|
| By:
Yoda
|
Rating:  |
Date of Hike: Sunday, November 17, 2019 |
Great hike. A little steeper then I remember.
The GPS seems to miss the last turn up Wolf Gap rd for some reason. Look for the Wolf Gap sign. Watch out for black ice on the roads near Wolf Gap. Those mountain roads get cold and are in the shade.
Trail was fogged out the entire time and a snow dusting on the trail. I thought this hike was a little more difficult than Big Schloss because the trail continually goes up and down. I didn't remember the path being so hilly. Wondering if the route got changed a little.
On the way back to the parking lot a couple asked us if we lost an axe they found on the trail. Not ours but it belonged to two backpackers who passed us on the way up. The Lee Ranger station has info on how to get the axe back. We believe the axe belongs to some backpackers with a black SUV.
|
|
| By:
Karen
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, August 31, 2019 |
| Enjoyed this hike. Started early so we didn’t have any parking problems. The view was beautiful at the top and not crowded going up or coming down. The trail was rocky enough I’m glad I had my hiking poles for better footing. The two scrambles across the larger rocks at the top were not bad since there was no waiting, but good to know they were there to have to climb over and then back down. Just before the first rock scramble, off through some brush to the right, is a cave opening. At the top, off to the left, someone had gathered some nice size rocks to make a fire pit and there were two primitive flat areas where tents had recently been set. We saw a beautiful deer near the overlook toward the east when we were coming back down and a yellow ringneck snake on the way up. No squirrels or other wildlife although there were lots of nuts in various places on the trail.
|
|
| By:
|
Rating:  |
Date of Hike: Sunday, March 18, 2018 |
| This is a nice little warm-up jaunt prior to hiking Big Schloss. Based on the description from this excellent website (which I support with an annual donation because it's so fantastic) I was planning to just hike Tibbet Knob, but honestly...it was a little disappointing. After knocking it out in 1.5 hours total (including sitting at the top for about 20 minutes) I decided to do Big Schloss as well. I'm going to have to disagree with the above description and state that the views were much, much better on Big Schloss, not just at the end but also all the views along the trail, much of which is ridgeline hiking. Fewer hikers on Tibbet Knob, sure--but if you time it so you arrive at the "top" about an hour before sunset, you'll maybe have the top to yourself like I did.
|
|
| By:
|
Rating:  |
Date of Hike: Tuesday, December 26, 2017 |
| Hiked this trail in only 2 hours 15 minutes, and that was with many stops along the way to rest, take in the views, and snap lots of photos. The rock cliffs and mountain scenery were worth the climb and short stints of what felt more like rock scrambling. Would have hung out at the summit for the afternoon were the weather not so cold.
|
|
| By:
Eric R.
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, August 5, 2017 |
| I hiked up there solo today. The weather was in the 70s, clear & perfect for hiking. I chose to hike up from the South end of the ridge. The distance that way is only abt. a half mile each way. Passed no hikers that had come my path. Right as I got to the top, I met two young men that were also arriving, but came from the North. during the last two hours I had the peak all to myself. I used that time to read part of The Pearl which I had brought. This afternoon was like a small peace of WV mountain heaven. As I got back to my car I met a nice couple that were camping near the road. They were in an RV, but had a covered hammock set out for sleeping. These folks were from Vermont and stopped by here on their way south. We exchanged pleasant conversation which was a fine end to the hike. Before I forget, if someone else heads up that path from the south, I was startled to find an Active Hornet's nest at head level, only a few feet off trail, half the way up from the south, on the right side. Please keep an eye out for this as it was fair sized. I did not notice it on the way up. On the hike I scared up a grouse or quail, which flew in front of my too fast to get a good look. Now comes the wow part of the day. Heading down the road, and I use that term loosely considering the erosion ditches, I stopped my car to watch a male Ruffled Grouse walk along the edge of the road. It seemed to be trying to find the perfect place to walk up across the hill. I did all I could not to spook it, and was rewarded with abt. three minutes of clear view of this amazing animal, including watching it ruff up its neck feathers several times. It finally tired of me and flew up the hill.
|
|
| By:
Mikela
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, May 6, 2017 |
| Dazzling brilliance! Seven of us walked this hike today in breezy, cloudy weather. Magical moss covered the rocky earth. Took us about an hour and a half to complete the whole trail. It was a challenge to walk up to the top, but the view made it worth it. I have completed this trail and Big Schloss and would recommend both.
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Friday, May 5, 2017 |
| We did this hike as a Friday-Saturday overnight backpack on May 5-6. The weather was cool and intermittently sunny and rainy both days. Neither mud nor bugs ended up being much of a problem. There was a fair amount of poison ivy along the trail, but the trail was wide enough that the poison ivy could be easily avoided. We camped at the campsite at the summit of Tibbet Knob - it was a fantastic site, with a robust fire ring, some logs and stones set up for benches, and ample space for the two small tents we had. There was no water available on the way up or at the campsite - we had to carry all our water in. We stargazed after dinner - the moon was very bright and washed out the stars, so I would recommend going when the moon is less full. The next day, we ended up descending the two short climbs after it had rained, when the rocks were wet and slippery. It was very manageable, even as backpacking novices with large, cumbersome packs, since we were careful and took our time. The entire time, we saw only a few other hikers. This was a relatively easy hike with a fantastic view at the end - I would definitely recommend it!
|
|
| By:
NT
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Wednesday, April 26, 2017 |
The effort-to-reward ratio on this hike should put it on anyone's list. You get great views barely a tenth of a mile in with nary a climb, and less than an hour later you're at a truly stunning summit. If you're trying to get someone into camping that hasn't done it before, you could do worse than this to try to hook them.
