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| By:
Ash
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Rating:  |
Date of Hike: Friday, May 10, 2019 |
| I was looking for a short hike with nice views and this met those requirements. Not the hike to do if you’re looking for solitude. The trail is well maintained and easy to follow. I think that this would be a good hike to take kids on since it’s not too strenuous yet you get some great views.
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| By:
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Rating:  |
Date of Hike: Friday, November 10, 2017 |
| Great hike--local "go to" favorite with stellar views of Fort Valley with a relatively short hike. If the parking lot is full, DO NOT PARK ALONG THE ROAD! West side is posted, east side is not, but they'll tow you regardless, even if you're 100% off the pavement. If you do get towed, call the Warren County Sherif and they'll tell you how to get your car--it's likely in Front Royal and will cost you $150.
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| By:
Alexandra
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, May 7, 2017 |
| Hiked out to Buzzard Rock to climb at the top, and the hike was very moderate, even on the "steep" section at the end. The views overlooking the fish hatchery and at the top are incredible, and comparable or better than views from the other side of the valley along the Meneka Peak trail.
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| By:
michelle
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, March 25, 2017 |
| Warning! The "No Parking" side on the side of the road at the trailhead on route 619 Mountain Rd is bent over and facing the wrong way. Do not park on the side of the road. You will get towed. I got towed because I didn't see the "no parking" sign because it was knocked over facing the wrong way, behind another car that had parked in front of it. If it were not for finding my car gone at the end of the hike, it would have been a perfect day. Thank you to the two wonderful women who had just finished their hike for giving my son and I a lift into Front Royal to pick up my car.
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| By:
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Rating:  |
Date of Hike: Saturday, February 25, 2017 |
Great Hike! local favorite short hike with big reward check out out the video link below
https://www.facebook.com/dronejamin/videos/1845174062364595/
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| By:
BarbG
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, February 11, 2017 |
| Loved this hike! FABULOUS VIEWS. Mostly Easy hike.*** NOTE TO ALL-- we arrived at 3pm on a Saturday and were lucky to find an open space in the small lot. Just after our arrival a Police officer arrived and informed us that all cars that were parked out on the road were to be towed. There were 6 at least. He asked us to tell everyone who we saw. ugh. We did, which was awful news to deliver to each group coming down, but at least people knew where their cars went. Some made it in time, some did not. After we came down, we talked with people who had cars towed... seems the one No Parking sign had been in the ditch as they parked.
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| By:
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, December 25, 2016 |
| Hiked out to Buzzard Rock on Christmas day. Was my second hike here, and was again rewarded with beautiful views, unique rock formations, and gnarly wind-swept vegetation. Give this hike five stars for its high payoff with minimal investment of effort and time!
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| By:
Stephanie
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, September 11, 2016 |
| We (group of 3) started the trail at approx. 10:15am on Sunday and there were 3 cars in the (small) parking lot. My husband and I are semi-regular hikers (weekenders mainly), and our friend had not been hiking/active for probably 2 years or more. We all found this hike to be fairly easy (probably a #2 rating). I would recommend proper footwear with ankle support, as the trail does get rockier (but not too bad) as you near the top. I didn't feel like there was really any challenging incline until you are closer to the top - then you do a small bit of scrambling and your there. Of course this all varies on your overall fitness level - just take it slow and steady and you'll get there. We had trekking poles with us as well, which helped both on the way up and down. The trail is fairly wide and well maintained, so there are plenty of places to stop and take a breather if you need. The views are great. We had a lovely breeze and beautiful blue skies. On our way down we passed a group of about 10 - looked to be a family get-together. All ages, including a dog, were on the trail. Go out and enjoy!
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| By:
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, June 18, 2016 |
Whew! This hike kicked my butt. I hike weekly and am in good shape for my size, but I am overweight (trying to lose!) and so I purposely don't do hikes rated over a '2' in difficulty. Most of the 2's on this site I've done have been solid 2's (and I've agreed with the difficulty level assigned)--a good example of this is Hollow Brook Trail in Bluemont. I'd been eyeing Buzzard Rock for a while, but some of the comments made me a bit unsure about the difficulty level (someone below said this should be a 3 or 4 and not a 2). This past Saturday was a beautiful June day and I decided to head out with my dog and try it out.
