Bucks Elbow Mountain Hike

Bucks Elbow Mountain - Crozet, Virginia


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Length	Difficulty	Streams	Views	Solitude	Camping
6.1 mls		N/A			N/A
Hiking Time: Elev. Gain: Links: Resources:	4.0 hours plus a half hour for lunch 2,380 ft Mint Springs Valley Park Printable Topo Hike Map (PDF) Mint Springs Valley Park Map (PDF) The Hook News Article Crozet Weather Forecast Graphic Precip/Temp Forecast Current Weather Radar Loop (Java) Garmin (GDB), GPS eXchange (GPX) (What's this?) 3D View of Route!
From:	e.g. 12000 Government Center Parkway 22035 or Fairfax VA Park at the Mint Springs Valley Park 2nd parking area.

Do you need a trail with a good work out that has a great payoff at the top? Then this hike in Mint Springs Valley Park should fit the bill. There aren't many switchbacks on this out & back hike, as it's a direct assault on the mountain. About 1.4 miles into the climb it's marked only by pink survey ribbons with an occasional yellow or orange blaze, and is primarily bushwhacking with no discernable trail. Due to this, we strongly recommend using a GPS and downloading either the GDB or GPX files. For more leisurely trails, view the entire park trail map.

The payoff at the end of the trail is a great overlook and great place to have lunch. Just prior to getting to the overlook you will pass some scattered wreckage of Piedmont Flight 349 DC3 that went down in 1959. Be respectful of this site as 26 people lost their lives in the crash located about 500 feet below the summit of Bucks Elbow Mountain. Near the entrance to the park is a memorial to this crash commissioned by the sole survivor, Phil Bradley.

We parked at the lot area near the swimming lake. The Fire Trail begins just to the right of the information kiosk, visible in the parking lot photo. Stay on the Fire Trail for 0.8 miles until you reach the intersection of the Big Survey Trail. Take a right and go another 0.3 miles looking for an unmarked trail on the right, located very close to a sharp bend in the trail. Just after turning right onto this trail you will pass under a high voltage powerline. Follow the trail just below the tower, bearing to the left onto a fire road in about 10 yards.

Stay on the fire road looking for an orange-blazed trail where you will turn left uphill in 0.3 miles. The trail becomes steep at this point. Continue on the trail ignoring an intersection on the left in 0.2 miles. After passing the intersection in 0.1 miles the trail will bear right over Mad Run as it passes towards the north. In 0.8 miles and 0.25 miles before the hike high point you will start to notice the debris field of the DC3 with the largest piece being the wing at the top. To continue to the overlook bear to the right just prior to where the wing is, going 0.2 miles and follow near the edge of a steep drop off/cliff. There are actually 2 good overlooks, with the 2nd one being a great place for lunch and the turn-around point. Retrace your steps to return to the parking area.

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Hiker Reviews For The Bucks Elbow Mountain Hike (5 Most Recent)

Review the Bucks Elbow Mountain hike here! Average Review Rating:

By:	Rating:	Date of Hike: Sunday, November 08, 2009
We hiked from Mint Springs parking lot to the crash site, following a route marked by pink and sometimes orange ribbons tied to trees. The only value of the GPS receiver I had with me was to verify that we were headed in the right direction. The reason for rating the hike "a great hike" and not a favorite is that Karen likes fire trails for paths and I like bushwacking where there are no paths...orienteering. It was neither.� The primary purpose of the hike was to enjoy a sunny November afternoon in the� Blue Ridge mountains while�taking on the challenge of�a� difficult�climb to the sight of a local tragedy recently recognized in the media. Besides seeing only one other couple making their way up the mountain on another� route, we saw no one else . We did manage to see a juvenile black bear that our black lab had set in motion (notice that Dixie is smart enough for a lab not to give chase). Our question of the day: where is the rest of the wreckage? All we saw was a wing section, the nacelle from an engine and a few other pieces that I could not identify with any certainty. Does anyone know what became of the the fuselage and engines? GPS fix on the crash site: N38.10396 W78.73380 2581ft HikingUpward Note: We have been told that much of the aluminum wreckage was scavenged off the mountain and sold as scrap metal.