Definitely a strenuous hike, as much of it is uphill. My Garmin tells me there's 798 feet of elevation gain. The trail itself is pretty rocky, but has long stretches of dirt path. The two rock scrambles aren't technical at all you don't need any special skills besides coordination and leg strength. Coming down is always a bit harder though, remember. :) There is a good campsite - with firepit and a view - that comes before either of the rock scrambles, FWIW.
I did this hike as a quick overnight, and as the description points out, the campsite at the summit is just about perfect. Plus, being midweek, I saw exactly one person, if you don't count the guy sitting in his car drinking an adult beverage at the Wolf Gap parking lot. :)
Highly recommended.
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, November 20, 2016 |
We "took advantage" of the 30-40mph winds and snow squalls yesterday to go see both Tibbet Knob and Big Schloss. We had been promising ourselves to revisit Big Schloss ever since our last visit when there were close to 50 people up top forcing us to leave before we were ready. The vicious wind kept people away letting us have both peaks to ourselves, something that probably pretty much never happens on a weekend at one of the most visited locations in GWNF.
For us, Tibbet Knob is a really short hike, but one we like a lot. Bang for the buck is huge. A short walk to amazing vistas. Our initial views off the east side of the ridge before starting the climb up the knob had us looking down on clouds snowing on the valley below, a pretty awesome sight. [I might add that we have never been up to Big Schloss from Wolf Gap, always coming in from the north, but the bang for the buck is great too. Despite a pretty steep initial half mile climbing to the ridge line, it's a mere two miles to the stunning views at the Schloss.]
Trail is well marked with yellow blazes every few feet, EXCEPT one place. As you start to climb the knob, you will go up and around the northern flank headed due west. Then suddenly, there is 180-degree switchback taking you back due east before you get into the steeper part of the climb. Unfortunately, there seems to be a pretty wide game trail headed west out of the back of the switchback and we ended up on that, going 75 yards without seeing a blaze and finding that the mountain laurels were starting to encroach on the trail. We weren't only ones fooled here: a very large guy with huge boots left his tracks in the snow both coming and going on this part of the trail. I did my best to pile up some brush at the end of the switchback blocking this trail (not high enough to stop the deer, but it should give humans pause). Long story short, the yellow blazes are really close together and if you go more than 50 yards without seeing a blaze, backtrack until you find a blaze.
If you are looking for a place to camp, the site up top may be the finest camp site in all of GWNF. There's no water source though.
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, September 25, 2016 |
| My 9 year old and I hiked Tibbet Knob and loved it. We hit the trail around 12:40, only saw 5 people coming down, there were 5 people at the top, but we eventually had the summit to ourselves and saw no one on the way back down. Great hike, my 9 year old keep saying the steep sections were not "family friendly", because of someones review here. :)
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, August 14, 2016 |
| sometimes it is tough to find a good hike when its 100+ degrees but this was perfect. We saw no one on the trail nor at the top, ofcourse possibly because of the heat. The top had amazing views and a cool breeze believe it or not. The distance was perfect for a hot day. Loved it as much as i love Big Schloss. If the weather was cooler i would consider combining the two hikes in one day for a more enjoyable day
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, June 19, 2016 |
| Nice.....great hike for a half day, took dog , when there are 25+ folks headed to Big Schloss , there might be 5 headed to the knob.
Great weather, good stuff
|
|
| By:
Richard W et al.
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Wednesday, March 30, 2016 |
We hiked this right after Big Schloss earlier on the same day.
We crossed the street from Wolf Gap campsite parking lot and headed up the trail as it passed some picnic tables. The trail is initially very wide and leaf covered but the blazes are more than enough to keep us on the right track. The trail travels up the ridge and then slightly down before going back up again on a fairly rocky path for about 3/4 of a mile. As it head to the knob, the trail hits 2 rock scramblings that are about 30 yards apart. After the second rock part, the trail goes on a bit before hitting a campsite with a great view of the valley on the west side. If you travel further down the trail past the campsite it will continue on as part of Mill Mountain trail but you will have passed Tibbet Knob.
The views are pretty good. Compared to Old Rag, Strickler Knob, or Big Schloss, Tibbet Knob's view is more limited in angle (180 at best) but still great nonetheless. We'd recommend this trail to anyone who liked Big Schloss but wants something slightly more difficult and rocky and more secluded (We saw at least 8 groups of people while on Big Schloss but no one on Tibbet Knob). Overall a great hike and the ratings on here is fairly accurate.
|
|
| By:
Whatwedidlastweekend.org
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, March 27, 2016 |
| The hike is steep at some parts, but it's short enough to not make you feel discouraged. The overlook view is amazing (view of the Trout Run valley and the Big Schloss). Also the sunset from there is gorgeous. Nice camping areas (well protected from the wind. We picked the one 10m from to the overlook.
|
|
| By:
T Heinz
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, February 27, 2016 |
| Nice, short hike with great views, especially this time of year with all the leaves down. Easy access from the Wolf Gap parking lot. Actually a lot of nice car camping sites in the area. Combined this with the Big Schloss hike for a very pleasant day of hiking. Started Tibbet around 12:30ish and finished Big Schloss around 4:30. Tibbet has good variety of ups and downs during the trail, but nothing arduous or sustained. Nice little scramble to get to the top. A few patches of ice this time of year, but some easy bypasses. Due to it's variety and relative ease, it's a good hike for a family just starting to experiment with hiking or for someone looking for a relaxing hike with a good pay off.
|
|
| By:
John M
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, August 22, 2015 |
It was an enjoyable hike. I did it with my 6 yr old son after hiking the Big Schloss. He still had energy and mine mostly gone. This hike was not too hard but does seem a little more than a '2', for the rock scrambles. Big Schloss did not have that. I thought Big Schloss was easier, but could be biased since we hiked that one first.