I'd say the first 15-20 minutes were enjoyable. The rest of the hike--literally--was unpleasant and HARD. The whole way up was mostly uphill--no real breaks of flat or downhill walking, just slowly trudging uphill and navigating increasingly bigger/more challenging rocks. I think for MOST people who are decently fit, this would just be a good workout. But I read somewhere on this site that this trail is great for beginners through experienced hikers/hikers of all levels, and I would disagree with that. This is NOT a trail for beginners or people who aren't used to hiking/this kind of exercise, and definitely not during warmer summer months. Once you get to the first overlook (and you still have by far the hardest ahead of you), you already feel like you've done enough hard climbing for the hike to be over with--and this is not just me saying this, as I encountered half a dozen other groups of fit, experienced hikers who said the same. At the first overlook I was resting and a group of hikers descended to where I was, commenting, "wow, and I thought THIS was hard when we got to this first overlook!" I said "Great!" and they laughed and said, "well, it's not really far to the top DISTANCE wise but...it's quite a steep climb!" And another chimed in "They told me it wasn't that long, but oh my god, my LEGS!" and acted like her legs were jello--this girl was maybe 125 lbs max. From this first lookout I proceeded to the "top" of the hike and was confused along with at least 3 other groups who were confused, about where the actual "top" or culmination of the hike was supposed to be. Once you're on the ridge there are multiple places with vistas, but you're unsure the whole time whether you've finally reached the last point that this site references or not. Some of the groups ended up stopping at one of the first because they were tired enough, others kept going. I stopped at the 3rd or 4th vista and a group of guys went ahead of me to keep looking, but I was told from other hikers that the next closest vista was about another 45 minute-hour long semi uphill climb on the ridge and once there you had views of the airport, etc. Having run out of water and at least 3 hours in, I threw in the towel. Even though once you ascend the ridge it's technically mostly flat, climbing the rocks and boulders on the ridge make it aerobically almost as hard as going up the ridge (where there were fewer rocks). After looking at everyone else's pictures I now think I did reach and probably went PAST the "end point" but am still curious to know.
A few points:
-The parking area is easy to miss. If you put the coordinates into your GPS that the site provides, it will tell you you've arrived when you're driving and woods are on both sides of you with no parking lot. So, you have to look out for it--it's a bit hidden until you're right up on it, but there's a sign with the trail name on your right.
-Dog friendly trail! I saw at least half a dozen dogs that were all leashed. I take mine off leash and no one cared except one couple who gave me dirty looks.
-This site and commenters say there are a lot of streams--that's true for maybe the first quarter of the trail, but once you start heading uphill more (and once you start getting hotter and needing more water) there is no more water access. So if you have a dog, definitely bring a bowl and water for them! My dog was super hot and thirsty and another group of hikers was nice enough to let me borrow their bowl for him.
-Beginners, people with children or out of shape or overweight people--this trail will take you at least 4 hours round trip.
-Bring hiking poles or pick up hiking sticks to help you navigate the rocks, and even when going downhill keep your eyes glued to the path and be VERY careful! Even the ridge climbing (relatively flat) and downhill are a workout and require your absolute focus because of the navigating and scrambling over rocks and boulders. I fell twice!
-I would rank this trail as a 3 in difficulty and not a 2, and that is based on not only my experience but the over dozen other groups of hikers I encountered and their comments.
-The views are BEAUTIFUL! Just wish there were a way to be more clear what the actual endpoint is, so that you can relax and enjoy your hard work!
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| By:
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, May 15, 2016 |
| Hiked this last month and loved it. Trail was in good condition, however it was a big muddy in spots. Not many people on the trail and the views at the top were great. We took our 9 month puppy who had a great time playing in the streams. Would definitely recommend this hike to someone looking for a day hike with rewarding views. I made a short GoPro vid of our hike if interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rR3cixPobw
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| By:
Marnie
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Wednesday, January 6, 2016 |
| Beautiful hike with great views! The signage could be better coming to the hike from 522, but other than that, no complaints. Trail is well maintained and marked! Beautiful winter hike.
