Virginia Wilderness Committee is pleased to announce this monthly series on great places to go in Virginia's National Forests. We encourage you to get out and enjoy the abundant scenery, trails, wildlife, and solitude our forests offer. The purpose of this series is to provide detailed information on some of our own favorite spots to visit, focusing on areas that are kid- and family-friendly.
We encourage you to follow leave no trace ethics on every visit to the Forest.
Hikes in the George Washington National Forest: GW Gems
The following hikes are all on Shenandoah Mountain, west of Staunton/Bridgewater/Harrisonburg in the GWNF. All maps were created with ESRI ArcGIS software that was provided to assist our work via a generous grant.
- Hidden Rocks 3.3-mile trail out and back. Near Hone Quarry Recreation Area west of Bridgewater
- Shenandoah Mountain Trail-Jerrys Run to Sexton Cabin 6-mile trail out and back. Starts at top of Shenandoah Mountain on Rt. 250 west of Staunton
- High Knob 3-mile trail out and back. Starts at top of Shenandoah Mountain on Rt. 33 west of Harrisonburg
- Trimble Mountain Trail and Todd Lake 4-mile loop trail. Near Todd Lake Recreation Area southwest of Bridgewater
- Johnson Draft Trail / Braley Branch Trail / Braley Pond 2.5-mile or 1-mile loop trails. Near Rt. 250 17 miles west of Staunton.
- Reddish Knob / Little Stoney Trail / Headwaters of North River 1.5-mile trail (or longer) out and back. Top of Shenandoah Mountain west of Bridgewater
- North River Gorge 4.5-mile trail one-way. 13 miles southwest of Bridgewater.
- Hone Quarry Ridge 5.1-mile loop trail. Hone Quarry Recreation area west of Bridgewater.
- Wild Oak Trail through Horse Trough Hollow to Little Bald Knob 6-mile trail out and back. 22 miles southwest of Bridgewater.
- Hardscrabble Knob 7-mile trail out and back. 22 miles southwest of Bridgewater.
NOTE: Hunting season is open in the National Forest from November 5 through January 2, 2012. We do not recommend hiking except on Sundays during hunting season.
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For additional information regarding visitation to the National Forest, visit the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest website. A good map of these areas is the Trails Illustrated/National Geographic map for "Staunton - Shenandoah Mtn". It can be purchased from the North River Ranger Station or from Wilderness Voyagers in Harrisonburg or Wilderness Adventure in Staunton.