Trip report

Buck Ridge to Buck Hollow Trail

Hiking/Walk DATE: 06/01/2019 - 06/01/2019

Trip/Event Location: Sperryville, VA
US

Trip Leader(s): TrailGuyEric

Max # People: 15

Trip Guiding / Event Fee: No, I will not be asking participants for money

Difficulty Level: Moderate

This is a great, moderately difficult hike that we have done partially before however due to the heavy rains of last year the water was too deep and fast at the end of the Buck Hollow trail so we had

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Driving directions to the location and spot to meet at:

Drive to Meadow Spring Parking lot, Mile Marker 33.5 off Skyline Drive.  Look for a burgundy Honda Ridgeline truck.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Meadow+Spring+Parking+Area,+Sperryville,+VA+22740/@38.6445473,-78.3086794,14z/data=!4m8!1m2!2m1!1sMeadow+Spring+Parking+lot,+Mile+Marker+33.5+!3m4!1s0x89b449ed04ff32db:0x5be9bec78a7b8502!8m2!3d38.6383692!4d-78.3136365


Trip Report/Photos
Featured Photo

 

Last July we went down this trail (in reverse) looking for Hazel Falls, which the guidebook accidently pointed us in the wrong direction (down Buck Hollow Trail) which turned out to be a marvelous, serendipidous error.  It was a very wet month prior to this hike so the streams, springs, and creeks were at their peak so sounds of water was everywhere.  When we had gotten to the bottom the creek was almost a raging river so we couldn't proceed and the loop trip became an down and back hike.

Not this time.  However, not to jinx things I decided to take the loop counter-clockwise.  Although we have had a wet spring the water levels were much less.  We hiked down Hazel Mountain Trail about 1/2 mile until we came the turn off for Buck Ridge Trail and met a group of hikers come up the trail.  This would be the case the rest of the loop.  Everyone we passed going down Buck Ridge Trail we passed as we went up Buck Hollow Trail with "hello again!!"

Buck Ridge was a very nice trail of dense undergrowth and then great vistas of Mary's Rock (the hike we did the day before and which made the vistas a bit more meaningful)  and the ridges leading up to Mary's Rock.  We eventually came to the dreaded stone staircase down from the ridge of Buck Ridge down to the creek below (the creek that was impassable last year).  Looking at the map there was a bit of confusion since the map showed us crossing the creek at one point then going up on the other side of the creek when in reality, we stayed on the other side of the creek for a 1/2 mile before crossing over.  It was interesting to see the same crossing with just a tepid flow this time compared to last time.  We hiked up Buck Hollow Trail and passed the same hikers from time to time with a chuckle and hello before getting back to the parking lot.

  There are 4 photos in Album (Note: Move mouse pointer over larger pic and click on NEXT for better viewing)

Members That Participated

TrailGuyEric

Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate to Strenuous


Chesterfield, VA


United States
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