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| By:
zachary
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, October 10, 2015 |
| Beautiful hike. Once you are up on the ridge , it really gets challenging, with lots of rock scrambling but lots of scenic views. Would give a 2 instead of a 1 in streams and a 3 or 4 in difficulty, not 2.
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| By:
overthehill
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, September 6, 2015 |
| Very pleasant, shady hike. First mile or so features easy inclines. Older hikers and those with high mileage knees would be advised to wear boots and consider carrying a walking stick, because the trail is rocky and loose rock can make footing a bit uncertain. The views from the ridge were well worth the climb in late summer, but as several people have noted, would be spectacular in the fall.
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| By:
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, August 15, 2015 |
| Nice morning hike. Easy access. Beautiful views. Once you pass the first nice view of the FIsh Hatchery you hike upwards for a brief 15 minutes. This is, from my view, the most difficult part of the hike. this section is up hill, rocky and the trees clear so if the sun is hot, you feel it. No worries, it is well worth it once you reach the top with several enjoyable rock scramble. Hiking done we saw several families and children with their dogs.
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| By:
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, July 11, 2015 |
It was raining and my hiking partner texted at 5:30am to see if we were still going, I asked if she was a "fair weather hiker". We met at 6:45am and the rain had just stopped! I think it was fate since my friend brought "Rainy", her boarder collie with her.
This was my first time on this hike and it was a pleasant and not to strenuous uphill hike for the first couple miles with lots of water crossings (rain probably made this a more common problem than at most times). Once up to the ridge, it was a pleasant stroll with some great views that I am sure would be spectacular in the fall, but then we probably wouldn't have had the solitude we had on this July day. We passed one couple on our return along the ridge and a group of mushroom enthusiasts on the downhill portion (mushrooms were plentiful in many varieties, shapes and colors!)
Rainy the dog had a wonderful time playing in some of the water crossings.
All in all a very pleasant hike.
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| By:
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, July 5, 2015 |
| I hiked buzzard rock three times this week! I just got into hiking and I knew this trail was super popular with awesome views at the end and obviously I kept coming back for more! I'm totally hooked thanks to this trail. I did not find it at all boring and the incline is gradual enough that it is doable for even newbie hikers like me. A friend and I continued on the white blazed trail past the cliffs and almost made it to where buzzard rock intersects with the other trail but after the cliff the trail gets steeper and much more rocky and after attempting high peak the same day we made it to the top of the highest ridge and turned around(I'm sure we were super close to coming up on the intersection:(...) And everyone we ran into this week on the trail has been super friendly and helpful/encouraging on my first hiking venture! This trail is very kid friendly and feels completely safe, maybe even safe enough to solo hike it in the future! )
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| By:
Evan
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, June 20, 2015 |
| Hiked with my wife and dog. Was close to 90 degrees and sunny. Easy hike, the little incline toward the overlooks was a little strenuous, but worth it. Would love to hike this in the fall.
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| By:
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, May 17, 2015 |
5th straight weekend of hiking in preparation of our 21 mile hike in August. Decided on Buzzard Rock since it was close to Reston. Overall it was a nice hike. The first mile was pretty boring. Not much to see other than a trees but we were happy that the trail was pretty flat with only a small elevation gain. Things definitely got better when we reached the ridge line. The first overlook was pretty, and I was surprised to see so many people turn around at this point. Our favorite part was on the rocky portion of the ridge. There were quite a few overlooks along the way where we stopped and took in the sweeping views. Others expressed disappointment at being able to see and hear the road. This didn't bother us, especially since we encountered very few people while on the ridge. On the hike back down to the parking lot, we were successful at finding one of three geocaches hidden at Buzzard Rock. The other two eluded us and with the rain looming, we decided to postpone the search until another time on the trail.
This hasn't come close to some of the other hikes we have done over the past few weeks, but it is one I recommend for someone looking for a shorter hike that offers some pretty decent views.
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| By:
Elias
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, May 16, 2015 |
| I am 4 years old and this was my first hike. The climb up was boring. The climb down was boring. But the views at the top were very exciting. I had hot dogs at the top for lunch. The buzzards were scary. We didn't see any bears. I hurt my leg, but just once. My daddy says it took about 4 hours round trip. Then we got spelunker's ice cream.
