The
Big Devils Stairs hike is one of the more overlooked scenic gorge hikes in the Shenandoah National Park. With two nice overlooks of the gorge and valley below, this 5.5 mile out and back hike is a nice alternative to the more crowded hikes in the central section of the SNP.
From the parking area at Gravel Springs Gap, pass the chain gate and follow the wide yellow blazed fire road as it heads downhill. The white blazed Appalachian Trail will follow the fire road on the right for the first 200 yards. The fire road will begin to descend more steeply before making a hairpin turn to the right at the first intersection.
Turn left following the narrower yellow blazed horse trail towards Big Devils Stairs (the fire road will now become blue blazed as it heads towards Gravel Springs Shelter). Follow the yellow blazed horse trail for 0.1 miles to the next intersection. Turn left remaining on the yellow blazed trail (again the blue blazed trail to the right goes to the shelter). In 200 yards the yellow blazed trail arrives at the intersection of the yellow blazed Bluff Trail.
Turn left on the yellow blazed Bluff trail towards Big Devils Stairs, as it heads north around the mountain for 1.4 miles to the intersection of the blue blazed Big Devils Stairs trail.
Continue down the trail for another 120 yards to the second overlook. Be cautions to watch your footing as the trail is narrow and passes close to the ledge in this section. The second overlook is the turn around point. From here the trail continues down to the stream and park boundary. There is no public access from the lower section of the trail.
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 Big Devils Stairs hike:
=
Hiker
Reviews For The Big Devils Stairs Hike (5 Most Recent)
This was a great day for a hike- temps started out in the 40s (we weren't there yet) and probably got up to about mid 60s. By the time we got to the overlooks, it was middle of the day so we sat down, ate lunch, and the I laid back and took a 20 minute rest in the warm sun on the overlooks- which while they are partially blocked with full trees- there's still some nice views... especially today because of how clear it was you could see for about 20 miles and the rolling mountains were great. So the hike itself isn't amazing- I've done amazing- but it's a nice hike for a few hours!
We ended the day seeing a black bear cub on our way out of the park... I'm convinced somebody made sure this was a great day for me.
By:
ShenHiker
Rating:
Date of Hike: Saturday, July 25, 2009
I would not recommend this hike to any of my hiker friends. Ever. I was expecting something similar to Little Devils Stairs (but bigger?), but these 2 similarly named hikes are sadly nothing alike. The one viewpoint of BDS was ok, but if you don't turn around there the trail will lead you down a steep ravine that ends at the Shenendoah Park boundary, at which point you have no choice but to turn around and hike back the steep eroded trail. I would give this zero stars if I could- not worth the drive!
By:
Don
Rating:
Date of Hike: Friday, July 24, 2009
I found the Big Devils Stairs hike a little underwhelming. While it traversed through interesting terrain, the payoff wasn't there at the overlooks. The view into the valley was blocked by mother nature in the form of trees, and I never saw the waterfall mentioned by hiker01. Maybe I just missed it. The hike was a little strenuous on the way back, but overall I would rate it easy to moderate. With a stop for a snack at the first overlook it took about 2 hours and 20 minutes to complete the out and back hike. Much of the trail is rocky so shoes or boots with ankle support are in order. Saw only two other hikers and a couple of deer on the trail.
By:
hiker01
Rating:
Date of Hike: Saturday, June 06, 2009
Having seen the hike described as family-friendly, I was surprised that the sign at the trailhead called it "exhausting." Our group of 7 (ranging from 6 yrs old to 40-something) started out on this hike around noon and got back around 5 p.m. It is a very pleasant hike the mountain laurel was blooming, the path crossed and re-crossed a couple of streams, and the first overlook was a pleasant spot to sit for a while. For mothers with small children and those with a fear of heights, the proximity to the edge and the steep dropoff can cause some anxiety. I recommend using the first overlook t as your turnaround point. The second overlook (very close to the first), though affording a nice view of a distant waterfall, was also a small area, and it was very easy to miss. (We hiked past it and ended up hiking much further down the mountain before turning around the trail did not seem to be well marked past the first overlook.)
By:
Rating:
Date of Hike: Saturday, May 30, 2009
Since nobody had previously reviewed Big Devils Stairs I decided to do so. That was surprising to me since I've known about this hike for over 15 years. First, Google map is a little off on its directions, mostly in describing confusing turns that don't really exist in/around Warrenton. Simply take 29 to 211W and 211 to Skyline Drive which takes you to the SNP gate. The park ranger at the gate didn't know where Big Devils Stairs was so be sure to read Hiking Upward description of the trailhead. To that end, the Gravel Springs Gap parking area--about 13.5 miles from the park entrance--is adjacent to the trailhead.
As far as the hike is concerned, definitely on the easy side, but certainly an A+ for solitude and a B for scenery. We saw a few hikers as we were starting (around 1:15 p.m.) But after the initial wave of 2-3 groups, we saw nobody else. The final overlook that serves as the turn around point is well worth the 2.5 miles out. The return trip is a bit more challenging since it is more of an uphill than the trip out. We did see a black bear on the final mile or so right before the turn up the fire road. I would recommend this hike to anyone who doesn't mind a little sweat on the way back. You don't really earn the view on the way out since it is pretty much all downhill. Overall the hike took us about 2 hours.
Definitely worth the time, a bit on the short/easy side, would be good for people who aren't necessarily in the best of shape and don't want to be overwhelmed. All in all, not a bad way to spend an afternoon.
icon 
