Humpback Rock
A popular short hike near the start of the Blue Ridge Parkway, climbing 1.6 km steeply to a rock with views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Humpback Rock lies 6 miles along the Blue Ridge Parkway and is Charlottesville’s favorite weekend hiking spot. The round trip from the parking lot is about 3.2 km with a climb of roughly 250 metres. The trail is steep but short. At the top, a large expanse of bare rock offers a 180-degree view over the Shenandoah Valley and the ridges. Beside the parking lot is an open-air museum of a nineteenth-century mountain farmstead. Entry is free, but parking is limited on weekends. It is about 40 minutes’ drive from downtown and can be combined with Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Tunnel.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Wintergreen Resort
- Skyline Drive South District, Shenandoah National Park
- Blue Ridge Tunnel
- King Family Vineyards
- Crabtree Falls
- University of Virginia Academical Village & Rotunda
- The Fralin Museum of Art
- Historic Downtown Mall