This
is a short and pleasant hike, and has
some of the best vistas in the Shenandoah National Park. Little Stony Man, just below the main peak, has a popular rock wall with local climbers. Make
sure to pick a haze free day, because you don't want
to miss all the views along the the ridge!
Start the hike on the left of the parking area at the trail junction. Turn right on the on the yellow blazed Stony Man Trail for 0.5 miles to the intersection of the Horse Trail.
Turn left uphill on the Horse Trail for 0.5 miles and come to the first of the
Shenandoah Valley overlooks. Continue up the trail for another 50
yards to the junction of the the
blue blazed trail, and horse rail. Turn left, and in 80 yards arrive at the main Stony Man Mountain overlook.
Return back, passing the trail you turned off in 80 yards, where the blue blazed trail splits. Stay left, and in 0.4 miles the trails rejoin. Continue downhill for another 0.1 miles to the the four way intersection of the white blazed Appalachian Trail.
Turn left on the white blazed trail for
0.7 miles to the Little Stony Man overlook. As you continue
downward make several switchbacks before reaching the left turn for the blue blazed Passamaquoddy Trail. The Passamaquoddy Trail turnoff is easy to miss. Look for a concrete post marker and a double white blazed tree marking the junction.
The Passamaquoddy Trail will pass a lower vista at the base of the Little Stony Man Mountain cliff face. Continue around the mountain for 1.0 miles to the junction
of Furnace Spring Road. Turn left uphill for 20 yards, then make a sharp turn to the left again onto the yellow blazed trail. Follow the yellow blazed trail as it winds uphill, arriving back at the Stony Man Mountain parking area in 0.5 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 Click the icons in the map below for location shots
Calculate roughly how many calories you could burn on the Stony Man Mountain hike:
=
Hiker
Reviews For The Stony Man Mountain Hike (5 Most Recent)
MSHyker and I did this little loop as our first wedding anniversary hike. The views were all socked in due to heavy cloud cover. It was still a great hike. We were impressed by the extensive hillside cribbing used in the construction of the Passamaquoddy Trail (formerly part of the AT). At one point, below the Little Stony Man cliffs it was over 10 feet high. What makes it even more amazing is it was all done by hand back in the 30s and 40s.
We finished the day with dinner at the Thornton River Grille in Sperryville. We highly recommend it! If coming out on a weekend you might want to make a reservation in advance. We plan on coming back for this hike until we finally hit it on a clear day.
By:
Rating:
Date of Hike: Saturday, November 22, 2008
Great day for this hike. My two eldest daughters and I enjoyed the grand views provided on a cold clear day like today. It was 22 degrees at the parking lot for "Little stony man". We ventured onto Stony man from there. It can be very windy at the overlooks so dress appropriately. I wanted to get a winter perspective for this hike because I/we have done this hike many times in the past during warmer and busier seasons. I agree with a previous post that this hike is great for those with limited experience and ability with big pay offs in scenery.
By:
Robert Godlove
Rating:
Date of Hike: Friday, October 24, 2008
Nice Hike...with Great Views, Took 4 Kids between ages 7-14...The directions are a little shakey, but found everything they spoke of...A great deal of hikers, hit this trail...I suggest to go during the week...This is a pretty area
By:
Rating:
Date of Hike: Sunday, October 12, 2008
Great hike! We did it with our son and his 11 and 10 year old boys. They loved it all the way especially since the weather was perfect. And it took exactly 3 hours plus 1/2 hour for lunch.
Had dinner afterwards at the Griffin Tavern in Flint Hill - nice way to top it off!
By:
Rating:
Date of Hike: Friday, April 11, 2008
I am rating this high to boost its rating. It is a terrific hike, for those who are not experienced in hiking, in poor shape, or who are just a little intimidated by the idea of going a longer way up and down slopes on other trails. In fact, the views that are possible at several points are spectacular. I have done this trail so many times for more than 25 years, it would be fair to call it a favorite - Every season, every temperature, snow, heat and humidity, spring blooms and fall colors - its all beatiful. I usually go here with non-hikers and feel it is a good choice for such folks. If you are with older folks, younger kids - make it easy and just take the "nature walk" up to the stony man overlook. Awesome.
Mr. / Ms. hiker - maybe not for you, but anyone who complains that it is shorter and fairly crowded -- well what did you expect ? A short, not-too demanding trail to one of the very best overlooks in the park....please. OF COURSE there are other people here. So many other choices if you want more solitude. That does not mean it isn't a good trail, with a great set of views, just that its accessability and short length make it popular for newbies and those who may be pressed for time because you got to the park later than you wanted in day 1, or are squeezing in a quickie before heading out for home at trip end !
icon 
