and want to see something new– but otherwise there are definitely better hikes in Virginia. Pros: It was shady the entire way The ups and downs were really balanced so every time I thought I was getting really tired we happened to get to flat ground for awhile.(My 60 year old dad was less impressed– it was a pretty difficult day for him.) The view at the top is good We passed a good number of people but generally were alone. It’s free! Cons: Supposedly they tow people parked illegally at the entrance, but several people were definitely parked illegally and there didn’t seem to be a problem. Not the BEST views from the top, and very few views along the way. Not much scenery generally, just a serene woodsy walk.
Erica F.
Place rating: 3 Washington, DC
A nice challenging hike with lots of rock scrambling. My low-ish rating comes from the parking situation — the trailhead has a very small parking lot and a police officer wouldn’t let us park along the side of the quiet road. Instead, hikers are directed to park in the overflow lot on the other side of Route 7, forcing pedestrians to cross 4 lanes of 70+ MPH traffic to get back to the trailhead. There are no signs to warn drivers that pedestrians are crossing there, and the visibility is poor. This is a very dangerous situation for pedestrians and even more annoying that the police are forcing people to cross there.
Alexander F.
Place rating: 5 Hastings-on-Hudson, NY
Came out here from DC, about an hour drive but this hike was well worth it. After you park just off route 7, it only takes about 7 minutes on the trail until you’re entirely immersed in the forrest; with no sounds of cars or views of the highway. The hike itself goes up and down three separate hills, the third of which has a knob with a great overlook, this is the destination for most day hikers. There is a lot of elevation change throughout, I think net you rise about 1500 feet. My party did it in about 3.5 hours with about 20 minutes spent at the knob, but we’re certainly above average speed hikers. The trail itself is a bit rocky at points, I’d definitely recommend shoes with ankle support if you’re less experienced, it’s easy to roll your ankle here. I saw a fair amount of people with kids, and a lot of dogs, so the trail isn’t killer challenging, but it’s nothing to scoff at. It’s also super cool that this trail is part of the Appalachian Trail, or AT, a 2100 mile trail that spans between Maine and Georgia. Being closer to DC than anything in Shenandoah, this is a great day trip hike.
Christine R.
Place rating: 5 Fairfax, VA
5 stars mainly because this particular hike has some great walls to climb on. Plus we have a secret little area somewhat away from the masses that gather on the outlook post AND we still have the views. The hike is a perfect combination of switchbacks — not to difficult but difficult enough to get your heart rate up and make you go «why did I eat that(whole) pizza last night!» haha. Great views for being such a short drive from the metro area. Come prepared people. Bring plenty of water, layer up and wear proper footwear. This trail is extremely rocky with some parts being sandy with loose gravel. The views are beautiful and a great place to lounge for lunch or in a hammock! Which is what I did most of the afternoon — well deserved rest if I don’t say so myself. Looks like a great place for a one nighter camping trip too. Maybe too heavy with foot traffic but I’m sure if you search you can find a quiet spot tucked away from the main trail. Beautiful and would definitely recommend this one.
Christian C.
Place rating: 3 Severn, MD
Nice hike that was closer to me than Shenandoah so I decided to use this trail to break in my new trekking poles. I used to be one of those elitists who raised their nose at people who used trekking poles. Uh, yeah, not anymore. There were countless times when they kept me from falling on this extremely rocky trail. Was quite busy as expected, but fortunately I passed everyone(~ 17 hikers) on my way back down from the top, which I was lucky enough to have all to myself for 20 minutes. Just get here really early(I started 6:30am).
Erica B.
Place rating: 5 Washington D.C., DC
This hike was such a winner! Not too far from DC, a nice length(5.5 out and back), a spectacular overlook, and pleasantly challenging. It never hurts when a trail is conveniently located near so many wineries either. There are some trails in the area that have seasonal overlooks, with great views through the bare fall/winter trees, but completely obstructed views in the summer. Once or twice, I’ve gone way past an overlook and turnaround point, because it looked like the rest of the trail. Well, you won’t need to worry about that problem with this one! The turnaround point is impossible to miss because it’s breathtaking and totally unobstructed. It’s also the perfect place to stop and enjoy your lunch, Clif bar, or GORP. We met a lot of friendly hikers along the way, often with cute dogs in tow — another plus. Thanks to some of these folks, we heard that it’s very important to park your car in the lot — not by the side of the road. It seems that the local police are quick to ticket or tow, so that may be something to bear in mind. This trail is well worth the trip!
Marie P.
Place rating: 4 Alexandria, VA
We’re not experienced hikers but could enjoy this trail while getting a bit of a workout. I’d agree with the previous poster that the trailhead is easy to miss. If coming from DC/NOVA on Rte. 7 you’ll turn right on «Pine Grove Road». There’s also a green sign that reads«Pine Grove» and kind of park anywhere but definitely make sure you are a bit off the road, cars do go fast down the street. It took us about 4.5 hours to finish the hike but the view at the top was worth it. There are tons of rocks and ascents and descents so make sure you’re paying attention so as to not trip! We saw kids(they seemed 10years +) and several hikers with dogs who were completing the hike at a casual pace. There are stinkbugs at the top so just check your stuff before you leave because they do get all over everything.
Jenny T.
Place rating: 4 Washington, DC
I’m not a fan of out-and-back hikes, but I love the view at the top. * Amazing view at the overlook * Even amount of up and downhill so that the way to and back is pretty balanced * Trail running questionable… there are a lot of small rocks on the path * Great hike to do on sunny/hot day, because most of the trail is covered by trees. * Parking is pretty scarce though and you just park in a small area near the trailhead * Pay attention to the turn, or you might miss the trailhead! * One of the more secluded hikes, not too many people here. * No trail/entrance fee
Clarence J.
Place rating: 4 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
A fun, relatively short(5 miles or so) out-and-back trail.(Part of the Appalachian Trail.) The views through the trees and especially at the ‘end’(of this particular trail) are excellent. It’s mostly narrow(although generally two-person abreast), well-marked trails, over rocky terrain.