This hike is easier (gradual up hill) in the first part, with a bigger incline and all up-hill in the 2nd half. The rock scrambles are closer to the top and after reaching a 2nd scramble the hike is almost over. Just a little more uphill, round a bend and the clearing is right there. NICE!
There was a couple in the big camp area and reported to have seen rattle snake earlier. I found another established spot (with rock circle for fire) which we took, though the couple said we could set up there.
Very quiet at night. For the most part, could only hear the bug (locusts? and other bugs). No bears, raccoons', chipmunks, etc., heard a few owls and distant dog barks in the valley, at night. Had hung trash up in a tree and nothing bothered it.
|
|
| By:
John J
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Friday, June 19, 2015 |
| I did this after doing Big Schloss in the morning which may have played a role but, as others have written, the difficulty scale on this hike probably is too low. The majority of the hike going out is uphill. The rock scramble is not too bad going up but you have to be careful coming down so as not to twist an ankle. The view from Tibbet Knob is gorgeous. Folks have clearly take the idea that there is the perfect campsite immediately past the knob to heart as there is a significant fire ring and someone has even piled stones to make a very nice stone bench. It may have been that my legs were tired from doing Big Schloss first but the hike took me 3.5 hours with just under 30 minutes at the knob. Great hike if you want to work a little harder for your reward.
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, May 9, 2015 |
Second training hike of the day for the Wandering Fools. We are preparing for a 21 mile hike in one day in Dolly Sods. We planned on doing this hike because it was relatively short and was a great sister hike to Big Schloss which we did earlier in the day. The difficulty ranking of 2 was definitely deceiving and would not recommend this hike for those looking for a leisurely stroll in the woods.
The first part of the hike was gradual uphill climb. After about a 1/2 mile, we took a break and enjoyed the only views you will see before you make it to the overlook. From here, the trail gradually descends before the start of a strenuous uphill climb. Maybe it wouldn't have been so difficult for us if this was the only hike we did this day, but we had just done the 4+ mile to Big Schloss so our legs were tired! Every time we felt like we were close to the top, we realized that we were no where close. Near the end, it is steep, hand over hand climbing which was definitely a challenge given how exhausted we were. When we finally made it to the top, we were pleasantly surprised to find that we were alone at the top and able to enjoy the entire overlook to ourselves.
They aren't lying when they say there is the perfect campsite available. The thought of hand over hand climbing with a 25lb backpack on our backs makes it a little less appealing! After about 20 minutes at the top, we began the less than fun trip back down. The path going down hill was just as hard as the trip up. Lots of loose rocks and a killer on the legs! Did I mention that this trail was full of bugs? Even with bug spray, we were covered with gnats and in a few parts of the trail, mosquitoes. We were thrilled when we finally made it back to our car. Took us 2 hours including the break at the top of the overlook.
Overall, we gave this hike a 3 out of 5. Given the choice of the two, we would choose Big Schloss. It is a much prettier hike, a little easier on the legs and overall a perfect distance for an easy hike.
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, March 15, 2015 |
| This is a nice hike, the views to the east from the ridge are all-encompassing, you can see the whole Shenandoah valley. You can tell this trail gets less use than the Schloss trail, in places I had to stop and locate the route plenty of yellow blazes made that task easy. I just did a day hike, and as I climbed the two rock scrambles I was wondering how it would be with a full pack, but everywhere I needed a hand or foot hold there was something. And the view to the north and west from the summit was amazing to the north I saw the entire Trout Run valley and all of the landmarks were easy to make out (today was windy but quite clear). I had lunch at the camp site, it is nicely sheltered from the wind by a grove of mountain laurel and there was plenty of fire wood around. The out-and-back time was 2 hours, a nice day hike but there is some significant uphill and so I would only recommend this to people who are fit and used to sustained uphill.
|
|
| By:
Alec U
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, February 8, 2015 |
| It was a great day for hiking, as it reached the upper 50/60's in the GWNF. Arrival was around 11, parking lot was packed but i found a spot. But we reached the summit at 1145, as being 2 college athletes, it took us no time, but with all the melted snow/ice made this hike extremely difficult in certain areas. But overall a great hike, a slow ascension which is enjoyable, but the views were fantastic and was pretty neat to see Big Schloss from range!
|
|
| By:
R Perkins
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, November 2, 2014 |
| Perfect day for a hike. Crisp and cold, light snow falling when I started this morning. Beautiful. Trail is very well maintained, with a variety of terrain to view as you make your way up to the summit. Rock scrambles were fun and afforded good views of your progress. Chilly and gusty winds limited my time at the top, but so glad I went. Passed a few campers coming down the mountain , but otherwise pretty solitary. Went on to do Big Schloss after finishing. Big Schloss is nice, but this hike just seemed more enjoyable today. A perfect autumnal/wintery day. Highly recommend this one. Would be good for older kids.
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Thursday, October 30, 2014 |
| Very well marked trail. I would recommend boots over tennis shoes for this hike. The trail is well maintained but there are many rocks that could lead to a twisted ankle without some support. The rock scrambles were a fun way to end the trip out. The view is amazing and I didn't really want to leave. Only met one group of hikers that were on their way out. A nice fall hike. Leaves were past their peak but there was still some color in the valley.
|
|
| By:
Tim
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Friday, October 17, 2014 |
| Nice hike. I found the rock scramble parts fairly easy. Right now is probably perfect time for the leaves. I did find 1 tick on me when I was sitting at the top but I always forget bug spray.
|
|
| By:
Eli
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Thursday, September 4, 2014 |
Nice hike. Only two cars in the parking lot (Thursday noon) and I did not see anybody in Tibbet Knob trail so the other car' passenger must be heading to Big Schloss. Took me 2 hours up and back, with additional 30 minutes spent at the top looking at the nice view.
