INTRODUCTION AND LOGISTICS
Elizabeth Furnace Recreation Area is located about an hour and 15 minutes west of GWG and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. I've written about this area before because it has a lot to offer, including popular trails to Signal Knob, a year-round campground, and many backpacking opportunities on Massanutten Mountain. There is no entry fee, and the family campground is first-come, first-served. A Forest Service permit is required in addition to a fishing license for fishing in Passage Creek, which is stocked with trout in season and flows past the campground. I met a fisherman who was having excellent luck on a cold December day. Cell phone service is limited, and although I have had good luck with Verizon on the ridges, don't rely on cell phone coverage for navigation or while hiking. Here are some recommendations for hiking, car camping, and backpacking, along with a stop to treat yourself before or after the trip.
HIKES
Signal Knob, the premier hike in this area, is a rocky climb of 1,500 feet over 4½ miles one way to a viewpoint offering a 270-degree view of the valley. The Bear Wallow-Signal Knob trailhead is one mile north of the campground. From the northwest corner of the trailhead parking lot, follow the blue-blazed Signal Knob trail up the rocky path to Signal Knob. Pause along the way to enjoy the views and check out the campsites for a future trip. When you reach Signal Knob, continue past the radio tower to the viewpoint, whose strategic importance made it the site of several Civil War battles. Retrace your steps to the Meneka Peak trail (marked "dayhike" in Map 1 below) and the blue-blazed Tuscarora Trail, which is 6 miles one-way to the trailhead parking lot.
Other hikes include the Charcoal Interpretive Trail, which is a pleasant 0.6-mile stroll from the day use area, and the 8-mile Tuscarora/Sherman Gap loop shown in Map 2, which includes ridgetop and streamside hiking and offers a lot of solitude compared to Signal Knob.
CAR CAMPING
The Elizabeth Furnace family campground has 30 sites, each with a picnic table and fire ring. Hot showers and flush toilets are available in warmer months. Drinking water and vault toilets are available year-round. There is a nightly fee of $20 (as of 2024). Many sites are located along Passage Creek. All sites in the family campground are first-come, first-served, but there is also a group camping area that requires reservations on recreation.gov.
INTRODUCTORY BACKPACKING
There are many primitive sites with no amenities within 3 or 4 miles of the Signal Knob trailhead shown in Map 1 above. Any of these could be enjoyable for beginners.
ADVANCED BACKPACKING
If you are ready for challenging trails but still want some amenities, the one-way 8½-mile Massanutten Trail to Little Crease Shelter is a good option and is shown in Map 2 above. I don't recommend this as an introductory trip because the trail is very rocky and a bit strenuous. (The 1-mile Veach Gap Trail from Veach Gap trailhead might be an easy alternative.) This well-maintained three-sided Appalachian Trail style shelter offers protection from bad weather. There are 4 elevated bunks, with additional space on the floor, but camping is prohibited in the vicinity. Usage is generally light, and I had it to myself on a cold weeknight in December. Spring weekends might be a different story. Water is available, but it must be treated. There is also a privy and a fire ring. You can leave your bear canister at home, because a bear pole protects your food from most animals (and vice versa). I put my food in a wire mesh Outsak storage bag, and I'll be happy to tell you about flying squirrels if you stop by the store 😉.
To reach the Little Crease Shelter, start at the southern end of the parking lot on the orange-blazed Massanutten Trail, which soon joins the Tuscarora Trail. After about a mile, you'll cross the road and find toilets at the day-use area before crossing Passage Creek on a bridge. After a short stretch along Passage Creek, the trail becomes rocky as you climb 1,400 feet over 3 miles, with the rocks continuing along the ridge. You'll intersect the Sherman Gap Trail, which will be your return route and also creates the Tuscarora/Sherman Gap dayhiking loop of about 9 miles. You'll pass several campsites before descending at around 6 miles. At about 8½ miles, you'll cross Mill Run and reach the shelter.
Return to the trailhead by retracing your steps 3½ miles to the Sherman Gap Trail, which descends steeply at first, and then more gently to the Botts Trail. The Botts Trail parallels Passage Creek and provides fishing opportunities before reaching the day use area , where you'll rejoin the Massanutten Trail to the trailhead.
If you're willing to forgo the amenities at Little Crease Shelter, there are many trip options from one night to a week on the Massanutten Trail. Here's a two-night trip that I enjoyed and is perfect for a weekend. It is shown on Map 1 above.
Day 1: ~4 miles. Pack plenty of water and take the Signal Knob Trail described above. Spend the first night at one of the dry campsites on Signal Knob or Meneka Peak. Bring your bear canister, because this is definitely bear country, and remember to pack out your trash. A one-night trip to this spot or one of the other campsites shown would also make a nice trip for beginners.
Day 2: 6.5 Miles. Descend the Massanutten Trail to Little Passage Creek to fill up on water for tonight's dry site near the intersection of the Mine Gap and Massanutten Trails. After Little Passage Creek, you'll ascend the Tuscarora-Doll Ridge Trail and walk 3 miles along a very rocky ridge to the intersection with with Massanutten Trail, arriving at the spacious campsite (above right) shortly after the intersection with the Mine Gap Trail.
Day 3: 9 Miles. Return to the trailhead by retracing your steps to the Tuscarora-Doll Ridge Trail, then descend the Massanutten Trail to Mudhole Gap, where you'll find the most impressive piped spring I've ever seen. Continue on the Massanutten Trail, which becomes a gravel road at this point, for about 3 miles past scenic Strasburg Reservoir to the Tuscarora-Bear Wallow Trail, which takes you back to the parking lot in about 4 miles.
For maximum adventure, hop onto the Tuscarora Trail for weeks of hiking!
FUN FACT
The Tuscarora Trail was originally designed as an alternate route for the AT in 1964, when it was thought that access to the existing route would be lost. AT hikers can be thankful the original route was preserved, because the Tuscarora is more challenging. Compare for yourself by hiking the infamous Roller Coaster section of the AT and then tackling the Tuscarora Trail sections described here.
"WORTH A STOP"
Red Truck Rural Bakery in Marshall is worth a stop for a breakfast treat on the way out. I also picked up a chicken salad sandwich to eat on the trail for lunch. Stop again to pick up dessert on the way home and enjoy what President Obama called "darn good pie" on Pi Day 2016. Don't look for the namesake red truck, though, as that is at their Warrenton location.
Please stop by the store if you have any questions about the trails, camping, or gear you'll need. We love helping our neighbors get outside!
LINKS
Park, Hiking, and Camping Information
Places to Eat