Massanutten Mountain. 

Maps: PATC Maps G (North) and H (South), Trails Illustrated Map 792: Massanutten & Great North Mtn. All hikes before 08.2002 use trails as described in map G (Ed. 6, June 1998).

Books: Guide to Massanutten Mountain Hiking Trails by PATC.   Circuit Hikes in MD, VA, WV and PA by PATC, 50 Hikes in Northern VA by Leonard Adkins, 2^d ed.

Notes: In 2002 the whole trail system in Massanutten was changed.  A huge new loop sorrounding the Massanutten Ridges was created.

Hike 1.  Massanutten Mtn. North.

North East

Club: Several clubs and leaders.

Date: 04/08/02.

Parking: Rt. 55, Rt. 678, Parking is usually at Elizabeth Furnace, although there are about 5 parking spots within a mile above and below in both sides of the street.

Trails: Three Top Mtn. Tr., Mudhole Gap Tr., Tuscarora Tr. – Bear Wallow Tr., Signal Knob Tr., Sherman Gap Tr., Massanutten Mtn. East Tr., Shawl Gap Tr.

Trace file: MassanuttenNorth_GPS20020408.tpo

Notes: This is my first GPS experience when I didn’t understand certain things, such as every hike should have one trace file, waypoints are useful, NiMH batteries last longer, external antenna significantly improves reception.  So consider this trace not as a hike or hikes, but rather as several trails that can be combined into different hikes.  Two profiles represent the western and the eastern section of the northern part of the Massanutten Mtns.

Hike 2.  Dogwood 2002.

Club: PATC.

Organizer: Ric Francke.

Date: 04/20/02

Parking: RT55 – Left on RT678 – Right on RT771 – Right on RT66 –Powell’s Fort Camp – abandoned campground or military site.

Trails: Three Top Mtn. Tr. –  Signal Knob Tr. – Sherman Gap Tr. all the way to the end. –  RT613 – Tuscarora Tr. (Little Crease Mtn. – Massanutten Mtn. East – Shawl Gap Tr. Bear Wallow Tr.) – Gap Tr.

Trace file: Dogwood_GPS20020420.tpo; DogwoodComplete20020420.tpo

Notes: The night before the hike there was a lightning on the Meneka Peak which caused the fire.  The hike route was moved from that area and the Sherman Gap East - RT613 – RT613 – Tuscarora  Tr. (Little Crease Mtn) loop was added which made the hike more strenuous and longer.  As always, the most challenging part was the Sherman Gap TR.  It was drizzling part of the time and probably was the reason of a casualty – one hiker fell off an narrow trail and was killed by a head injury.

      In regards to the traces, at that time I used Alkaline instead of NiMH or Lithium in my GPS, the hike was 10 hours and I ran out of them.  The first trace and elevation profile show the part of the hike when the batteries were working.  The second trace and profile show the whole Dogwood – I merged the GPS profile of the Gap Tr. and drew freehand the rest (from Shawl Gap to the start of the Gap Tr.) – so the accuracy for the complete route is not perfect.

Hike 3.  Three Top Mtn – Woodstock Tower.

Club: Wanderbirds shuttle.

Date: 05/19/02.

Parking: RT55 – RT678 intersection with the campground Bear Wallow Spur Tr. 

Second Parking: RT678 – RT758 to the Woodstock Gap and Woodstock Tower.

Trails: Bear Wallow Spur Tr. – Bear Wallow Tuscarora Tr. – Massanutten Mtn. West Tr. (There Top Mtn.).

Trace file: ThreetopMtn_WoodstockTower_GPS20020519.tpo

Notes: The map says about the Three Top Mtn.: “for experienced hikers only”.  Very rocky.  After the Mudhole Gap it gets better though.  Make sure to bring PATC map 10, F and a good pair of Binoculars.  From the 3-Story Woodstock tower you will be able to see the Shenandoah NP, and the Big Schloss in the Great North Mtn.  My trace shows compass directions to the most famous peaks that can be seen from there.  Watch for many bends of the Shenandoah River.  If the weather is good, you will also be able to see para gliders.

Hike 4.  Scothorn Gap to New Market Gap.

Club: NVHC and PATC (Part of Jack’s Massanutten Series).

Leaders: Jack and William

Date: 06/15/02

Parking: RT211 – TR274 (Chrisman Hollow Rd) – Scothorn Gap Parking.

Trails: Scothorn Gap Tr. – Massanutten Mtn. East Tr. – RT415 Massanutten Mtn South Tr. – Massanutten Visitors Center – Chrisman Hollow Rd. – Massanutten Story Tr. – Waterfall Mtn. Tr. and back to the Massanutten Mtn. East Tr. – Scothorn Gap Tr.

Trace file: ScothonGap_NewMarketGap_GPS20020615.tpo

Notes:  Very challenging hike.  Good for high temperature – most of the hike is in the valley or under the tree cover.

Hike 5.  Runkles Gap  to Catherine Furnace.

Club: NVHC and PATC (Part of Jack’s Massanutten Series).