The two steep sections are not easy, however there are ample of steady rocks and roots where you can step on, so it's doable. However I do not think it would be safe to do after rain/ during icy weather, since it will be very slippery and therefore dangerous at these two particular parts. Going down through these sections are as hard as going up but it's short, so overall not too intimidating.
Going back to the parking is downward almost all the way, so it's a lot faster than going up.
|
|
| By:
aldikuma
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, July 13, 2014 |
| Beautiful Sunday hike! Ran into only two other hikers, even though there were several groups of people hanging out at the parking and camping area near the trailhead. An easy, short trail, but nice workout, especially in the high humidity. The views from the top are amazing. I would love to come back and camp at the top to watch the sunrise. Only found one tick on my dog, but I've been using a geranium oil mixture as a tick repellant and it's worked so far! Maybe some trails just don't have as many ticks as others.
|
|
| By:
Deanna
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, July 5, 2014 |
BRING BUG SPRAY!
The trail is clear but the tall grass is not maintained so you will be walking through weeds a great portion of the hike. We liberally applied bug spray and avoided any bites or ticks, but I doubt that'd be the case otherwise.
Besides the tall grass, it's a wonderful hike. That view undoubtedly deserves a 5, and there's plenty of room for many hikers to sit at the peak area. It was a Saturday and we ran into other groups but it definitely wasn't that crowded compared to how other more popular hikes would be.
I'd put the difficulty at a 3. It's about an hour each way but the uphill trek is a solid workout.
|
|
| By:
Bryan
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Monday, March 24, 2014 |
| A great extension to Big Schloss if you like hiking longer than 4 miles. The views are very nice and the trail isn't too difficult. It feels pretty long despite only being 3 miles. It was still very snowy on lots of the hills at points, so it made the hike much harder than it would be in the summer or late spring. The rock scramble in particular was pretty tough getting up because it was COVERED in very slick ice. But this all made it that much more unforgettable.
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, March 22, 2014 |
I hiked this with my daughter (11) for a one-night camping trip to test some new gear. We left from the Wolf Gap lot around 4 PM and it took us about an hour to reach the knob. We saw only five other people on the trail and had the campground to ourselves. I had been on the trail before as a day hike in the summer but the lack of leaves on the trees this time around made for a lot of views I didn't remember before. Looking east, we could see forever. The temperatures were in the 60s but some snow still remained on the north-facing portions of the trail. The two scrambles for the top make the hike interesting and would be good for young kids to have a little excitement.
The campground is nice - assuming you are the only ones there, you'll feel like you are on top of the world and isolated. We ate dinner watching the sunset and counted stars, despite the wind, with hot chocolate after dark. We had a lot of wind as a cold front dropped through (below 30s at night) but the vegetation blocked a lot of the wind from the north. The biggest drawback is the lack of water - since there is no source at all between the Wolf Gab campground and the knob, you have to carry in water to drink, cook, clean and put out the fire. A few reviewers noted that they found smoldering coals on day hikes so I was prepared to keep the fire low so it could be fully put out but I can see how unprepared campers would not have had enough water to properly douse the fire. Advice, carry plenty but stash some in your car so you can just dump it all in the fire pit when you leave.
Great hike to test some camping gear and for kids interesting in a backpacking experience as you can really feel like you are two days deep in the Adirondacks but only be 1.6 miles from the car.
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, March 15, 2014 |
| This was an optional car camping/backpacking trip I organized through Central Virginia Trailblazers. Nine of us went up to Wolf Gap for the weekend. Four stayed in the Wolf Gap Campground for the night. Five of us stayed on top of Tibbet Knob Saturday night. The campsite up there is as perfect as it gets, aside from not having a water source. The sunset gave us some remarkable golden light for photos. We grilled bacon-wrapped scallops and toasted the day with wine. An awesome campfire and a full moon rounded out a perfect day. That night temps dropped to 28 degrees and a 20 mph wind made for a very chilly night. After breaking camp we hiked back down to Wolf Gap and dropped our backpacks for a nice dayhike up Big Schloss. The trails were easy to follow, well-maintained and fun to hike. The rock scramble on Tibbet was a bit challenging with full packs, but managable. I highly recommend this trip to anyone in the Richmond area. But don't expect to find the campsites empty when the weather gets better. Be prepared to backcountry camp instead. This hike, although on the VA/WV state line, is only 2.5 hours away from Richmond. That's not too bad for such a great trip. There are plenty of options for other hikes in the area, as well.
|
|
| By:
Chantilly Hokie
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, December 21, 2013 |
| I could have not asked for a better hike today. The weather was gorgeous with air temperatures around 70. We walked through the snow in some parts which was refreshing and at the top of the hike the views were wonderful with a very light warm breeze. Snowball fight at the top in 70 degree weather was very unusual. With the melting snow there were some very slick and muddy spots to climb and coming down was challenge on the two rock climbs due to muddiness and melting snow.
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, November 30, 2013 |
| Fun hike today! My wife and my 10yo son were able to make it without any trouble. Took us about 3 hours including a short (chilly) snack break at the top. The scrambles were fine but there was a sheet of ice on some of the rocks - slippery! The view at the top is a great reward for an invigorating hike. We only saw one group of people so the solitude was wonderful. Stopped in Woodstock for a nice country dinner at the Spring House Tavern.
