A great hike that I would rate as intermediately challenging. No rock scrambling or anything like…read morethat, but it is quite steep for a while, one must be prepared. It's a popular spot at the top (stunning vistas of the park). I definitely recommend getting there early. We arrived in the afternoon and it was super crowded. Parking only on the side of Skyline Drive and then a 5-10 minute walk just to the trailhead. From the southern entrance to the park, it was about a 20 minute drive along Skyline Drive just to get here, so it does take some prep time before you even start hiking. As mentioned, it's a steep incline for most of the first half. What I loved the most was how many people coming down from the top would encourage you going up, saying "you're over halfway there," or "it's worth it; keep going!" and was nice to return the favor on our way down. Fast hikers can get to the top in 30 minutes, but most will need more. The views at the top are definitely worth the hike. Beautiful view of the Shenandoah Valley. There is a small shelter if it's raining, and a lovely little stone balcony overlook. There are enough outcroppings that you could have a small picnic. Word to the wise, make sure you have a plan for relieving yourself before the hike. There are no facilities. If you like beautiful views, hiking, or being out in nature, come check out the Hawksbill Trail.

We visited Hawksbill Trail via the trailhead off Skyline Drive. There is 860ft of elevation and…read more600ft happen in the first .5 mile. A bit of a doozy. If you go this way, make it to the top, and turn right, it's only another .1 mile to the summit. Beautiful views and very peaceful. Good place to stop for a lunch break. We got a little turned around though and ended up walking to another part of the trail when we were trying to do the loop. Overall, we like the part of the trail that we hiked.

After staying overnight at the Big Meadows Lodge, we stopped in a second time at the Harry F. Byrd…read moreSr. Visitor Center to get a few more recommendations from the Park Rangers on a hike we could do that day before making the long drive back home to Georgia. Among her recommendations, we chose Doyles River Falls Hike because it was south of where we were, which is the direction we needed to go back home. The real incentive was the two waterfalls on the trail. Having lived in Hawaii for 3 years and hiking on a weekly, if not, on a daily basis, I really missed the mountains and especially the waterfalls hikes! Might as well get all the waterfalls in while we can, because the only waterfall I have found in Savannah is at Big Bass Pro Shop LOL. If you know of any others in Savannah, please do tell! - Trail Description - Doyles River Falls Hike is found on Mile Marker 81.1, just after the Loft Mountain Wayside & Camp Store. Distance - 3.3 miles RT Elevation Gain - 1189 ft Level - Moderate, downhill first, uphill on the way back, so keep that in mind. Multiple stream crossings (none that we got our feet wet in). It's a well maintained trail, mostly shaded, but beware of the sharp loose rocks throughout the trail. We went on a day after it rained and some parts were pretty slippery. There is a spring that you come across at the beginning, but make sure to boil it if you are going to consume it. There are two waterfalls on this trail (approx. 20 ft and 60 ft) and also a bonus waterfall. You will arrive at the bonus waterfall first and you might think that it is the Upper Falls, but the Upper Falls is actually the next one as you continue and the Lower is after the Upper Falls. The bonus falls is probably about 10 ft high and you can easily step into the pool of water that it falls into. Just be sure to read the etched markings on the cement posts to guide you. The Upper Falls (28 ft) has 2 tiers of falls, with large boulders to get to it from the path. The Lower Falls (63 ft) has about 3 tiers of falls. It's pretty tricky to get down to this one. Most climbed down the pretty steep way which I would suggest climbing down with extreme caution. We have small kids, so we decided to go down a little further (not much further) on the trail and then climb down (it was still pretty steep), and then crossed over on the water to get to a small patch of pebbly rocks to look at the waterfall (on the right side, if you're looking at the waterfall). There was a huge tree that fell over about three quarters of the way up the waterfall and it was difficult to get a whole shot, but what can you do about Mother Nature? She does what she wants! It's all part of the charm. - Kiddos - Our kids are still young, but they did it no problem. However, just a note, they lived in Hawaii most of their lives and started hiking at an early age. and did some pretty advanced trails on their own by the time we left Hawaii. Some of the parts of this trail has steep drop offs. On the way there, you're going downhill, so just watch your kids that they don't pick up speed and lose control. Bonus - The Appalachian Trail (AT) crosses over at the trailhead of Doyles River Falls Hike, so at least you can put your two feet on it and say you were on it! I will be back for you AT! I'm sure you can't go wrong with any of the hikes in Shenandoah National Park and I wish we had had more time or even lived close by, but we did two waterfall hikes during our time in Shenandoah and my heart is full, at least for a little while, to have seen another beautiful waterfall!

So pretty a hike! Creek crossings are beautiful and a great spot to cool down. The falls, upper and…read morelower, and great photo spots as well. You will need to remember as you hike downhill all the way in that the hike out is going to be rough, and uphill all the way. There is a great vine to swing on about 1/3 of the way down.

