Hiking Humpback Rocks in Virginia.

I discovered Humpback Rocks because it happened to be within walking distance from the luxury yurt we chose for our anniversary trip.  I saw a few striking photos of it while browsing through the listing for the yurt and figured it would be the perfect local adventure to tackle during our vacation this past December.

Humpback Rocks is a massive rock formation with an elevation of 3,080 feet.  It’s near the peak of Humpback Mountain and its name reflects the bulge it creates on the mountainside.  It’s part of the Blue Ridge Mountain Range and you can access it via the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP).  This is what we ended up doing since hiking from our yurt would have been too far for me and also because we were really looking forward to driving the northern part of the BRP (we had previously only driven southern portions).

If you plan to hike Humpback Rocks you may want to check the status of the parkway because sometimes certain entrances or parts are closed – especially in the winter.  It’s not always convenient to get onto the BRP; we actually ended up driving for about 45 minutes so that we could use an entrance that we were sure was open.  I’m really glad that we did, however, because the views were breathtaking even though we visited on a grey winter day.

 

 

Hiking Humpback Rocks in Virginia.

This hike is short, popular, and touted as one of the most rewarding hikes in the Blue Ridge.  It’s just one mile from the Humpback Gap parking area to the overlook but it’s rather strenuous as you climb about 740 feet during that mile.  I wasn’t convinced that I could do it – partially because I was experiencing rather intense shortness of breath due to being four months pregnant (this happens because blood volume increases by about 50% during pregnancy).  I also have problems with my knees because of lupus, but I was determined to at least attempt the hike.  I’ve spent so much time sick in bed over the past year that every opportunity to get out and do something fun is a big deal.

You know how sometimes a hike is marked as strenuous but it really doesn’t seem that bad once you get started?  That is not the case with the Humpback Rocks hike.

I ended up having to hike for a few minutes and then stop for a few pretty much the whole way up.  We were not pressed for time and thankfully my husband was (mostly) very patient and supportive during the hour it took me to gradually climb to the top.  (Wikipedia actually lists the hike time as 45 minutes so perhaps I wasn’t doing too badly after all.)  The hike starts out with more of a sloping trail and evolves into stairs at times, but there were a few places where we actually had to kind of scramble upwards.  This may be because we lost the trail on the way up.  We did find the proper one on the way back down, which turned out to be a bit easier – although still full of stairs.

 

 

I would not consider this hike to be extremely well marked, even though plenty of markers were present there were still points where it was not clear which way we should go.

Even though my struggles were a bit more intense compared to the other hikers we saw, I was not the only one on the trail that had difficulty with the climb.  Unless you are in excellent shape then I’d recommend you prepare for quite a workout.

The good news is that every bit of struggle was worth it once we reached the top of Humpback Rocks!

 

 

The rock formation was gorgeous – I couldn’t stop looking at it and Mr. Meena felt like he was on top of the world (or, at least, a very big rock).

 

 

There is a 360 degree view of the landscape if you are willing to navigate a bit around the peak.  To the north you’ll see Shenandoah National Park, to the southwest you’ll see part of the George Washington National Forest, and to the east you’ll see a collection of farms (on clear days, of course).

 

 

I felt so accomplished and happy to soak it all in.

 

 

I do want to point out that climbing onto the actual rock formation is intimidating and potentially dangerous.  Sadly, a young girl fell to her death in 2013 at Humpback Rocks.  I would be extremely cautious about bringing children along for this hike and certainly keep them close if you do bring them.

 

 

 

We met some Germans at the peak which was exciting for us because we lived in Germany for a year.  They were from Hamburg, where Mr. Meena’s favorite German beer is brewed, so of course we bonded easily.  They were so happy and showed an uncharacteristic amount of emotions for Germans.

 

 

It’s definitely the kind of place that makes you smile and want to talk to people around you.

 

 

Humpback Rocks was so beautiful on a dreary, windy day in December that I can only imagine how lovely it would be to visit in the spring or fall.  Of course, I was relieved for the cold temperatures as they made the climb easier.  In fact, it had been cold enough recently that there was a bit of ice on the trail when we made our way back down.

Oh, and we saw this sweet little reminder just as we were about to begin our descent.

 

A post shared by Ava Meena (@mymeenalife) on Dec 25, 2017 at 6:09am PST

 

I had all the warm happy feelings at that point.

Climbing down was much faster, taking about half an hour, and in total we spent about two hours at Humpback Rocks.  The hike could certainly be done in less time, of course, or extended if you do the longer loop or even bring a picnic so you can linger at the top for longer.  I was starving by the time we were done so we headed to our yurt refuge for lunch.

I’m grateful that our proximity to Humpback Rocks gave us the chance to explore it.  I had previously been researching hikes in the Shenandoah National Park for our trip – which would have been fantastic but a bit more time consuming and more expensive.  I’m not sure that I would have discovered this hike and viewpoint if not for our yurt vacation.  It turned out to be the perfect half-day activity for us.

 

Planning Your Trip.

Humpback Rocks is located at milepost 5.8 of the BRP.  We chose to take the Humpback Rocks Trail straight to the top and back down, but there are three routes available.  You can check them out and see a map on the National Park Service site.

You can also visit the Humpback Rocks Visitor Center, which has an outdoor museum, and hike to the overlook from that location.  There is a historic mountain farm and picnic area at the site as well.

Have you heard of Humpback Rocks before?  Is it part of your Virginia bucket list?

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