When you hear the word “blaze,” do you think of a big, roaring fire? If you are a hiker, you might know of another definition. “Blaze” is the word used in North America for a 2-inch by 6-inch vertical rectangle, often made of paint, applied to tree trunks and boulders to mark mountain trails. Trails are typically marked in a single color from beginning to end, but colors may combine when trails intersect. Want to follow the blazes? Below are a few nearby trails to explore.
- Humpback Rocks Hiking Trails
This collection of trails is accessible from the Humpback Gap Visitor’s Center parking area. A quarter-mile trail leads through an outdoor mountain farm museum from the 1890s. A one-mile hike from there leads to Humpback Rocks, and another mile heads up Humpback Mountain where views of the Rockfish and Shenandoah Valleys await. The Humpback Rocks picnic area sits two miles further and, a little further down on the Catoctin Trail, provides a scenic overlook of the Shenandoah Valley and western horizon. When the path merges with the Appalachian Trail (AT), white blazes mark the route. A single blaze indicates the trail continues straight while a double blaze indicates an upcoming turn. Allow one hour to Humpback Rocks, two hours to Humpback Mountain, and four hours to hike to the picnic area. The best times to visit are from April through October. If you don’t want to hike all the way from the visitor’s center, there are parking lots and trailheads at Humpback Rocks and Humpback Rocks picnic area.
- Appalachian Trail (AT)
This path spans 2,000 miles from Maine to Georgia but can be accessed locally from Rockfish Gap or the Humpback Rocks parking area as well as a number of other points in the South River Watershed along the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive. Southbound hikers can reach it by continuing south on the Humpback Rocks Trail. Northbound hikers can reach it by taking the one-mile, blue-blazed path at the northern end of the parking lot or the one-mile, white-blazed path just off the Howardsville Turnpike Trail. The main AT trail is marked with white blazes. Blue blazes indicate a spur trail branching off the AT.
- Blue Ridge Tunnel Trail
This trail sports a parking lot at both the Nelson County end and the Augusta County end. The tunnel itself is three-quarters of a mile in length so the length of your hike will depend on which parking lot you leave from. The East Trailhead, in the village of Afton, is closer to the tunnel and the half-mile trail is mobility accessible. A hike from the parking lot through the tunnel and back is about 2.5 miles. The West Trailhead is located just off U.S. Route 250 between Waynesboro and Rockfish Gap where the Blue Ridge Parkway, Skyline Drive, and AT all converge. Hiking from this end will require more time because it is nearly a mile in length and hilly, meaning the round-trip is almost 3.5 miles. The tunnel temperature stays between 50°F and 60°F all year long, so you might want to bring a jacket. Most importantly, always bring a flashlight or headlamp. (Do not rely on your cell phone flashlight.)
- Kennedy Ridge Trail
This 7-mile out-and-back trail near Stuarts Draft is generally considered a challenging route and takes an average of 3 hours and 41 minutes to complete. The Kennedy Ridge Trail is a popular trail for birding, hiking, and walking. Park at the large parking area off Virginia State Route 675 (SR675) at the Stephens Trail and Horse Trailer parking area.
Photo: View from Humpback Rocks (picture credit).