Oct, 2025. The Stony Man summit (elevation 4,003') is accessible via multiple hiking routes in…read moreShenandoah National Park. My husband and I parked at the lot at mile marker 41.7 on Skyline Drive; the trailhead and an informational sign are easy to access, just off the parking lot. This is a lollipop trail that is rated moderate in AllTrails. My watch recorded a total of 1.8 miles total with an elevation gain of 338'. This is a well-maintained, uphill-climbing trail that leads to overviews with beautiful views. Some quick, random notes: *Once you reach the circular part of the lollipop, the trail to the right is rocky; the path to the left is smoother. You can elect to take one up, and the other down. *We visited in mid-October during leaf-peeping season. The parking lot and the trails near Stony Man were very crowded mid-day. *As you approach the summit, most hikers go to the rocky overview on the right, where there are sweeping views of the valley below. Note, however, that there is another very nice, and smoother rock, overview just five minutes back, just off the main trail. *Shenandoah National Park charges an admission fee.

Amazing trail. We started off at the Stony Man trailhead and up to the summit. Early April so it…read morewas not buggy. The trails were pretty rocky so it could classify as a easy hike but for some it could be moderate. Know your limits. Take breaks. On our descent it was rainy and the rocks became slippery. We took the horse trail back to the parking lot and that was less rocky and slippery. The views from the summit were incredible. Definitely worth the climb!

Beautiful views, easy to find. Great spot for the sunrise and to see the fog ocean when it's there.read more

Beautiful trail just over a mile. Views were great. Moderate only based on rocks as one in our…read moreparty has bad knees.

Beautiful area with tons of trails to explore- rocky paths and limited parking availableread more

I agree with most posts I read that state this is a "mini" Old Rag. It's true to the fact that if…read moreyou start at the lowest starting point, it does take all day. There is also a pretty eventful rock climb you have to work through to get to the top. (No need for harnesses..hand and foot rock climbing). I agree with the handful of posts that state, "It's easy to get lost". I even printed the map with texts on it and took it with me. We turned around a couple of times before agreeing on which path to take at an intersection. I took 4, 15 year olds with me on this (5 mile round trip hike). It ended up being 13 miles round trip. My fitbit confirmed 13 miles and over 32,000 steps! We arrived to the trail at 11:30am Sunday 9/11. We got back to the car at 6:30pm. We only sat on the rocks at the top for 30 min...we had to go before the sun set. We did have fun. The kids were troppers, let me tell you! they could have slain me out there for this trip! It was never ending AND strenuous. We were well prepared though. We each took 3 bottles of water and a couple extras. Trail mix, cheetos, peanut butter crackers, apples..we were good to go. The paths with little rocks whether going up or down would start a dirt avalanche with every step! Take it slowly and distance yourself from the person in front of you! Lots of sliding. On the boulders/big rocks, that you have to manuever over the other half of the trail, takes a lot of time and energy. Be careful. Easy to twist an ankle or fall and get seriously hurt in the middle of absolutely nowhere! And it's very solitude, which i usually like.....usually.... Follow the Markers! If you do not see a marker every 40 yards, something is wrong! The paths are marked! I will say that....but a lot of intersections and it depends on which way you came in from as to take a right or left. It was hard. The rock scramble at the top. Take your time! Look for the pink markers on the rocks.....easy to miss at times. On the way towards our final march toward the rock scramble, we did see a sign showing us an easier way back to our car. We could take this short cut 1.5 miles and come out on Crisman Hollow Rd. We did this on the way back....Once we got to the road, we still had to hike another good 1.5 if not 2 miles on the road to the car! It was exhausting! wow..... Here's what we did.... and here's an easier way to do it: We drove down rte 211 from Warrenton through Luray to take a right on Crisman Hollow Rd. (dirt road). Road goes up. See Storybook Land Trail on the right...keep going....See Massenutten Trail on the right..(That's where we parked!--UGH.....13 miles--probably 9 but we had to back track a bit). Straight down hill from the get go! landslides under your feet.... get down to the bottom at the intersection. Take a LEFT on the orange trail (do not take a right on white). On Orange..go up, go down, go across a creek...go up, up....another intersection...Go Left here! (we went right and had to back track a mile or so!) After this left, you go up again...then down adn RE-CROSS the stream...Then you'll notice you are on a long Switch back up up up another mountain that is very rocky with large boulders...keep going up!!! Forever...until the next intersection. You will see a sign. Amen! Take a right onto the orange trail. Sign will say gap trail..You'll see fire burnt trees on the left as you walk...Once it opens up and your walking on large rocks...Stop! Look to the right. You have to look on the rocks to see a pink paint mark. That's your path! (Not the clear path on the left or down hill)...The rocky boulder path on the right. Go have fun there. Follow the Pink Markers! What we should have done: Keep driving on the gravel Crismson Hollow Road PAST the Massenutten sign to the sign that says Scothorn gap Trail. (The sign was broken though)...Sign is on the left...parking on the right! There is a yellow marker on the tree! There is also a metal gate blocking the path so you can't drive up there...Park there and walk across a creek immeditely...to go up, up up a 1.5 mile hike to an intersection where you see the sign...Go Straight....You'll continue to go uphill and see the fire burnt trees on the left..yadda yadda yadda.... But that cuts like 4 or 5 miles off the enormous hike we took. I hope this helps someone. Here are some pictures of our trip. -Oh! Let me say....I'm sorry everyone...but there are a million views that are better than this one. Even the Stoney Man trail has better views...Hawksbill Trail. Spy Rock, Humpback Rock. This one did not grab me and take my breath like the others. And I've been up Old Rag Mountain....This pales in comparison with the hike and the view...