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Monday, October 28, 2013 |
| Got off work early and headed up to Wolf Gap, had hiked Big Schloss the previous weekend and wanted to see what Tibbett Knob was like. OMG! What a blast! I had the trail all to myself and got up there at sunset and it was so amazingly quiet and beautiful I just stood there on the rock outcropping in awe! Ended up a little bit in the dark on the way back, but my hiking poles saved me from a few falls. Absolutely my favorite hike so far this fall. Thanks for your maps, guides, etc.
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Thursday, October 24, 2013 |
Great Hike- camped at the top- cold, fiercely windy and electric and slightly snowy. Good fire to keep warm. BUT I am really hoping to find my lost Samsung Galaxy Note phone. Don't know if it fell out of my side pack pocket on the way back down the next morning or on the way back home :(
I left a note at the Wolf Gap Campground Board.
|
|
| By:
MD hiker
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, October 20, 2013 |
| Yesterday weather was beautiful! The parking lot was packed after the shutdown is over last week. The leaves are at high to peak color. Once we get to the summit, it is a wonderful view of the valley with all this vibrant color. The leaves are already falling on the ground at about 35 percents. Tibbet and Big Schloss are one of my favorite.
|
|
| By:
Soaring Eagle
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, October 6, 2013 |
This is a great hike. I started at Wolf Gap Campground and walked across the street to the trailhead. I enjoyed this hike, but do wish that it was longer. It came out to 652' of vertical climb according to my app, so while the views are amazing, it's not very strenuous. This is a great hike for beginners wanting a more rugged hike and great views.
I found the 2 rock scrambles to be a lot of fun but you do need to be careful on your descent. I'll be back here in a couple of weeks for peak fall colors.
|
|
| By:
BrianJB
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Thursday, October 3, 2013 |
| Did both Big Schloss and Tibbet in one day - Big S. first. Overall, not bad, but not really comparable - Big Schloss has ridge views through a good portion of the hike and a huge payoff at the end. . .this has more limited views (about 180 degrees) in more limited spots.
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, June 15, 2013 |
Just hiked this with my buds Jacques and Jeremy, AND my 6 month old son (wife had other plans). It was a perfect hike for our needs. We have to make the drive from DC, and we had things to do tonight, so a short hike was great. This was also my son's first time out so we wanted to keep it short in case he got tired.
The parking lot as Wolf Gap was a bit crowded but we found a spot. The hike itself was empty (we saw a single couple on the peak) and the weather was as good as it gets. Blue skies, big views and a nice breeze to keep the bugs off.
Icing on the cake was that between all of us we only found 3 ticks at the end of the hike. For GW National Forest, that's pretty great.
If you're looking for a short hike through glades and forest meadows that culminates in a HUGE view, try this out. You won't be disappointed.
|
|
| By:
Vieth
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Friday, January 4, 2013 |
| I have been hiking Big Schloss three times already but never Tibbet Knob. We were originally going to hike Strickler Knob today, but the road up to Strickler knob were covered in ice. We were able to get to the parking lot for Tibbet knob without any problem. The hike is only 1.6 miles to the top, but it is very beautiful with snow still cover the ground. Perfect distance for a hike after a major snow storm. I would rate this hike and the view from 4.5 stars to 5 stars. I would definitely hike this trail again, specially right after snow storm to see all the fresh snow landscape.
|
|
| By:
JEF
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Thursday, October 18, 2012 |
| Always do a hike on my birthday so I selected this one and glad I did. The fall colors were great. I was surprised we saw no one else on the way up and only two other couples on the way down. It was overcast, cool and a good workout during the climb up. The trail was easy to follow, well blazed. The rock scrambles were pretty easy to negotiate. The view at the top was fantastic. The leaf colors were great. I am ready to plan an overnight trip to the top. See http://youtu.be/LwTjkPLNX9U
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, September 2, 2012 |
Really good hike...I swear it was longer than three miles though! Beautiful woods along the way with moss and lichens covering everything. Rock scrambles were a little tougher because it was raining and views were impeded by clouds, but still a lot of fun. Probably not quite as good a view as Big Schloss (which we did the previous day) but a better, more interesting hike to the overlook.
The trail appeared to keep going after the overlook. We followed it for about 1/4 mile but turned back because rain was so hard. Gorgeous camping site at the top!
|
|
| By:
Phil and Sandy
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, August 4, 2012 |
First I should point out an error in the trail desctiption. After the second rock scramble the overlook is not 200 yards away, more like 20 yards and you can see it as soon as you reach the top of the second scramble.
We're in our late fifties, with BMIs where they should be, and made the trip in 1 hour 25 minutes going up and one hour coming down with several stops to catch our breaths. This was a fine hike even in the hottest part of the summer, however the flies and misquitoes were so bad for the first few hundred yards we were ready to turn back. Glad we didn't, because the bugs dissipated after a while and we would have missed a great, wide open view at the top of this mountain -- unspoiled and refreshing.
Granted, we started out at 12 noon in hot and humid conditions, but we saw no one on the way up and only had a pair of visitors after we had been on the top for about 20 minutes snacking and taking in the view. Passed no one on the way down.
