This hike has great views from
the valley as it winds alongside the
Shenandoah River, and wonderful views
from the ridge line as
well. Also, as as a section of this loop hike utilizes
dirt road VA717 there are three parking options. We prefer
to use the first so we get
the flatter road section out of the way. The second parking
spot is a public launch area for the Shenandoah River, and
the third is
at the end of VA236 right before entering the GWNF and beginning
the uphill portion of the hike.
Climb VA236 for 0.2 miles before arriving at the third
parking, option and entrance to the GWNF. Enter the forest on the orange
blazed old logging road and in 0.4 miles pass a small
unmarked trail (not marked on the map) that splinters off to
the left. Continue on the orange blazed logging trail uphill
for another 1.0 miles arriving at the junction of the Toliver
Trail that turns left uphill.
At this junction the old logging trail continues straight, you
want to turn left uphill
through the closed gate on the orange
blazed Toliver Trail. The trail becomes steeper and in 0.6 miles
a connecter trail comes in from the right. Continue
straight uphill on the now white blazed trail as it wind
back to the left before arriving at the ridge line and intersection
of the Massanutten Trail in another 0.2 miles.
Veer left uphill in 50 yards staying on the orange blazed Massanutten trail as the Milford Gap Trail descends to your right.
Continue
along the ridge and in 1.3 miles the trail splits. Stay left
on the orange blazed trail along the top of the ridge and in
another 0.1 miles arrive at the intersection of the purple blazed
Indian Grave Ridge Trail that descends to your left.
Turn left downhill on the
purple blazed Indian Grave Ridge Trail as it steeply descends the mountain. In 2.3 miles the trail makes
a hard left and a old logging road comes in from the right. Stay
left on the purple blazed trail as it now gently descends Indian
Grave Ridge before arriving back at the first parking area in
another 0.7 miles.
Interactive Hike Map BelowPrintable
Topo Hike Map (PDF) Hike route in Drag the map with your mouse using the icon Zoom with the controls on the left Mouse-over the icons in the map below for location shots
Calculate roughly how many calories you could burn on the Indian Grave Ridge hike:
=
Hiker
Reviews For The Indian Grave Ridge Hike (5 Most Recent)
Initial directions (taken from link) caused a bit of confusion regarding the turn off Mechanic Street onto Bixlers Ferry Road. There are 2 Bixlers Ferry Roads - take the SECOND one. The first one just takes you back to Main Street in Luray.
It was great weather and we only saw hiking boot prints at the end and a few people driving so solitude was nice. Hiked it in 4 hours with minimal stopping and I am not in hiking shape. The initial uphill climb was a bit challenging with loose rocks covered by leaves, but definitely doable.
By:
Matthew
Rating:
Date of Hike: Thursday, December 15, 2011
Date/Time: Thurs the 15th of Nov 11, from 0915-1115.
Difficultly: I agree with the stated difficultly level (3). It is a slow but continuous incline all the way up to the ridgeline. I am inclined to think that the total elevation change is more than 1550, but I am limited here on experience to ascertain definitively. There are no rock scrambles. The trail narrows a bit and is a combo trail / stream bed, but nothing too crazy. This one is quite doable for most who do not have mobility restrictions. The trail is jogable for 4-5 of the 8 miles I made an overall time of 2hrs (mid-fitness level I have 15 extra lbs).
Streams: The trail shares a stream bed in a couple of locations. The Toliver Trail being the first, and the first part of the descent from the ridgeline being the second. I think I would avoid this hike if it had rained considerably in the past few days (wet feet in stream beds and overly slick leaves).
Views: I agree with the stated rating (4). The ridgeline affords solid views of the valley and river on one side, and a city / country house view on the other. If your packing some kit I would recommend a nice sandwich and a wine miniature to enjoy on the ridge, perhaps with a pipe. The wind whips a bit on top though.
Solitude: It was a weekday, noted, but saw no others.
Camping: I've never camped on one of these hikes so I don't have a benchmark. There is/was a fire spot at the first parking location. If camping is permitted on the trail (no clue if it is), I would recommend a tent up on the top. The lights and view at nite would be pretty sound I think. A side note: the road leading into where the trail starts has lots of places for RVs and it has cabins. It looks like lots of outdoorsy stuff goes on along the river right near the trail. A good time could definitely be had by camping/canoeing on the river and then doing a bit of hiking (existing businesses available).
Foliage/Fauna: I saw no animals save birds in the air. I haven't had any poison ivy. I noted no ticks.
Weather: Thereabouts 45-55F on the day of. Partly cloudy. Some clouds/fog in the lowlands as viewed from the ridge. Some wind when on the ridge.
Other: The trail markings as per the instructions seemed sound, as did the given instructions in general. The descent from the ridge has a lot of leaf coverage, but the trail was discernible. There are houses on the first part of the trail, so a phone should never be more than 5 miles I reckon. Bathrooms seemed available at parking location #2 (I didn't go in, just jogged by). I noted no running water available anywhere, formally that is (no spigots). I really enjoyed this one and felt good doing it I wasn't overwhelmed at any point by the required exertion level and the view was solid I didn't get lost any.
By:
Rating:
Date of Hike: Saturday, April 09, 2011
I hiked this with 9 others on a foggy, overcast morning. We actually started this hike on VA 613 by the low water bridge, then ascended to the Massanutten trail via the Tuscarora trail, and eventually descended from the ridge via the Indian Grave Ridge. This pushed the mileage up to 12, but most of the Massanutten trail was flat, and the descent on Indian Grave Ridge was all downhill or flat. The trail is rocky, but not too bad. This area is a great place for alot of different adventures from hiking, paddling, or mountain biking. There are also horse trails in the area. I arranged with a local outfitter to portage our kayaks at Seekfords Landing and we paddled another 12 miles downstream along the South Fork of the Shenandoah to complete a huge loop. What a great day in the outdoors!
By:
Go Hoos Hiker
Rating:
Date of Hike: Tuesday, December 28, 2010
My boyfriend and I completed this hike today with our dog. It was fantastic! Because it is winter, we saw amazing views of the Shenandoah River and Valley, as well as Fort Valley. The hike on the road was a bit dull, but it did provide glimpses of the Shenandoah River. Once we entered the GWNF, the hike was interesting, quiet, and beautiful. There are some amazing rock formations, and according to a local, this area was used by the Native Americans to burn bodies of their dead. The ridge climb is steep but not daunting, and the ridge views were breathtaking. We saw no one on the trail and only passed 3 cars on the road. If hiking once leaves are on the ground, be careful to watch your step coming down from the ridge, as rocks are buried under the leaves and you can easily lose your step. All in all, a great day hike!
By:
Doug
Rating:
Date of Hike: Sunday, June 13, 2010
My wife and I decided to do this hike for our 35th anniversary. We parked in parking area 3 in order to do the climb to the ridge top before it got too hot. We did not see anyone on the entire trail and only 3 cars on the road on a Sunday. Saw plenty of deer and a turtle with bright orange spots. We started around 10 AM and it was already 80 degrees and very humid. Bring plenty of water if you are going to do this hike in hot weather - there is none along the trail. Starting at parking area 3 also means that the road hike at the end is during the heat of the day and there is very little shade.
With two decent breaks for snacks, the hike took 4:15. A great hike with wonderful views and a nice breeze on the ridge top.