|
| By:
Marshell Chandler
|
Rating:  |
Date of Hike: Sunday, August 01, 2010 |
| I hiked this mountain last fall with my teenage children. On that day it was rainy and windy. It was much more pleasant this time. I brought my wife Kim with me this time. We didn't park in the typical parking lot, we started from the little parking lot at the 'Little Stony Man' trailhead just off the parkway. Our first view was at the Little Stony Man ridge. I do believe that this view is better than the summit. We continued on after taking some pictures to climb to the summit. If you don't have much time and want to see a beautiful view I would suggest hiking up to Little Stony Man.
|
|
| By:
Ian
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Friday, July 02, 2010 |
| Did this hike in reverse, first hike of the season since my wife was incapacitated for a few months. I wish I did my research before I hiked it. It's VERY rocky on the Passamaquaddy trail. I've done the Manassas Hike, and this is much more difficult. I also found the Passamaquaddy trail very technical. You don't get to enjoy all the little views you get through out the hike due to the very difficult terrain of the Passamaquaddy. When we hike we typically take dogs and kids. This time it was just dogs but, I would not recommend this hike with children. You get way too close to cliff edges for way too long.
|
|
| By:
SD
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, April 10, 2010 |
| Great day for a hike. Directions were a little confusing at the beginning, but worked out well in the end. Parking at the lot was available. Met a few people on the trail. Great views. Also did the Millers Head trail to increase distance and difficulty. Great two hikes from the same area. Views were amazing!
|
|
| By:
Brandon
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, November 15, 2009 |
Hiked this with my non-hiker mom, as I never have interest in a 3.7 mile hike. Parking lot was maybe 1/4 - 1/3 full when we arrived and when we left. Views were great, from the main summit, the smaller overlook along the AT, and the small overlook at Passamaquoddy . Saw some climbers tackling the wall. Also, due to all the recent rain, there were numerous instances along the Passamaquoddy of streams intersecting the trail, or small waterfalls off the rocks. Right before the yellow-blazed trail you could really hear some water gushing in the valley below, but sadly I could not investigate.
The reason for 4 stars not 5 is because the yellow-blazed trail looked to be very rarely used with infrequent blazes (some of the blazes weren't even the normal yellow but some fading neon yellow color). Hiking along the Canyon Rim in Roaring Plains was easier than following this trail. The leaves on the trail were barely worn, if at all. Thus, my non-hiker companion was very nervous along this stretch.
Total time: 2:40 with frequent photo stops but not stopping for lunch.
|
|
| By:
litework
|
Rating:  |
Date of Hike: Sunday, November 08, 2009 |
| Nice hike on a beautiful autumn day. The hike including the summit was not crowded. We took a horse trail back to the parking lot and didn't see one person outside our small group. I've made this hike a number of times taking quite a few newbies they all found the views at the summit to be breathtaking. This is a good hike to take a first timer. I think the "1" rating for ease is misleading, especially in comparison to the "harder" trails that I've hiked in the area-these higher scoring hikes didn't seem more difficult than the Stony Man Hike.
|
|
| By:
tim_j
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, November 07, 2009 |
| I hiked Stony Man today with my girlfriend, following the 3.6 mile loop described here. The summit of Stony Man was fairly small outcropping of rock and was pretty crowded with a dozen people or so there around noon. We thought the best view on the hike was actually the Little Stony Man overlook where you get an almost equally majestic view as Stony Man, with a lot less traffic. The way back on the Passamaquoddy Trail under the rock face was a bit more technical, but it allowed for a bit more solitude and still gave a great view to the right of the valley below as you move along under Little Stony Man and Stony Man. Overall, it was a very fun hike, with well-marked trails, and great views. It took us a little under 3 hours to finish, but we took our time and stopped for almost 30 minutes at Little Stony Man.
