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Little Stony Man, Shenandoah National Park

Luray, Virginia

4.7/5
based on 9 reviews

Details

Distance

1.23 miles

Elevation Gain

433 ft

Route Type

Out-and-Back

Description

Added by Christin Healey

Take in great views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Skyline Drive on this dog-friendly hike. You can extend this hike onto Stony Man summit (but this trail does not allow dogs). This is also a very easy hike for sunset as it's not far to hike back in the dark (Dog not included ;-).

The parking lot for the trail is right before mile 40 on Skyline drive in Shenandoah National Park. The entire out and back is only .9 miles, so it's the perfect hike to take in a sunset after a long day, take a break from driving, or just pick a hike that is family and dog friendly as Stoney Man, a little further away, does not allow dogs and may be challenging for children. From the parking lot, just follow the signs to the Little Stoney summit, bearing left at the first trail sign. In less than .5 miles, you will reach the rocky outcrop of Little Stoney Man. Bring a book, a lunch or dinner, and hang out on the cliffs for awhile. For a more challenging trek, you can continue on to Stoney Man if you don't have any pups with you to make for a 3.7 mile total hike. Either way, it's a great little hike for beautiful views.

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Features

Photography
Hiking
Dog Friendly
Easy Parking
Family Friendly
Food Nearby
Scenic

Little Stony Man, Shenandoah National Park Reviews

This is a great hike for families. The west facing view make it a nice location to watch the sunset. The parking lot is very small (4 or 5 cars) but don't worry if it is full 0.4 miles north along sky line is Stony Man Overlook (mile marker 41.7) has a lot of parking spots. Once parked just hop of the AT and head south to the cliffs.

Being no stranger to Shenandoah National Park, I tried to encourage some of my greenhorn buddies to join me on a backpacking trip in November. It became quite apparent that my packing list recommendations fell on deaf ears. That being said, we started our weekend journey by hiking up Little Stony Man. Though the weather became increasingly cold, our spirits were kept warm by the near-memories of the mornings hike up to this view. Though we had long missed the leaf-peeping time of year, the views were far from disappointing.

It's as simple as a really cool and simple hike with a rewarding summit! Worth a stop on your drive down the Skyline Drive!

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

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Stony Man Trail, Shenandoah National Park

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