Throw a rock near Culpeper, Virginia and you'll hit a landmark of Civil War significance. Thanks to…read morea non-profit that fights to preserve the country's earliest memories, Cedar Mountain Battlefield is a place for all to visit for free. Stopping by while at a nearby cabin, here's my experience: 1) Parking: Follow the signs to free parking near the visitor center. By the picnic table in the yard, you'll see a trailhead with maps and info on the battlefield. Follow the trails to find old gravestones and places where the battle took place. 2) Points of Interest: Markers along the trail talk about the significance of the battle. Confederate General Stonewall Jackson drew his sword during this battle for the only time during the Civil War. It was also his last battle led by him. 3) Amenities: There are benches along the trails looking out over the fields. Two cannons can be seen near one field with two outhouses nearby as the only restrooms on the grounds. It is worth noting that three historic markers put up by the Culpeper Calvary Museum clearly glorify the Confederacy over the Union. Even though erected almost 100 years ago, the fact that they remain standing shows the gap between an equitable society in this country.

Enjoyed the trails today with my hiking partner, Pookie-the-dog. The trails are in great shape,…read morewith mulch throughout the wooded area. The trails are well marked. There are historic gravesites, markers, and memorials. Today the site was quiet, with only 1 other hiking couple that after they left the visitor center parking, I didn't cross paths with them again. The caretaker was welcoming and engaged in lively conversation and recommended other nearby points of interest as well.

A moderate 5-6 mile hike with a rock scramble and nice views at the summit. Located in the…read moreMassanutten Mountains in the GWNF, the trailhead to Scothorn Gap Trail can be easily found off of Crisman Hollow Road. Due to time constraints we were only able to hike out to Duncan Knob and back rather than do the entire loop including Strickler Knob but it was still a pleasant hike. The climb early on reminded me I need to hit the Stairmaster more often at the gym. Parts of the trail are quite overgrown so make sure to check yourselves quite thoroughly during tick season. We found PLENTY on our legs. The climb up the rocks to the summit was a LOT of fun, though maybe not so for those with balance problems or fear of heights. (I have to admit it was kind of intimidating looking up from the bottom - we have to go up THERE??) But once you climb, the view you are greeted with is wonderful and there is a nice flat, albeit small, area on the summit to hang out. Ran into only one group of hikers who patiently waited for us to descend from the rocks for their turn at the summit. Look forward to doing this again in the fall and also taking on Strickler Knob. For more info and a map go here: http://www.hikingupward.com/GWNF/DuncanKnob/index.asp

Nice city park although on the small side. Parking in two lots. There is a skate board area, some…read moresports courts, and a walking trail that goes over a creek in a few spots. The creek runs through the length of the park. It is noisy from cars near the road but as you head into the park southward you can get away from the noise. Sheltered picnic area in the middle of the park.

Yeahhh first to review this place!!…read more I have recently research the whole Virginia area for fireworks on forth of July...found out yowell park was having fireworks celebrations for the 4th so came here for some sparkling fun ....the park was nice and big... Lots of sculptures and a mini playground... The problem coming here on 4th of july was the massive croweds... I didn't know its was going to be this crowed... There's no places to even walk... You bound to bump into someone...don't get me started on the lines for the restrooms... horrible... about an hour wait... before the fireworks started I walked to the food stands to check out what they have to offer... Many items to choose from.. I got the vanilla soft serve for three bucks...large... It's was an ok soft serve... Had better... I know that fireworks are good and fun but the amount of people seriously makes my life feel like hell... I did however found the perfect spot to sit and relax my night away and still have an ok Fourth of July... The firework was about half an hour long... It wasn't extremely spectacular ... But at least there was actually fireworks on the forth of July ;)