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| By:
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Monday, November 10, 2014 |
Wanted to get a nice hike in but I was getting a later start than I wanted to originally. Headed out to Buzzard Rock from Arlington around 10:30 and got there right at noon. The prescribed hike is short with great views. I'd say that the last 3/4 mile would be difficult with children or animals, since the trail becomes steep and very narrow once you are on the actual ridge section.
I would love to go back out and continue down the trial and see how the rest of it is. I continued on a little farther than the prescribed end point. I only saw one person on the trail but this may have just been due to it being a Monday. I'd recommend this to anyone that is looking for a quick hike with great views.
I would also recommend sturdy shoes since there are some rocky areas on the trail.
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| By:
aldikuma
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Monday, September 15, 2014 |
| Beautiful day to hike - sunny and in the high 60s! My canine hiking buddy and I were going to do Veach Gap, but didn't have enough time, so decided on this short one. There were only four other cars in the lot, so I can't imagine how crazy it must be on the weekends. Saw eight hikers on the way up but no one at the top. The views are really amazing and I can see why it's such a popular hike. It's a little rocky, but not too bad - just take your time. It was also very dusty and dry with no rain recently. It's a very easy trail, no intense inclines. Finished this in two hours, including a half hour at the top.
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| By:
Mehra
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, August 17, 2014 |
| Parking: can accomodate up to 15 cars only.
This hike is not that hard, but at the top it is very rocky and you have to really watch your step and place your feet carefully. A good pair of hiking shoes is recommended. Walking pole would help. I finished in 2 hours.
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| By:
Walt G
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, May 18, 2014 |
| This is a really great hike to do with kids (might be slow going for a 6 year old, but 8 and older should be no problem.) The very well maintained trail is not too difficult and has a lot of payoff with the fantastic views and scrambling through the rocks along the ridgeline. We saw the buzzards sitting on and flying off of Buzzard Rock as well as a couple lizards catching bugs on the ridgeline. There are three geocaches along the ridgeline trail for those interested all fun to find. We arrived at the trailhead at 10AM on a perfect spring day and only saw one other group until we started down at 12:30. The parking lot was full when we got back at 1:30.
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| By:
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, November 3, 2013 |
| Beautiful as always. Starts off through some pines, then crosses a creek, 38 minutes to the first overlook. Clear weather to enjoy views of the Winchester valley, Front Royal, SNP, Blue Ridge. Great way to do some leaf peeping. We found a 2GB photo SD card. I am sure someone is missing it. Contact me if you want it back.
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| By:
Steve
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, September 22, 2013 |
Overall a nice, short hike with a few really great views. Once you make it past the first overlook and start to move along the ridgeline of the cliffs there are numerous locations where you can approach the edge safely for great vistas. The hike along the ridge over the easily passable rocks is quite unique in my opinion and really adds to the fun of the hike. Along the ridge there are some larger boulders that can hop over and around to make it even more interesting as opposed to staying precisely on the trail.
My only big con is the parking. It's extremely minimal. The lot is not very large at all and I'm guessing since this is a shorter hike with big payoff that many folks hike this particular trail. I'd say the lot can hold probably 15 cars tops -- which is not many for a popular hike. We ended up parking on a side road to the left about 100 feet past the main parking area. Not sure if this was totally legit but it seemed a lot safer than parking along the main road there.
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| By:
Greg
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Monday, September 2, 2013 |
My wife and I chose this hike as a first on which to take our 9 month old son. We did it over a few hours this morning and really enjoyed it. It was muggy, but there were surprisingly few bugs and we had clear views at the top. As others have noted, parking was tight, we just barely found a spot before a few other cars arrived. For a quick out and back close to civilization (Front Royal is about 10 minutes away), this is a great choice.
One note worth passing on: we passed a big hornets nest on the trail just below the first summit. I got stung by one on the way up, but on the way back down we passed several other hikers that had run into the full force of hornets and were warning people to detour off into the woods at that one section of the trail. We did that and were fine on the way down.
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| By:
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Wednesday, July 24, 2013 |
| I took my three boys, 14, 7, and 5. We had great weather and an even better time. This was the perfect hike for the two smaller boys. There were plenty of bugs to keep them interested in the hike and a great view from the top. It took us about 3 hours with a 30 minute stop at the top for lunch, but the 5 year old was a very slow hiker, stopping to look at everything. Very enjoyable.