We would do this one again, especially in autumn, just for the great view, but the hike is also varied with changing path conditions and different growth along the way.
|
|
| By:
NAS
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, February 18, 2012 |
| We've been to Wolf Gap a few times prior, either to just camp or to do Big Schloss. This is the first time I actually saw a TOUR BUS amble into parking lot. Kinda ridiculous. We didn't see them on the trail so I'm imagining they were heading to Schloss. Anyway, Tibbet's Knob is a nice, quick hike. The two rock scrambles aren't much, so don't let them deter you. We took advantage of the campsite up-top, making a quick fire and roasting some weiners. Almost got hit by two different emergency vehicles who were cutting corners, presumably trying to respond to something @ Schloss.
|
|
| By:
A Quinn
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, December 25, 2011 |
| Really nice hike! It is well marked, fun rock scramble, and has amazing views. We almost missed the vista because we were not reading the hikingupwards directions! We met some other people that told us you can take Sam Clark Road (just a little before you arrive at the parking lot on the left) and there is another trail head there. That is only a thirty min hike and just along the ridge, if you want to avoid the steep inclines of the hike from the wolf gap parking lot.
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, October 23, 2011 |
| Don't let the scrambles scare you away from the great views and the very small (if any) crowds. Starting out from the parking lot at 11am, with some time spent at the top (and a few more to catch my breath) we finished this hike in 3 hours.
As for the scrambles, they are 2 different spans, just long enough to make you breath hard, and unless you've got a pack (or kid) on your back, you won't have to use your hands but for a couple times. But watch your step on the way back down, its no run if you roll an ankle on the way back to the car.
On a side note, because we went early and in the fall, I wish we had taken the dogs. Our older golden retriever and a mutt about the same size would have really loved the hike and would have been waiting for us at the at the top of each scramble.
Looking to make a weekend out of this (and Big Schloss) by camping at the top.
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, September 17, 2011 |
| We hiked Big Schloss & Tibbet Knob together. Both hikes took about 5 hours with lots of stoping for pictures. I am giving this a 4 star as both hikes but if I was only doing one hike at a time I am sure it would only be a 3 star. The Views were great the hand over hand hiking was ok on Tibbet Knob. We hiked this on a rainy day and still ran into lots of hikers and campers so solitude is like a 0. But overall a good hike great workout doing both hikes
|
|
| By:
Brandon
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Friday, September 2, 2011 |
| The hike was a lot of fun. The rock scramblers were the best feature as well as some of the views. The camping area at the last summit would be awesome for camping. Really nice area and very enjoyable.
|
|
| By:
Melissa
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, June 4, 2011 |
| Did this trail for a trail run/ hike with my dog. Great trail with a good variety of types paths, steep and even, and scenery. Saw a bunch of big wild turkeys. Some of the tree flowers were in bloom and made the run through the woods really pretty. I had fun with the rock scrambles and running through the rocky paths. Nice view at the top. Perfect length, about 4.5mi up and down. Only saw a few other people, had the trail to myself for the most part.
|
|
| By:
Matt
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, May 21, 2011 |
| Did this hike with some friends and we really enjoyed it. The rock scrambles are fun and the view from Tibbet Knob is great. Parking was a little tight because of all the people out hiking Big Schloss, but we only saw a few people on the Tibbet Knob trail. Catching the Virginia Wine & Craft Festival in Fort Royal afterward was the icing on the cake!
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Monday, April 25, 2011 |
| Did this as an afternoon hike after arriving at Wolf Gap Campground on a very warm Monday. The hike is very enjoyable and the rock scramble at the top makes it a workout on a hot day! It was the start of WVA turkey season and VA turkey season was 2 weeks old so we were aware of hunters in the area...made noise and talked loud. We did see one wild turkey and got a little sunburn since the trees were just starting to sprout leaves. A great afternoon hike before camping.
|
|
| By:
Sebastian
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, March 13, 2011 |
| Took 9 Cub Scouts and their families hiking in the afternoon. Hit the trail at 1:30 and got back to the parking lot around 4:00. The hike was great for all the levels represented (6yo and up to 60yo). Rock scrambles were no worries and the scenery was fantastic. Great hike for a youth group. Saw one person on the way down otherwise we had the trail to ourselves. We will go back next time to hit the Schloss.
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, January 29, 2011 |
| We decided to do some winter camping the last weekend. And what a great time it was. Good weather, magnificent views along the way. Not too much snow, not even a foot. So snow shoes were not required. The camp site at the peak has room for 3 smaller tents (sleeping up to two). It wasn't too cold during night - mid teens. Will probably do it again before spring.
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, October 17, 2010 |
Great hike. We took our 2 year old with us which basically meant I had a 30 pound weight to carry around on my shoulders the whole time. First vista was great but I found that most of the hike offered great views. The trail is a good mix of terrain...I didn't find it to be too rocky or difficult at all. The rock scrambles were fun. Going down, another story.. we had to hand our little one to each other the whole way.
Tibbet Knob offers an amazing westward view. The campsite up there is cute but I'm thinking by looking at it it's more of a teenage/early 20's party spot. We passed several young hikers on the way up with empty beer cans in bags.
The brush and trees around the campfire pit were scorched looked as if someone had let their campfire go without properly extinguishing it. If that behavior keeps up, it won't be long before that mountain goes up in flames.
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Friday, September 10, 2010 |
| Great hike. Super views. Be sure to sample the wild grapes about half way. We found a smoldering campfire at the top, put it out and called 911 b/c Lee Ranger District was closed.
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Monday, September 6, 2010 |
| Awesome hike, views in multiple locations on the way. Their are free campgrounds, water and bathrooms at the parking area (8 or so), and then another camping area at the top, suitable for 2 tents--literally right at the summit. I went with my wife, daughters (8 & 11), son (13) and dog. This was our very first hike and it was a great way to start!
