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Stony Man Mountain Loop Hike

This is a short and pleasant hike, and has some of the best vistas in the Shenandoah National Park. Little Stony Man, just below the main peak, has a popular rock wall with local climbers. Make sure to pick a haze free day, because you don't want to miss all the views along the the ridge!

Start the hike on the left of the parking area at the trail junction. Turn right on the on the yellow blazed Stony Man Trail for 0.5 miles to the intersection of the Horse Trail.

Turn left uphill on the Horse Trail for 0.5 miles and come to the first of the Shenandoah Valley overlooks. Continue up the trail for another 50 yards to the junction of the the blue blazed trail, and horse rail. Turn left, and in 80 yards arrive at the main Stony Man Mountain overlook.

Return back, passing the trail you turned off in 80 yards, where the blue blazed trail splits. Stay left, and in 0.4 miles the trails rejoin. Continue downhill for another 0.1 miles to the the four way intersection of the white blazed Appalachian Trail.

Turn left on the white blazed trail for 0.7 miles to the Little Stony Man overlook. As you continue downward make several switchbacks before reaching the left turn for the blue blazed Passamaquoddy Trail. The Passamaquoddy Trail turnoff is easy to miss. Look for a concrete post marker and a double white blazed tree marking the junction.

The Passamaquoddy Trail will pass a lower vista at the base of the Little Stony Man Mountain cliff face. Continue around the mountain for 1.0 miles to the junction of Furnace Spring Road. Turn left uphill for 20 yards, then make a sharp turn to the left again onto the yellow blazed trail. Follow the yellow blazed trail as it winds uphill, arriving back at the Stony Man Mountain parking area in 0.5 miles.

Explore 99 trails near Valleyburgh, VA

Know Before You Go

  • The Stony Man Mountain Loop is a 3.4-mile hike in Shenandoah National Park known for its excellent vistas, including Little Stony Man.
  • The trail is well-marked with blazes (yellow, blue, white), but the Passamaquoddy Trail turnoff can be easy to miss, so look for the concrete post and double white blaze.
  • The loop includes diverse scenery, like a rock wall popular with climbers, and several overlooks, but a clear, haze-free day is recommended to maximize the views.
Interactive topographic map for Stony Man Mountain Loop Hike located in Valleyburgh, VA. Click the "View Map" button to load GPS coordinates and trail markers.
Get directions
Distance
3.4 mi
Difficulty
Easy
Type
Loop
Est. Time
1.7 hrs
Elev. Gain
664'
Rating
3.9
Added
April 06, 2025
Updated
April 06, 2025

Weather Forecast

Tonight
Low 39°F
Mostly Cloudy
Wednesday
High 51°F
Chance Light Rain
Wednesday Night
Low 20°F
Chance Rain And Snow
Thursday
High 29°F
Sunny
Thursday Night
Low 15°F
Mostly Clear
Friday
High 34°F
Mostly Sunny
Friday Night
Low 25°F
Partly Cloudy
Saturday
High 41°F
Slight Chance Light Snow
Saturday Night
Low 19°F
Slight Chance Rain And Snow then Partly Cloudy
Sunday
High 28°F
Slight Chance Light Snow
Sunday Night
Low 15°F
Mostly Clear
M.L. King Jr. Day
High 34°F
Mostly Sunny
Monday Night
Low 14°F
Partly Cloudy
Tuesday
High 28°F
Sunny
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Total Change
677'
Ascent
664'
Descent
675'
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Features

Vista / Lookout Point
Mountain Summit

Points of interest

  1. Parking

    38.593401, -78.376186
  2. Main Trailhead

    38.593401, -78.376186

Safety information

For your own safety: plan ahead, let someone know where you'll be, and hike at your own risk.

Hazards

Snakes (Rattlesnakes, Copperheads, others)

Availability

All seasons

Surface type

Dirt

Trip Reports (Reviews)

Rated 3.89 out of 5 based on 53 ratings.

Ready to help fellow hikers? Add a trip report to share your experience and provide valuable insights for other hikers!

By: Brian Schwarz
3.4 miles / 5.5 km
October 24, 2019
The hike described here is perfect. I was worried that hiking at the height of the October I'd be overwhelmed by novice hikers along the entire trail route. And, well, the summit of Stony Man was overrun. However, for 90 percent of the hike I was all by myself and had a wonderful, peaceful hike. The Passamaquoddy Trail section is my favorite. There is an amazing view here, too. In fact, there are three stunning rock outcrops along this hike! It felt so isolated at times, and it reminded me of hikes I've taken out west, particularly in the Sandia Mountains outside of Albuquerque. Follow me on IG at "brianopolis" to see some pics!
Legacy Review
By: Diego
3.4 miles / 5.5 km
September 06, 2019
Was going to do this hike today, but ended up not because I had a dog with me, and this trail doesn't allow dogs. Hadn't seen anyone mention that before, so figured I'd let people know to NOT bring your dog on this trail.
Legacy Review
By: TAG
3.4 miles / 5.5 km
December 24, 2018
We were blown away by how beautiful this hike was. It was bitter cold and windy on December 24th but the trail was coated in snow and the leaves were gone which made for a magical snowy scene. The early vista was beautiful. There are two paths out to separate peaks here which are close enough that we photographed each other from opposite peaks. Amazing photos. The short ridge area was a beautiful lookout in itself and we even saw ropes attached there where people were climbing up the cliff side. Further down passamaquaddy trail was yet another beautiful vista. We loved every minute of this hike and look forward to coming back in different seasons to enjoy different views.
Legacy Review
No community routes found. To add your own hike as a Community Route for this Trail guide, leave a Trip Report with an attached GPX file.

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