Little Schloss is just one of the many beautiful circuit hikes possible in the Great North Mountain area. Little Stoney Creek is also a favorite with backpackers, with many camping sites along its banks. The vista from Little Schloss is spectacular. This area also experiences an explosion of Mountain Laurel in early to mid June.

I also got an early start, getting on the trail at 8 am on Saturday because of the strong line of storms that were forecast to go through the area in the afternoon. Sure enough, you could hear the thunder in the distance during the last mile of the hike. Just made it back to the parking area before the clouds opened up :)

The Three Falls hike is a circuit that passes Rose River Falls, Dark Hollow Falls, and Lewis Spring Falls. These are three of the most beautiful falls in the SNP. There is also an option of shortening the distance, and vertical gain, by opting out of the Lewis Spring Falls section for a total of 6.1 mls and 1530ft gain.

The three falls are at their peak in the in the spring, but don’t overlook the small things, like this Hooked Buttercup (Ranunculus recurvatus), that are blooming all over the park in April.

We had a picture perfect day on Friday. The views along on the AT at Fishers Gap, as well as from the Lewis Spring Falls overlook, were spectacular. Weekday hikes are some of the best days to enjoy the Shenandoah National Park, as you can enjoy the solitude of some of these more popular hikes that are much busier on the weekends.

At 14.7 miles the Jeremy's Run loop is one of the longest in the SNP. There are several beautiful views on the Neighbor Mountain Trail of Kennedy Peak, Duncan Knob, and the Three Sisters Ridge just to the south. Also with 14 crossings of Jeremy's Run this hike can be a challenge in the spring when the water is at its highest level.

Again we were lucky with the weather on Saturday. With showers forecast for much of the day, it turned out to be sunny with no rain at all. The Jeremy’s Run hike also has a great campsite above the falls near the lower section of the run. Late spring will be a great time to make it back and camp above the falls.

Whether you do make this a two day backpack, or just a long day hike, this is still one of the most scenic circuit hikes in the park.

The House Mountain hike near Lexington Virginia is made up of two mountains. Big House Mountain with great views to the south, and Little House Mountain with its punishing direct climb to the ridge, and spectacular views of the Shenandoah Valley.

If you decide to do this hike anytime soon, you may also get your own mountain guide as we did! Starting up the trail, ‘Rose’ a local dog from one of the private homes near the trailhead, decided she wanted a day in the woods and led, not followed, us to not only the top of Big House Mountain, but also to the outlook on Little House Mountain. Apparently she knows when people park at the lower lot they will be hiking the mountain and heading back the same way. The only fee she charges is some water and food. In our case, half our lunch and 1 liter of water :)

Little House and Big House Mountains appear to tower out of the plains as they stand by themselves, separate from any other mountain range. The 950 acre House Mountain Preserve was purchased in 1989 through the efforts of the Rockbridge Area Conservation Council, the Virginia Outdoor Foundation, and many local residents, including Bill Stubbs a leader in conservation causes in the Rockbridge area for many years. The area is now owned by the Virginia Outdoor Foundation.