Hone Quarry Ridge Hike
The Hone Quarry area is nestled in a quiet area of the GWNF just west of Harrisonburg VA. With two beautiful loop hikes, one up Oak Knob and Pond Knob with two overlooks, and the other on the opposite Hone Quarry Ridge also with a beautiful vista at the Abbie Point overlook. The valley also has great camping at the Hone Quarry Campground (vid).Turn left out of the Hone Quarry Campground on Hone Quarry Rd/FR62 and shortly cross Hone Quarry Run over a spillway. In 200 yards turn left on the yellow blazed Big Hollow/430 trail. In 0.1 miles arrive at the intersection of the Heartbreak/435A trail.
Stay right on the Big Hollow trail as it starts ascending the mountain next to a stream for 0.8 miles before making a switchback to the right. In another 0.3 miles the trail will cross an abandoned fire road, then pass back around a spur before heading uphill and joining the abandoned fire road in another 0.4 miles.
The Big Hollow trail becomes wider where it joins the abandoned fire road, and also steeper without any switchbacks for the remaining 0.7 miles to the ridge, and intersection of the Hone Quarry Mountain/435 trail.
Turn left on the yellow blazed Hone Quarry Mountain trail, immediately passing a campsite, then descending through a saddle and climbing steeply to the best vista on the hike at the Abbie Point overlook in 0.6 miles.
From the overlook continue on the trail as it passes through another saddle, climbs the next knob, again passing through a saddle then arriving at the intersection of the Heartbreak/435A trail. The Hone Quarry Mountain trail is closed from this point.
Turn left on the yellow blazed Heartbreak trail as it begins to descend the mountain. Pass several rock slides before the trail begins to level out reaching Hone Quarry Run and the Hone Quarry Run Campground on the opposite bank in 1.0 miles.
The Hone Quarry Run trail will continue for another 0.1 miles back to the intersection Big Hollow trail. Stay right on the Big Hollow trail for 0.1 miles to return to Hone Quarry Rd/FR62.
Stay right on Hone Quarry Rd/FR62 for the remaining 300 yards to the Hone Quarry Campground.