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, August 16, 2009 |
After doing Old Rag yesterday, my girlfriend and I thought that we would spend day two of four by going a little easier on ourselves today. This little scenic hike was perfect for allowing us to work out the kinks in our muscles from yesterday without straining ourselves too much. We arrived at the trailhead a little before 7:30 am and found ourselves alone in the parking lot....except for our escort. A medium sized doe was waiting for us right at trail entrance. This deer walked along, just off to the trail's side, with us for a little more than 3/10ths of a mile. This doe wasn't shy at all and let us take several photos and was within a just a few feet of us on several occasions.
I didn't take us long to reach the summit of Stony Man. Along with our escort, the scenery and the turns in the trail kept our attention (I always like to see what might what might be waiting around the corner for us). We did see two more fawns at the top of the trail...these were pretty skittish and kept their distance.
The view from the top of Stony Man was gorgeous and I thought it was very comparable to the Old Rag views with a lot less work. When we started the hike the temperature was 65 degrees out, so it was probably in the low 70s when we reached the summit. Just perfect, clear weather for a great view.
On the way back down, we did see several small pairs or groups of hikers working their way up the trail. To me, getting on the trail early is worth the extra effort....you'll have more solitude and may see more wildlife as a result.
After we finished up with this hike, we headed over to the park office/dining room. During our short walk in the surrounding woods, we spotted another sizeable doe (who allowed photos) and a medium sized black bear (who we got some distant photos of, before he quickly headed off in the opposite direction).
Off to the more challenging, longer White Oak Canyon/Cedar Run Hike tommorow for some waterfalls & cold mountain water swimming.
|
|
| By:
|
Rating:  |
Date of Hike: Saturday, July 25, 2009 |
| A very nice hike with outstanding views and if you add the Millers Head 1.6 mile out and back it makes for a good morning outing. The trail is interesting for the most part but the top of Stony Man can get crowded on a summer Saturday. Except for the summit we saw only 1 other hiker on the Passamaquoddy trail and a couple on the Millers Head trail which is located on the south side of the Skyland complex and has a great view of the valley from a stone observation point. It is easy enough for beginning hikers and those that aren't looking for solitude but enough of a challenge to make it worthwhile.
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Thursday, July 23, 2009 |
| This was my first time hiking and I enjoyed this one very much. Great views from the summit. I went on a Thursday early afternoon and there were a few people on the trail but it wasn't crowded. I'd say this is a nice hike for beginners, not too difficult and definitely worth the trip to the top!
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, July 19, 2009 |
This is a fun little hike that you can do in 3ish hours. The views are amazing. The first half at the Stony Man overlooks are a little busy, but that is to be expected as they are major attractions of the park and have easy access from the parkway. Once we left the Little Stony Man overlook on the Passamaquoddy Trail the only mammal we saw between there and Skyland was a fawn that took off before I could get my camera out.
I think the "1" rating may be a little misleading though. A 1 rating to me is a pleasant stroll in the woods. This hike is that easy when you start, but once you hit the Passamaquoddy Trail it gets very rocky. It's level for that mile, but it's certainly not something that you would want attempt with a 7 year old wearing tennis shoes. A 7 year old with a little experience hiking and proper footwear would be fine. Also, the Furnance Springs hike uphill back to Skyland is a little tricky in that it seems to be so rarely used that picking the trail out from the rest of the forest floor is a challenge at times. It is marked well enough that you can almost always see the next yellow blaze, so as long as you pay attention and follow the blazes you are fine.