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Friday, June 11, 2010 |
| I hiked this trail yesterday and also camped out there last night. Overall I would give this hike a 4.5 - the hike itself merits a 4, for its (relative) ease and views. The views are very good - along the lines of Big Schloss or Strickler's Knob, if not quite as spectacular - but best of all you are pretty much alone to enjoy them. That's one of the reasons I'd give this hike a 5 for the camping aspect--the campsite right next to the Knob is great, and is so close to the summit (30 ft!) that you can go back to it in between normal camping tasks. And I didn't see anyone else the whole time I was there (18 hours all told). A must if you want a great campsite near a terrific view!
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, May 1, 2010 |
Overall, it was a pretty good hike. We camped at Wolf Gap, so we got an early start to avoid the hottest part of the day. The hike wasn't overly strenous up to the first rock scramble. We never made it up the rock scrambles, not because they were too difficult, but because of bad knees. We ate lunch on a nice rock just below the first rock scramble, then headed back down. The day was extremely hot, and we (two hikers and a dog) went through all 3 litres of water we took. There were no streams or springs along the way. The views were great even though we didn't make it to the top. We only saw two other hikers coming up as we were coming down.
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, February 27, 2010 |
| Started at 7 am. Didnt see another soul either up or back. wore crampons which helped. should have brought my snowshoes, not because the snow was deep, but it was a little slow going as the folks that hiked after the big storm didnt wear snowshoes so the trail was full of foot holes and in a few places the trail was covered with snow drift. Not good for the ankles or kness when you dont know whats coming ! the 2 rock scrambles at the top were easier than norm because of the snow pack. a must if you are looking for a 2.5 hour up and back with solitude in the snow.
|
|
| By:
Peter
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Wednesday, January 13, 2010 |
| I went on this hike this afternoon. First of all there are great views along this hike within 10 minutes of the start of it. I would say that the first half hour of the hike is really easy, and warrants a 2. However, that said, after that there is basically a straight and rather continuously increasing grade uphill climb straight to the top of Tibbet Knob. Also this is not a hike that you should do in the snow at this point, the snow was quite deep still, and when you get to the rocks it becomes very precarious. I was about 20 yards from the top (I think) when I decided it was too unsafe to continue, and struggled my way back down. Twice the snow (which was packed) nearly broke my leg, and once I almost slid right off the cliff. My advice is that you wait until it warms to do this hike. On the way back, I got to admire that view again that is 10-15 minutes from the start of the trail. It was sunset, and you could see Woodstock, Va in the distance. This will be one of my favorite hikes this spring....
|
|
| By:
Robert Godlove
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Monday, November 9, 2009 |
| Nice Hike...Always like the knob, went out and back with a total of 10 hikers from age 8-42, Great views, never as congested as Big Schloss, Picked up some candy bar wrappers and brought out to the trash can, I must say Tibbet Knob is nice for hiking and views, Had great weather, clear 50-60degrees, light breeze
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Tuesday, November 3, 2009 |
| Hiked both Tibbet Knob and Big Schloss today with my son. Both trails are very well marked and both have panoramic views. This trail was a little more fun because of the rock scrambling and there is a really nice campsite at the top. We met a father and daughter coming down who had spent the night there.
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, August 16, 2009 |
This is a challenging but short hike. The scrambles will challenge you but the views are definitely worth it. I hiked this with a friend and we only came across a couple of people who were heading down when we were heading up. The trail is pretty well maintained and well marked. Don't be fooled by the short distance of this hike, you do gain over 800 feet in elevation in roughly a mile and a half and there are some flat stretches so that should tell you that the ascents are pretty steep. The views are pretty good from the top and along the way. From the top you can look from oh almost due North to able Southwest, so a pretty nice panorama.
This is a good trail to do if you don't want to commit to an all-day hike or if you want to combine with Big Schloss. With the campsites right at the start of this trail, this would be a good one for campers to do. There is plenty of parking and vaulted bathrooms so its one of the more accomodating hike sites.
|
|
| By:
Southern Preacher
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, June 20, 2009 |
| My wife, eight-year old son and I did this hike on Saturday. Although the forecasts called for rain, we enjoyed a beautiful day with just a light shower that lasted maybe 3 or 4 minutes. We had the trail to ourselves and encountered no hikers on the way up and down, although three young men had set up camp at the summit. The view from the summit was incredible with 35-55mph wind gusts. The wind was so strong and unpredictable that we had to be very careful close to the edge. The sky was punctuated with huge bold clouds that made for some wonderful scenic photography. We stayed at the summit for 1 1/2 hours just enjoying the view, snapping photos and conversing with the campers. We were disappointed to not see much wildlife, except for Turkey Vultures crusing about the knob and valley below.
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, February 14, 2009 |
| Great Hike. About an hour to the top, well worth it for the view. Pretty good workout on the ascent. Saw two other groups on our way up and met up with another at the top. But pretty secluded overall.
|
|
| By:
Meesh
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Friday, July 4, 2008 |
| Started at 5:45am-excellent day for hike-saw no other hikers on Tibbet although there were campers at wolf gap campground; lots of wildlife including a rattlesnake! Great views; made it to top in a little over 1 hour-hiked about an hour on beyond the peak. Well worth it--take picnic lunch and enjoy! Great for views, pretty decent workout and high marks for solitude if you are willing to get an early start.
|
|
| By:
brycehiker
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, June 7, 2008 |
| My son and I hiked the trail early afternoon on Saturday June 6. Temperature about 97 and humid. No too bad in the shade. Some nice breezes when out of the thickets. Fairly steady climb up the mountain. The two rock scremables cleared easily.One other pair of hikers on the trail. Ah hour up to the top Very nice views. About 40 minutes on the way down. Met one other duo coming down.. Will do Big Schloss next.
|
|
| By:
Robert Godlove
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, May 4, 2008 |
Great Hike, Did this one and Big Schloss the same day...both are great hikes, but this is my favorite.
less traveled and great views and a good workout, Myself and a buddy, didn't run into one person
Trail is in good shape and less traveled than Big Schloss...more remote feeling. You will see a lot of
different birds in this area and will notice the wild grape vines.
|
|
| By:
Stephanie
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, March 16, 2008 |
| My friends and I had a lot of fun on this hike! The two rocky areas that we had to climb added excitement to the trip. The only thing negative was that at the top of the mountain the trail keeps going down to a gravel road, and then you have to turn around and go back to get to the parking lot. Other than that the views were amazing and we had a great time!
|
|
| By:
Kent
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, January 12, 2008 |
| Very nice hike. The description is accurate, but we encountered a few places trees were down over the trail. It was a beautiful day, but we only met one other couple coming down the mountain. It appeared they had spent the night at the campsite because the fire pit still had glowing embers in it.
