Little Stony Man, Shenandoah National Park
Luray, Virginia
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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Reviews
Somewhat bleak when done in Feb 2022. Fairly good views for a short and simple hike. Not my favorite but just what was called for on a cold winter’s day with a 6 month old puppy.
4.0
It was good and had multiple viewpoints
5.0
Absolute hit. Don't know what else to say about this one. The reward for such a short walk is pretty incredible, especially in the early morning or late evening. Expect crowds during peak hours, as with most short hikes along Skyline.
5.0
For a less than one mile hike with only a little bit of climbing, the views are spectacular. The area is basically the top of a cliff, so there are unobstructed views to the west that make it absolutely perfect for sunset. The only downside is that because it's so accessible, it can also be crowded and it's not a large area to view from. You can also continue on to the top of Stony Man from here, which I would highly recommend.
5.0
One of my favorite Skyline hikes, moderate incline to amazing views. Best moment was seeing a bear crossing the road below from the top.
5.0
I did this hike after being disappointed hiking up to the summit of Stony Man. We had some extra time so we decided to loop down around the Little Stony Man trail and I'm so glad we did. The views are great, it's less crowded, it's easy and there are a lot of other cool features along the trail like the giant rock face you get to hike under. I definitely recommend this hike!
5.0
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.
4.0
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.
4.0
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!
5.0
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Nearby
Stony Man Trail, Shenandoah National Park
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