Does anybody know what that gold mine shaft looking hut is at the intersection of the Passamaquoddy and Furnance Springs? We could hear some sort of pump or motor running in it.
|
|
| By:
MRHyk
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, March 28, 2009 |
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 !
|
|
| By:
B. Gordon
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Friday, November 23, 2007 |
| I would have given this hike a higher rating if it were a little longer and for the amount of people on the trail. I guess a lot of people spent Thanksgiving at Skyland as we ran into quite a few people on the last half of the trail. We did the trail in reverse with the temps around 31F and with the wind blowing quite strongly. If you do it in reverse you can do a little scrambling up a pretty steep "trail" just as you get to the bottom of Little Stony Man. This "trail" cuts out the switchbacks on the other side of Little Stony Man. Take a left at the top and you are almost at Little Stony Man. I wouldn't recommend coming down this way but it was fun going up. The views from Little Stony Man and Stony Man are pretty spectacular for such little effort to get to them. While eating lunch at Little Stony Man we were privileged to have a Bald Eagle soar overhead, what a great sight!!! I would recommend this trail as a good winter hike to get the kids out of the house and yet not spend too much time on the trail in the cold. If you do the trail in the morning there is still time to get back on Route 211 over to Luray to visit Luray Caverns as we did.
|
|
| By:
hfogg
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, September 23, 2007 |
Nice Fall Day. Morning was cool and foggy, but by the time I got on the trail, it was clear/sunny blue skies. Had some traffic on the Stony Man Lariat part, and No One else on the rest of the hike. Great views to the east.
|
|
| By:
Eric
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Wednesday, August 29, 2007 |
Good hike with great views and it's easily accessible. I went on a weekday afternoon, so I only saw a few other hikers. The hike took about 2.5 hours since my friend and I stopped for a while at both little stony man and at the summit.
It was cool and cloudy with poor visibility. However, standing in the clouds and watching them cascade over the mountain face was cool. I could see how this would be very crowded on the weekends with its proximity to Skyland. Don't forget to bring a camera.
|
|
| By:
Jerry W.
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, October 22, 2006 |
| I'm with phall: The directions left a little bit to be desired. This was my second attempt at finding this hike. If you turn right at Skyland and follow the signs you'll find the parking area for Stony Man. But it's not 'right off Skyline Drive.' Once you're there it's pretty easy. The hike was relatively short but the vistas were excellent albeit a bit hazy on this Sunday. It was a bit crowded with all the leaf-lookers but I was able to find some solitude by taking the yellow-blazed trail about 100 yards away. The highlight of my hike was seeing first a bear cub romping through the woods away from me and then a black bear crossing the trail about 30 yards in front of me. I managed to snap a picture too. The bear wasn't interested in me, thankfully, and kept going. It was kind of amazing considering the number of people out and about.
|
|
| By:
phall
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, October 08, 2006 |
Very nice hike, with great views as promised, but directions to the start of the hike were confusing. The parking area is not at mile marking 43. In fact it is not on Skyline Drive. The parking area is located off of the access road to Skyland which is between 41 and 42.
HikingUpward.com: phall, thanks for the feedback. The driving directions have been corrected.
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, July 29, 2006 |
| Nice, interesting hike to some great viewpoints - Stony Man Mtn. viewpoint is among the best in the Park and one of the easiest to get to. Hike directions were not very good, however. The directions provided seemed barebones and didn't mention many of the attractions along the way (like the talus slopes, great views from Little Stony Man cliffs, etc.). Some things were inaccurate - there was not wooden shack near Furnace Springs, for example. The yellow-blazed horse trail at Furnace Spring back to the Stony Man Nature Trail parking lot is not very well blazed or maintained and the trail was very difficult to follow. I recommend folks turn right at Furnace Springs and follow the trail back to Skyland.
|
|
| By:
Kevin N
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, November 12, 2005 |
| I have hiked this one before and found it to be an enjoyable way to stretch the legs a little and take a couple of nice views when you don't have a lot of time to tackle some of the longer and more difficult hikes in the park. This past Saturday I did it again with very nice weather, a clear sky, and foliage just past their prime. The only downside...or upside depending on your interests/needs...is that it is really accessible and lots of people are scattered throughout the trail and at the major vista points. I would recommend this hike to anyone who has only a couple of hours of daylight available, but would still like to take in a nice, short hike.
|
|