By: tom et familie	Rating:	Date of Hike: Saturday, July 04, 2009
Great directions, THANKS! I have Phil Bradley's book and the "directions" included are worthtless.I met him at our public library when he was first promoting his book and became interested in making this trip then. Had a little tough time finding the trail leading from the Big Survey Trail toward the plane wreckage. If this helps, there was a broken piece of� brown pottery� and a rusty piece of (heavy)� cylindrical metal embedded in the Big Survey Trail (BST)� at this intersection. Not sure their story but turn off BST at that point and go under power lines. Also, the power lines and vegetation cut for power lines are visible from BST. I didn't check time well leaving from parking lot but got back in exactly 2 hours. A hiking stick will help, especially on the way back down. As a few said, an UPHILL trek! Enjoyed on the 4th of July.

By: BobNorthernVa	Rating:	Date of Hike: Monday, May 04, 2009
My wife and I are seniors with much day-hike experience. The Bucks Elbow hike (advertised as short but challenging) appeared appropriate to help us prepare for an upcoming week-long hiking trip. Also, we were in Crozet to visit relatives. The weather, as is often the case, did not cooperate the chosen day for hiking was in the middle of a period of unsettled weather...showers, drizzle, etc., day after day. We do not start such day hikes in the rain, but come prepared for rain thus this day, we were not deterred by the prediction for showers later in the day. The hike was about as described by others, though we have a few observations to add. This day, the wet trail with fairly steep portions, added a bit of difficulty our hiking sticks were well used. Also, let it be said that the flags marking the trail need improvement. Some of them have fallen from the trees, having come untied. Perhaps they were never in sufficient number. At one point where the trail sharply turned, we had difficulty in staying on the trail (requiring a few minutes search). The trail in some areas is covered with new spring growth and/or leaves from last fall. While GPS equipment is not absolutely necessary in our view, it would have helped. All in all we really liked the hike. It was as advertised, short (2 hours plus each way) and physically challenging. We missed the advertised views, which were obscured by low clouds. But we enjoyed the hike and will return on a sunny day.

By: B. Dallavalle	Rating:	Date of Hike: Saturday, April 18, 2009
Followed the guide on the trail page. It easily led us to the plane and beyond. The trail is marked well enough and travelled pretty well so it's easy to follow. The ascent/descent is pretty steep and there are some traverses over rocks so you will want poles. 4 hours was just about right. Great hike, good workout, and a great view of Crozet and points east.

By:	Rating:	Date of Hike: Thursday, January 08, 2009
I really loved this hike. It was so good I hiked it again two days later with my cousin. I'm always in search of the biggest elevation gain in the shortest distance, and this hike provides exactly that it's the steepest hike in the area. Quite a good workout, it's like hiking Humpback Rocks three times. The trail is pretty rocky in places so make sure you wear good shoes, and the descent can be slippery it was raining the whole time I was hiking and I slipped several times in the mud coming back down. Not a real problem though as there are plenty of trees to grab ahold of. The wreckage is very interesting. I've lived in the area my whole life, and I'd heard of this wreck and always wanted to go visit it, but until this hike was posted I didn't know exactly where it was or how to reach it. Thanks a lot for posting this! This hike provides the best view of Crozet I've ever seen. I've always been disappointed at the lack of East-facing overlooks along Skyline Drive, you never get a really good view of Crozet and Charlottesville. This hike however provides an amazing view right down on Crozet and beyond, with Monticello and the orchards on Carter's Mountain visible in the distance. It's well worth the effort! ****************************** As a note to other hikers, I would highly recommend the side trek to the other excellent viewpoint. It's even better than the one past the wreckage. The place where the trail splits can be hard to catch -- I missed it the first time. After a long and very steep climb, there are a bunch of rocks piled up on the side of the trail leaning against a tree. Bearing right, the trail starts to level out and crosses a stream soon. Bearing left, the trail continues to be very steep. A little further on there is another intersection with a big rock leaning against a tree. On the rock at the 2nd intersection there is an arrow pointing back towards the first intersection that says "airplane." The good view is to the right here, and is a very steep climb -- even steeper than the earlier section. I don't know where the trail leads if you go straight, it's not marked on the map. This side trek pushes the total elevation gain for the hike above 3000 feet, but the view is spectacular and well worth the extra climb.

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