MGal Moves

• Next Time: Fox Hollow

• Little Stony Man
  • Completed October 2024, this was officially our first trail hike in the park. It was visited but not overly crowded. We didn’t find it difficult. And if memory serves, we got to watercolor for a half hour before we went back down.
  • AllTrails info: 1.3mi, 344 ft elevation, 30-60 minutes, out & back, moderate
  • Variations: Can be extended into a loop around Stony Man, or include the Stony Man Summit, making it a 3-3.5mi hike for 1.5-2.5 hours
• Dark Hallow Falls
  • Completed October 2024, this is completely skippable. Personally, I don’t find waterfalls that glorious. It’s a downhill hike that’s crowded, and absolutely packed when you get down to the falls. The return uphill is challenging, especially after an underwhelming focal point.
  • AllTrails info: 1.6 mi, 583 ft elevation, 60-90 minutes, out & back, moderate
• Next Times: Mary’s Rock, Stony Man, Hawksbill Summit, AT- Tanners Ridge Road

• Frazier Discovery
  • Completed October 2025, this has been the least popular trail we’ve done. We were the only people at the summit. While Turk Mountain has a more 360 vista, I think the view at this summit is better.
  • AllTrails info: 1.3mi, 449 ft elevation, 30-60 minutes, loop, moderate
• Blackrock Summit
  • Completed October 2025, this has the most unique summit of the park. It’s completely covered in rock slabs that differ dramatically from the rolling hills or mountains you can see in the distance on most summits. This was our easy hike after a more strenuous Turk Mountain. Apparently it gets crowded, but we went during a drizzle so it was pretty empty and still safe.
  • AllTrails info: 1.1 mi, 183 ft elevation, 30-60 minutes, loop, easy
• Turk Mountain
  • Completed October 2025, this has been our biggest hike to-date in the park. It has a scramble at the top with a double sided view of Blue Ridge to the West and Shenadoah Valley to the East.
  • AllTrails info: 2.4 mi, 702 ft. elevation, 90-120 minutes, out & back, moderate

Unfortunately, our accommodations either don’t exist anymore or we don’t strongly recommend. In the case of a North/Central trip, we’ve stayed in New Market, VA in an old-style country AirBnb that is no longer listed. In the case of a South trip, we stayed at the Days Inn by Wyndham Charlottesville/University Area and we weren’t impressed with the value. Next time, we’ll stay further west and closer to the park entrance, rather than prioritizing Charlottesville. We’re still on the search for our go-tos.

North/Central Trip:

• Camino Real of New Market – family Mexican restaurant with massive margaritas; New Market
• The Black Twig – American restaurant in a restored schoolhouse; Sperryville (recommend)
• Fairview Grocery – best tomato soup; Fairfew (recommend)

South Trip:

• Michie Tavern/1784 Pub – fried chicken, mac n cheese, and hushpuppies in a historic 18th century tavern. This is a busy tourist spot; outside of Monticello
• Bobo’s Bagels – basic bagel sandwiches with a cafeteria-like order system, multiple locations but we did the one on UVA campus
• Ivy Provisions – cold sandwiches to take to park
• Lazeez Modern Indian Fare – anti-recommendation, food & drinks were not good

North Trip:

• Henway Hard Ciders – we’re Flock members of this cidery. They have tons of events on weekends and are attached to Great Country Farms, our go-to for pumpkin picking in the fall
• Harper’s Ferry, WV – we’ve done this route to Harper’s Ferry before New Market for a day trip. Parking is challenging but you only need an afternoon unless you’re hiking or rafting.

North/Central Trip:

• Luray Caverns – largest caverns in eastern United States; unique natural feature worth the trip
• New Market Battlefield Visitor Center – Civil War museum. This was across the street from our Airbnb, and we finally popped in for local history. There was a battle through the main street, and the museum is full of stories of what locals did to care for soldiers or what happened on the couple of days both armies were there. I wouldn’t call myself a Civil War buff by any means, but I am curious how and why different parts of the country memorialize it. That includes the Confederacy – I don’t understand it and it’s easy to dismiss it, but if a critical mass of the population cares, I think it forces us to understand why they care. We caught the New Market museum going through a change, with one pamphlet referring to “President Jefferson Davis” and the other just addressing him as the Confederate Commander… From what we could tell, the President version was an old copy, and seemingly all new copies have the Commander language.
• Shenandoah Valley Flea Market – this needs 1-2 hours to get through. It’s a massive building with stalls full of cheap clothes, metals, books & vinyls, antiques, and just general stuff.

Central/South Trip:

• Harrisonburg – college town of James Madison University. I don’t have specific recommendations here, but if you’re looking to for a Barnes and Noble, a Cookout, a cute downtown, a college football game – this is your place.
• Cross Key Vineyards – skippable, we went on a cold day to be fair, but it didn’t demand that we come back in warmer weather.

South Trip:

• Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello – we had a fantastic tour. If you’re a fan of Founding Fathers, you’ll like this. If you’re a fan of holding slaveowners accountable and learning the stories of enslaved people, you’ll like this.
• Charlottesville Historic District – ideal, picturesque American downtown with buskers, outdoor dining, bookstores, and more. Our bookstores: New Dominion Bookshop, Daedalus Used Bookshop, Blue Whale Books.
• Next times: James Madison’s Montpelier, Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia Wine Country