Humpback Rocks

Today’s hike was again along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Gene dropped me off at the Humpback Rocks Picnic area and I took a short connector trail to the AT.  Hiking north along the AT I climbed over Humpback Mountain and met Gene just before the side trail to Humpback Rocks.

Spider Wort

There was a bit of trail magic on the sign post. Someone had left beer for the weary hikers. There were 2 cans getting warm in the morning sun.

This being a beautiful sunny day of a holiday weekend, the crowds were out. There must have been 20 people on the Rocks when we were there.

Taking a break on the rocks

Humpback Rocks is a large rock formation on the edge of the mountain overlooking Shenandoah Valley. After our break on the Rocks, we continued north to a side trail which led to the Humpback Rocks Parking Area where Gene had left the truck.

View from Humpback Rocks

Even if you aren’t a hiker, the Blue Ridge Parkway is worth a visit. Being a unit of the National Park Service, it is well maintained and features many, many overlooks and interpretive signs for historical, agricultural, and geological features. The speed limit along the Parkway is 45 mph which is slow enough to allow the motorist to soak up the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

A "hog wall"

View of Rockfish Valley from a Parkway overlook

Of the pictures there are two from the Parkway. The stone fence is a remnant of the “hog walls” constructed in the early 1800 by slaves and farmers to help control foraging by half-wild hogs. The view of Rockfish Valley is from an overlook near milepost 3.