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, September 22, 2007 |
| We took a different route up than the hike from Wolf Gap. Shorter and less strenuous we hear. Much appreciated, since we were each carrying 30-40lb packs for an overnight on the knob. Reached summit around 6. Terrain was rocky required boots with the packs, but we still don't recommend sneakers for the route we took. Dogs faired well. Temp was around 87 during day with overnight around 60. View is fantastic. We saw no one else the first day. The next day roughly 12-15 people plus dogs from noon to 4pm. Sunset here was awesome. No wildlife to be found, except ravens and turkey vultures. We did find some turkey feathers though. Acorns dropping made it an interesting hike and overnight. Camp spot was prime. Enough foliage to block the wind coming out of the west, so it wasn't too bad. Moon was bright blocking out most of the stars. But can see how it would be perfect for star gazing. We will definitely do this hike again in the fall and maybe winter, we can see how ice and snow would make this a difficult hike, pack or not.
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Monday, March 12, 2007 |
I was pretty impressed by this hike. Nearly half the trail was still covered in 3-5 inches of ice and the first of the two scrambles is completely covered in ice. The ice made it a technical climb up and a fun slide down. I actually climbed back up to slide down again.
This was a 70 degrees day in March and we only saw 2 other groups of people.
There are also a few boulders to free climb if your interested. About 100 yards before the summit, there is a pile of rocks that can entertain the adventerous (hint, come up the trail-side for an inverted rock summit, awsome).
I too would not recommend this hike for children or older people. There are steep lengthy step downs/ups that could prove dangerous.
|
|
| By:
Snappers&J
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Saturday, February 24, 2007 |
| Hiked this trail with snappers on Saturday. I was the second person on the trail since the last snow. I saw the person before me wore snow shoes which was a great idea. The entire trail was frozen solid with ice and made for a dangerous hike. The views are nice and I found this hike to be easier than that of big scholoss. The only real difficult parts of the hike are two rocky cliffs that require a little bit of hand over hand but nothing to bad. Like I said it was covered with ice and snow when I did it and I had little difficulty so im sure it’s easier when the ground is dry. I found the views not quite as nice as big scholoss but still worth the trip for the minimal amount of effort required.
|
|
| By:
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Friday, November 3, 2006 |
| From the Wolf Gap parking area, most hikers head north on the trail to the very popular Big Scholss overlook. But heading south to Tibbet Knob is a more interesting hike. From Tibbet Knob and the trail leading to it, you basically have the same views as Big Schloss, but instead of following a simple ridgeline to reach your destination, your trip to Tibbet involves a more challenging and winding trail. Along the way, you'll encounter an overlook that helps orient yourself with your surroundings, including views of your destination - Tibbet Knob, but also of Big Schloss to the north and Massanutten Moutain and Shenandoah National Park to the east. And the best part of this hike are the two short scrambles you encounter near the top, which makes the hike feel more like a true summit-bagging than a ridgeline meandering, and helps keep some of the crowds away.
|
|
| By:
Mike and Corie
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, September 3, 2006 |
| Its a good hike with a great view of the valley and surrounding range. It was a bit buggy today and the air was pretty stagnant until we reached the summit. Although its rated as a '2' in level of difficulty, we found it to be substantially more challenging than Big Schloss. Its a short hike but will get your heart going. We also liked that it was so easy to get to from DC. The only major complaint would be route 675 to Wolf Gap - very narrow near the rec area so watch out for the oncoming traffic!
|
|
| By:
Doug
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, September 3, 2006 |
| Had a great time on this trail. It's not too long, but it's steep, so if you're carrying packs with a good bit of weight it can be challenging. Wonderful view from the top. I'd agree with the other user who mentioned that the road in is quite narrow so be careful when coming around any bends for oncoming traffic.
|
|
| By:
Kris
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Sunday, March 12, 2006 |
| Combined this hike with Big Schloss for a day of spectacular views! As of my hike date there were a fair number of obstructions on the trail from downed trees. Though these were not daunting, they did make for a more formidable workout. These obstructions start on the second ascent.Trail crews need to get in there. The views did not disappoint! I was so involved in taking in the views, I did not notice the serious clouds moving in! They proved to be of no cosequence. The trail was mine alone for the entire trip. I can't say the same for the Big Schloss hike. Dry leaves make for a slippery descent at times, but nothing to worry too much about. Wonderful hike!
|
|
| By:
Very nice...
|
Rating: |
Date of Hike: Wednesday, July 26, 1911 |
| We hiked it on one of the hottest days of the year, and it was a nice hike. Enough of the hike is in the shade, or at least had shady spots to rest, that it wasn't too bad. I wouldn't want to do it when it was wet, though. The best part was the breeze at the top -- sitting on the rocks, overlooking the woodland valley to the west with a good breeze cooling you down... aahhhh!
|
|