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| By:
Jayne Hiking Addict
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, November 4, 2012 |
| http://www.meetup.com/hiking-162/events/88197372/ Fantastic hike when the leaves are off the trees. It took us about a half hour to get up to the first view, then 9 of us headed left. Some made it to the intersection (less than 4 miles one way) before heading back. You can go much further as you'll hit several trails. There are lots of rocks along the trail which offer a challenge as you climb. I'll definitely be back.
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| By:
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, October 21, 2012 |
| Today was a beautiful day to hike this simple trail and it was NOT crowed with leafers as Skyline Drive was. This side is mainly hiked by the locals but the parking lot is VERY SMALL and hidden. This route is the fastest way to the top and it's very easy for new people to enjoy a beautiful view. Hikers when you reach the ridge please respect climbing ropes (keep your kids and dogs close) as this place has rock climbers all over it rock climbers please respect the trees! WARNING: If the parking lot is filled, DO NOT PARK IN THE ROAD, DO NOT PARK ON SOMEONES DRIVE WAY, DO NOT BLOCK THE PARKING LOT ENTRANCE - YOU WILL GET TOWED!!!! If you get towed, please call Warren County Sheriff's Office at (540) 635-4128. This happen on 10/21, about 5 to 8 cars were towed that day because they park along the road, park on someones drive way and someone blocked half of the entrance to the parking lot.
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| By:
Arlhiker
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, June 23, 2012 |
| This is a really nice hike, but make sure to extend the hike longer than listed here. We went 3 miles up, for an out and back of just over 6 miles. Made for a very nice half day hike. The trail runs long the top of the ridge which makes it pretty unique in that there are great views to the left and to the right. Highly recommended.
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| By:
Momof4
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, April 15, 2012 |
| We live 5 miles from the Parking lot on Rt 619 and hike here often. My 4 kids (age 3 to 10) love to zip down the road to get here when school work is finished. We don't always go to the top. The path winds by a stream/streams and we often spend time looking for creatures. We've found 3 types of salamanders under logs along the trail at various elevations (red backed, spotted and the elusive slimy I think). A great place for a hike. One of my favorites in the area. Not too strenuous. Can be muddy at the front end of the trail in spring or after rain.
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| By:
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Wednesday, December 28, 2011 |
| A great hike for amateurs. A 10 year old made it to the top without any trouble. A couple of rock scrambles and several (4?) creek crossings. As for campsites it really depends on the number in your party. A large party would do well to camp at the base of the mountain. Smaller parties can get away with the smaller campsites at the top of the ridge. Of course, there's no water up there so take that into account. The views are great - not Big Schloss - but still worth the trip.
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| By:
1ExFed
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Tuesday, September 13, 2011 |
| Started out from a vacant parking lot as dawn was breaking. Sunny and cool made for a great hike. A couple deer, a toad and a box turtle enjoying the day as well. I can easily see how this is a favorite hike among so many. Tremendous views with the morning fog lifting off the valley floor. Don't forget your cameras on this one!
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| By:
Sergey
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, May 22, 2011 |
| We did this hike in a group of inexperienced hikers. The trail is rockier than I expected (especially when you get to the ridge) but overall is not difficult mainly because it's rather short and you can turn around at any point.
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| By:
rsjrny
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Friday, March 18, 2011 |
| This was a really nice hike. Today was a beautiful day to be out 70 degrees and a nice breeze. I left the trail head at 0730, hike to the top and cook some breakfast. Since the leave haven't returned yet you could see forever. Thanks
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| By:
Stauby
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, November 6, 2010 |
| I hiked Buzzard Rock North with my girlfriend and our two dogs . . . Willie the trail dog and Dixie, a golden retriever. The parking lot was full, and as we prepared to embark a hunter in full camoflauge carrying a high powered rifle with a scope came off the trail to his truck. The hike itself was well marked and beautiful (great colors), but the sound of constant gunshots was a little unnerving . . . and I grew up hunting. Other than that, it was a wonderful hike. While in Front Royal, it would be a shame to miss this hike. I'll do it again. Make sure to explore the top.