Leaders: Jack and William.

Date: 09/21/02

Parking: (PATC MAP H) shuttle: RT211 – right on RT340 – right on 685 (Newport Rd).  Park at Catherine Furnace.

Parking 2: After the Catherine Furnace, drive on the Club Run Road all the way to Truckles Gap.  Park on the road at the Boone Run Tr. trailhead.

Trails: Boone Run Tr.  – (Martin Bottom Tr. – Club Run Rd – Fridley Gap Tr.) loop (Fridley Gap Tr. curves a lot – it’s very hard to figure it out on the map) – Massanutten Mtn. South Tr. – Fridley Gap Tr. to the top and down – Massanutten Mtn. South Tr. – Big Mtn. Rd.

Trace file: RunklesGap_CatherineFurnace_GPS20020921.tpo

GPS TrackMaker file: RunklesGap_CatherineFurnace_GPS20020921.gtm

Notes: The hike is very good and strenuous.  Particularly strenuous is the Fridley Gap Climb from the Massanutten Mtn. Tr. (see the spike ending at waypoint 12 on the elevation profile above – very steep).

Hike 6.  Edinburg Gap to Crisman Hollow Rd.

Club: Wonderbirds.

Leader: Ariella.

Date: 09/29/02

Parking: Shuttle, RT211 – right RT675 (complicated junction, see Delorme map) parking at Edinburg Gap.

Parking 2: RT675 – down to Crisman Hollow Rd – Gap Creek Tr. Parking.

Trails: Massanutten Tr. – Side Trip to the overlook – Jawbone Gap Tr.

Trace file: EdinburgGap_CrismanHollowRd_GPS20020929.tpo

GPS TrackMaker file:  EdinburgGap_CrismanHollowRd_GPS20020929.gtm

Notes:  Very beautiful hike. The most amount of overlooks I’ve seen on a hike.  American Chestnut trees.  Saw my first and last bear on the trail.  Make sure to fallow the blazes, not the wide gravel roads, sometimes trails go off the wide roads unexpectedly.

Hike 7.  Duncan Knob – Strickler Knob – Camp Roosevelt – Lions Tail Tr.

Club: Weiming and me scouting.

Date: 10/26/02

Parking: RT211 – right on RT274 all the way to the Gap Creak Tr. Parking.

Trails: Gap Creak Tr. – Duncan Knob Tr. – Massanutten Tr. (Duncan Hollow) – RT675 – Crisman Hollow Rd. – Lions Tail Tr.

Trace file: DuncanKnob_CampRoosevelt_GPS20021026.tpo

GPS TrackMaker file: DuncanKnob_CampRoosevelt_GPS20021026.gtm

General and waypoint description file: DuncanKnob_CampRoosevelt_GPS20021026.doc

Notes:  See description file.  The hike is relatively easy.  Make sure to fallow the blazes, not the wide gravel roads, sometimes trails go off the wide roads unexpectedly.

Hike 8.  Camp Roosevelt Crisman Hollow.

Club: Jack and William unofficial scouting.

Date: 01/02/02

Parking: RT211 – RT211 Business – RT675 -  park on  the intersection with the Massanutten Tr. (300 – 400 yards before Camp Roosevelt).

Trails: Massanutten Tr. south-west all the way to its most southern terminus – same tr. up to the Waterfall Mtn. On top of the mtn., when the tr. flattens, and makes a sharp turn left, keep straight on an unblazed tr. to reach the beautiful pond.  Go back 50 or less yards to the old road going south-west to Crisman Hollow Rd.  Massanutten Tr. on Kerns Mtn.- Jawbone Gap Tr. Turkey Pen Rd. – Crisman Hollow Rd. – RT675.

Trace file: CampRoosevelt_CrismanHollow_GPS20021102.tpo

GPS TrackMaker file: CampRoosevelt_CrismanHollow_GPS20021102.gtm

General and waypoint description file: CampRoosevelt_CrismanHollow_GPS20021102.doc

Notes:  see description file.

Hike 9.  Duncan Knob – Strickler Knob.

Club: Matthew, Trace and me unofficial scouting.

Date: 01/26/03

Parking: RT211 – Crisman Hollow Rd. to the int. w. Gap Creek Tr. Parking.

Trails: Gap Creek Tr. – Duncan Knob Tr. – Massanutten Tr. south-west - bushwhacking to the Strickler Knob – Massanutten Tr. – Crisman Hollow Rd. north –east.

Trace file: StricklerKnob_GPS20030126.tpo

GPS TrackMaker file: StricklerKnob_GPS20030126.gtm

General and waypoint description file: StricklerKnob_GPS20030126.doc

Notes:  see description file.

Hike 10.  Shawl Gap Tr. - Sherman Gap Tr. RT613.

Club: MWROP and PATC.

Leader: Chris Nolen (Tuesday Group).

Date: December 2002 or January 2003.

Trace file: ShawlGapTr_ShermanGapTr_RT613_GPS20030209CNolen.tpo

Notes:  This hike trace was given to me by Chris Nolen.