The Buck Hollow/Mary's Rock loop in the SNP can be broken into two hikes; or done as one large loop. The Buck Hollow/Buck Ridge main portion of the hike offers much more solitude than the section from Skyline Drive up to Mary's Rock. However, both offer great scenery.
From the parking area on US211 head up the Buck Hollow Trail crossing Buck Hollow stream and in 0.2 miles come to the intersection of the Buck Ridge Trail. Stay right remaining on the blue blazed Buck Hollow Trail.
The Buck Hollow Trail climbs the valley crossing the stream several times before becoming steeper and arriving at Skyline Drive and the Hazel Mountain parking area. At this point you can either continue up to Mary's Rock or shorten the hike by 3.0 miles and turn left on the yellow blazed Hazel Mountain Trail.
To continue up to Mary's Rock cross Skyline Drive, walk 50 yards left uphill and turn right onto the Meadow Spring Trail. Head uphill on the Meadow Spring Trail for 0.6 miles passing ruins of an old homestead about halfway before meeting the intersection of the white blazed Appalachian Trail and ridge line.
Turn right on the AT following it for 0.8 miles before arriving at the junction of the Mary's Rock Lookout Trail. Turn left uphill on the Mary's Rock Lookout Trail for 0.1 miles and come to the Mary's Rock vista.
To return, retrace your steps back along the AT and down the Meadow Spring Trail to the Hazel Mountain parking area on Skyline Drive. To continue stay right through the closed gate onto the yellow blazed Hazel Mountain Trail and in 0.5 miles come to the intersection of the Buck Ridge Trail.
Go straight on the blue blazed Buck Ridge Trail as it continues downward on Buck Ridge. The last 0.5 miles of the Buck Ridge Trail is very steep on loose rock so watch your footing. Arrive back at the intersection of the Buck Hollow Trail you ascended earlier 2.5 miles from where you left the Hazel Mountain Trail.
Turn right on the Buck Ridge Trail and arrive back at US211 and the parking area in 0.2 miles.
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Hiker
Reviews For The Buck Hollow Hike (5 Most Recent)
We did this hike clockwise as previously recommended and very glad we did. Steep stairs are much easier going up than down. The leaves do make the trail challenging as sometimes they are covering rocks, and other times holes, so be careful or you will roll an ankle. Despite the leaves and the first water crossing, this was a tremendous trail. What a wonderful way to kick off the new year!
By:
LarryP
Rating:
Date of Hike: Thursday, December 29, 2011
We hiked the Buck Hollow/Buck Ridge trail and omitted Mary's Rock due to time limitations. The initial stream crossing is challenging, because the only way across is via 2 saplings laid in parallel. With hiking poles for balance, even someone who is phobic about crossing streams made it.
I recommend doing the hike clockwise so you go up the stairs - it's 0.5 mi by my GPS - straight up.
By:
Scout Leader
Rating:
Date of Hike: Friday, November 25, 2011
It was a beautiful late-November day! We hiked from the Meadow Spring parking lot to Mary's Rock. Awesome hike!
By:
jewelweed
Rating:
Date of Hike: Sunday, November 06, 2011
Great to do this again during a different season. Agree with poster from yesterday about the weekend users. Alone on hike to a from however, I was hit in the head with an apple core from someone above me once on Mary's Rock, then a piece of "fruit by the foot" or whatever landed in front of me. I only stayed 10 minutes up there because of uncouth crowds and rested 10 more on one of the other rock overlooks. Hopefully this doesn't go the way of Old Rag. Go during week if you like solitude. Only took me 4 hours 20 minutes this time round trip!(including the 20min break)
By:
Rating:
Date of Hike: Saturday, November 05, 2011
It's a very good hike, with one exception. There were new leaves all over the place on the ground, so we jammed our toes on hidden rocks dozens of times. Pretty brutal after doing that for nearly 10mi. We did the whole hike in about 3.5hrs, accounting for a wrong turn at Skyline Dr. You'll cross a few streams on the first half, so wear waterproof boots if it's cold out. Definitely make sure that you CROSS Skyline Dr as the directions say, otherwise you'll be looping back on the 2nd half of the hike sans vista.
The Mary's Rock portion was great, except for the uncouth people who tend to go there because it's a short, easy hike. Seriously, these types spoiled some peace and quiet because they were like herds of elephants. Multiple loud/whiny kids, dogs, etc.
The loop back was very brutal at the end, because it must have been nearly a mile of stairs going downward - steeply. I think that I'd rather do this as an out and back vs a loop, as I didn't care for the back half. Although, we didn't see a single person on this portion.
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