I’ve hiked a wide range of mountains. The ambitious side of me has embarked on overnight backpacking adventures, while the slothful side of me enjoys quick, three hour excursions before lunch. Today I will be explaining the latter. Specifically, I will be giving insight on one of Shenandoah Valley’s most adored hikes. I have found this hike to be the least challenging, yet have one of the most rewarding views out of hikes that are of such elementary difficulty level. Today we will be talking about Humpback Rock.

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This trail is located right off the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is approximately 50 minutes from Harrisonburg. When leaving Harrisonburg, you will follow 81 south for 24 miles until you merge onto 64 East. After continuing on this road for another 15 miles or so, you will reach Skyline Drive. This part of the drive gets complicated because you drop cellphone service. I found this bothersome my first time trying to find Humpback because I didn’t realize how long I was supposed to follow Skyline for. In layman’s terms, I got lost.

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Technically you are on this road for nearly 6 miles, but it does not feel this long at all. The road is windy and spacious. As your car scrambles up, you will stumble across overlooks that present a view of what seems like the entire Shenandoah Valley. These overlooks provide you with the opportunity to pull over your car to take photos. But trust me when I say that the views that the summit of Humpback provides are just as scenic, if not even better.

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Once you pass about four of these overlooks, the parking area for this trail will be on the left off Skyline Drive. Once you’ve parked your car, the hike itself is about a mile to the summit. In all honesty, the hike isn’t too demanding. I have found myself to be sore the morning after climbing Humpback, but I can only credit that to the quick elevation gain that this trail presents (and most likely the poor shape that I was in).

 

I don’t think packing a sandwich or snacks are necessary for this excursion. Like I have harped on before, don’t forget to bring water. This is always a necessity for every hike. The summit is rewarding. It provides an amazing view. The rock faces are expansive and offer ample amount of room for lounging. The popularity of this hike leaves the summit crowded, but the ridges and gaps in the rocks allow hikers to have their own section of rock to sprawl on.

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If you can’t already tell, I adore this trail. That being said, I composed a list of the top five reasons why I think everybody should hike Humpback the next time you have a few spare hours.

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1. IT’S FREE! One of the perks to this hike is that it has no cost. The trail and parking are open to the public, which I think is a great incentive to make this trek.

2. IT’S EASY! Hikers of all experience levels will feel comfortable with Humpback. Being that it is only about a mile long, it isn’t very extraneous.

3. IT’S QUICK! You could complete this entire excursion in three hours, tops. The drive is about 50 minutes, the hike is a little over an hour, and the drive back is another 50.

4. DO IT FOR THE INSTA! Like every hike I recommend, the fall season is the PERFECT time to do it. Why? Because the fall foliage is breathless. What makes this one so special? It will give you an Instagram worthy photo- without messing up your hair. (see below)

5. BEER! Because, WHY NOT? A tradition among JMU students is to drink a beer on the top of Humpback. Don’t believe me? A photo is worth a thousand words.

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