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| By:
Brent S
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, October 30, 2010 |
| This is a great hike with terrific views. At 4 miles, it's the perfect length for me. I guess I'm not in good enough shape, on the 5+ mile hikes, towards the end I stop having fun. :)
To get here, turn on to route 678 from route 55, and then turn left at the sign for the "fish cultural center". You'll then see the sign for parking on the right. I showed up at 10:30 on a nice Saturday AM in late October and there was only 1 other car in the lot. The ascent up to the first viewpoint is pretty easy, it's very gradual, and the trail is in good shape. It was very nice in late October with most of the leaves on the ground. The first viewpoint is the best in my opinion, you get great views to the north. Keep going up the trail for some other great views. After the first viewpoint the trail gets pretty rocky, but nothing that should present a problem for the vast majority of people. You're on the top of the ridge line from here on out, so there are great views most of the time.
Overall as I said it's a great hike. Great views, not many people, and not too long.
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| By:
Hokie Hiker
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, October 10, 2010 |
I got to the trailhead around 11am on Sunday morning- and I was the last car that could fit in the parking lot- so if you want to have it to yourself- get there bright and early! But the hike itself is great- it's more of a casual walk through the woods- not a tough hike at all until probably about 100-200 yards right before the top (you pass what you THINK is a viewpoint- then turn and keep going and that's the toughest part). But the views are great! The other thing- is that despite the parking lot being full (9-10 cars including mine?) there are so many views at the top that each person/group could have their own spot.
The one thing that bugged me a bit was the chalk arrows that somebody had put down on the trail to guide people the right way. Yes it was chalk and would blow/wash away- but- there are markings on the trees that let you know when you're on the right path! No need to clutter it up a little more with arrows.
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| By:
N & L
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, September 4, 2010 |
| N and I started this hike at around 5pm. First half was in the shadow of the mountain but nice. We crossed two small creeks (one was dry) and didn't encounter anyone, although we expected to since we had 5-6 other cars in the parking area. The trail was very well marked.
The second half of the ascent was cool, as you get a handful of great views of the valleys and the rock cliffs. It was great to see the large birds (buzzards?) gliding in the valleys, often lower than we were! We encountered 3-4 small groups of people on their way back and saw a very serene campsite that was occupied (great choice by those campers!).
The end of the trail was unclear and we probably kept going for another .5 miles. No worry, though, it was nice too. I think we would have started a bit earlier, maybe 330 or 4pm, as the entire hike took around 2 hours at a relaxed pace.
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| By:
Bryan G
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, June 27, 2010 |
| This was a great hike!! It was myself, my wife, and my three boys (Ages 5 to 13). Well I think it wasn't the greatest day to go hiking considering the temperature, but we still had fun. Only ran into two hikers on the trial, we made our ascent in the afternoon around three. We made sure to bring plenty of water!!!!! You get a few little breezes as you hike up (just enough to tease you). Once we were on buzzard rock the breeze was nice and we enjoyed a little bit of cloud cover. Don't worry about the streams on the first leg of the hike they are all dried up. The rocks have settled in pretty good on the trial, they don't move too much. The view at the top is absolutely worth it, make sure you go all the way to buzzards rock (the cliffs) and don't turn around at the first view point. You will be terribly dissapointed once you find out what you missed.
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| By:
Jeff and Dana
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, April 3, 2010 |
| Enjoyed a great hike here on a beautiful spring day. Only an hours drive outside of DC metro area. The first half of the hike is wooded and has a few gentle stream crossings. Trail is well-maintained. Second half is a moderate ascent to the rocks. Great views from the rocks - saw some rock climbers as well. Overall, a nice hike to do in the morning or afternoon without taking up the whole day.
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| By:
Heidi W
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Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, May 29, 1910 |
| This was a great hike. Quiet! Thought it would be a little busier on Memorial Day Weekend...only passed 10-12 other hikers. We got there about 11:30am, so maybe we were between morning hikers and afternoon groups. First half was through forest, over a couple small streams, then the upward climb to the payoff. Several nice views. We brought lunch and ate on the rocks...great breeze. It was a great first hike of the season...
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