Fridley Gap, in the George Washington National Forest, has
a little bit of everything. From gentle mountain streams to
ridge climbs and a great swimming hole, this hike has it all.
The best part of this hike, which is nestled two hours away
from DC just south of the the town of Shenandoah, is its solitude.
Start by walking up FS65 (636 you were just on, not FS65A which
turns right uphill) to the orange blazed trail head on the left
side of the road at .2 miles.
Cross Boone run for the first time and ascend Massanutten Trail
South for .5 miles criss crossing Boone Run several more times,
until coming to the junction of the blue blazed Boone Shelter
Trail that comes in from the left.
Continue straight on the orange blazed trail as it gets steeper
before coming to a four way junction at a clearing in another
1.1 miles.
Turn left up Massanutten Trail South and reach the ridge in
another .5 miles before turning left and descends Third Mountain.
The trail will cross Fridley Run and turn right, ascend and
switch back before coming to the ridge line of Forth Mountain
1 mile from crossing Fridley Run.
Descend the Fourth Mountain ridge and cross Fridley Run in
1.4 miles. Take the left trail at the junction for 50 yards
and come to a swimming hole--a great place for lunch.
Begin your return by going 50 yards back to the junction turning
left on Massanutten South Trail for .1 miles.
Turn right on purple blazed Fridley Gap Trail. The next .8
miles is the steepest portion of the hike until cresting Third
Mountain and descending another .3 miles and reaching the junction
of Martin Bottom Trail.
Turn right on Fridley Gap Trail, gently ascending for .6 miles
to the clearing and four way junction you passed earlier. Continue
straight down Massanutten Trail South for the remaining 2.2
miles back to the parking area.
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Hiker
Reviews For The Fridley Gap Hike (5 Most Recent)
Just got back from this overnight trip. My buddy and I chose it because it was only 20 miles away from Harrisonburg and seemed to have plenty of water; and it did! There were several easy stream crossings within the first 15 minutes of the trail.
We really enjoyed the continual change in scenery. There were areas with bare trees, then pine trees, and then grassy footpaths. Much of the hike is along mountain streams. We had planned on spending the night at Fridley Gap, where 2 streams converged. We collected water here, but continued on to the toughest part of the hike; the .8 miles up 3rd mountain. It whooped us!
The map we had showed a stream crossing on Martin Bottom Trail, so we thought we would try to set-up camp there. Unfortunately, the Martin Bottom Trail was more of a fire road with pretty ugly brush surrounding the trail for .5 mile from the Martin/Fridley intersection. We decided to continue back to the 4-way intersection that we passed earlier in the trip, and there was an excellent camping spot there. A pre-existing fire ring with several logs to serve as seats. It was wide open and the sky was beautiful here at the intersection, and left us with just 2 miles out the next morning.
There weren't as many rewarding views as we had hoped, but if you keep your eyes open along the trails, you can catch a few glimpses of the valley. This was a very enjoyable close-to-home trip!
By:
Rating:
Date of Hike: Sunday, June 10, 2007
This was a great hike. We combined this one with the Morgan Run hike for a 17 mile overnight loop (it would've been 15 miles, but a wrong turn took us into Boone's Run). The trail network is pretty dense at times, so it definitely pays to be attentive. Plentiful water sources all around for a good, strenuous hike. I disagree with the 2 rating on views, however - I think the view from the top of Fourth Mountain rivals the view from Bull Run Conservancy which recieved a 4. To find the vista, summit Fourth Mountain and look for the campsite on your left. A sidetrail leads from the campsite (and from the main trail, a few steps after the campsite) to a white rock outcropping which has a commanding view the entire valley. It's easy to walk past it but it's not to be missed!
By:
Kris
Rating:
Date of Hike: Saturday, May 26, 2007
This hike certainly lives up to it's ratings! This was one of the most strenuous hikes I've done to date. The main huffing and puffing comes when climbing back up Third Mountain after leaving Fridley Gap. Water sources are plentiful until after Fridley Gap. Be sure to replenish and filter water here if you are getting low. The ascents up Third and Fourth Mountain on the first leg before Fridley are cause for some sweat as well. The Boone's Run and Fridley Runs are beautiful and offer cooling down when you need it. Massanutten South trail is somewhat overgrown in spots and could use some new blazes. There is a huge blow down across the trail just above the intersection to the Boone's Run Shelter trail. This is massive and needs some negotiating. The trail is rocky in places and one needs to mind their ankles. The swimming hole at Fridley Gap is an oasis after the first few hours or so of assaulting the mountains. Take advantage of this beautiful spot to eat and relax. The swimming hole is about 5 or 6 feet deep (as of this writing) and great to sit by and unwind. You'll need the break for what awaits you heading up Third Mountain. The lack of switchbacks is cruel. You will climb about a thousand feet in less than a mile!
There are certainly some nice vistas to be had on this hike, though not until the leaf cover is gone. The rating at that time would be more of a 3 to 4. This is a great workout, and some beautiful sights can be had. Mountain Laurel and Honeysuckle were in bloom today and smelled wonderful. There were an array of other wildflowers as well. Bring a few liters of water with you if you do not have a filter. I filtered water to my hearts content and stayed well hydrated. The solitude was fabulous!! met one hiker coming in the opposite direction, and we shared a nice 20 minute break to "talk trail". I got behind a couple of horseback riders towards the last 1/2 mile or so. Not pleasant. Leave via Cub Run Rd. for a stop at Catherine Furnace. Wonderful history. I completed this hike in about 7 hours with some nice breaks and trying to locate the lung I coughed up on the second assault of Third Mountain.
By:
Chris & Megan
Rating:
Date of Hike: Friday, May 11, 2007
This is a great, strenuous hike. We hiked this trail together with Morgan Run and turned it into a nice overnight backpacking trip. We only saw a handful of people the entire weekend. The area near the Fridley Gap swimming hole has two comfortable campsites. The swimming hole itself is about 5-6 feet deep and crystal clear all the way to the bottom. Boone's Shelter is also a great place for small groups. The shelter is three-sided and includes 4 wood sleeping bunks. We did notice, however, that the distance from Boone's shelter to the clearing (the intersection of the Fridley Gap Trail, 419, and Massanutten Mountain South, 416) is 2 miles according to the wooden trail marker. Enjoy!
By:
TRL RUNR
Rating:
Date of Hike: Monday, June 12, 2006
I routinely do this trail route as a morning trail run before work. I love it because it's got a little bit of everything in a relatively short hike (I often begin at the trailhead on Aries Rd. on the west side of the Massanutten range, which cuts off 2-3 miles of distance). Tough climbs, lots of rocks, some nice views, pleasant streams, and lots of wildlife. In the early morning, I almost always see a handful of deer, occasional ruffed grouse, and even a yearling bear a few weeks back. Fridley Run is beautiful place to stop and soak your feet or take a dip. I don't think I've ever seen anyone more than a mile from the trailhead, so solitude is also a feature. Now for the negatives--certain sections seem to get overgrown. This normally only bothers me in the hot weather. Also, the bugs (gnats) can get real bad in mid summer to early fall--a big advantage of running vs. hiking, by the way, is that the bugs can't keep up! I love this route & am glad to have access to a nice trail like this so close to home.
From Harrisonburg
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