Blackrock Summit has something for everybody, whether you prefer for an easy hike with big views or an adventurous climb on an ancient rocky peak.
Blackrock Summit is a popular hike on Skyline Drive at milepost 84.4. The hike and surrounding areas are some of the most beautiful and unspoiled places in Virginia. And that’s why you want to come here.
There are no cities in the distance reminding you of modern life. Just come with your backpack and boots and be in a place of undomesticated beauty.
When I was looking for short hikes to do on my last trip to Shenandoah National Park, Blackrock Summit stood out.
I love rock scrambling. Blackrock has a rock scramble, ergo…I love Blackrock Summit?
I needed to find out.
I remembered seeing that it was supposed to have great views but I didn’t know if those views would be of a community filled valley or rolling mountains.
Spoiler: It’s beautiful rolling mountains.
Before I began the hike, I had conjured a mental image of the rock scramble being something relatively small and easy to breeze through.
Once I reached the boulder field, it was a lot bigger than I was expecting and the view was huge. This definitely wasn’t going to be a quick trip.
Blackrock Summit Hike
Length: 1 mile loop
Elevation Gain: 175 feet
Difficulty: Easy *
Great For: Wide views, rock scrambling, leg stretching, kids
Location: Shenandoah National Park on Skyline Drive (Milepost 84.4)
When to Visit: All four seasons
How we Rate it: 3/5, For just the hike it’s really pretty. If you are going to rock scramble it gets much more exciting and I’d rate it 4/5.
* The hike is very easy but rock scrambling is inherently more difficult and dangerous than hiking. If you are doing the rock scramble I would rate it as Moderately difficult.
Hiking Blackrock Summit
The parking lot for Black Rock Summit connects directly to the trailhead.
The parking lot is a bit small; if you find the lot is full you can also park at the Jones Run Falls Trailhead and take the Appalachian Trail to the Black Rock Summit parking area.
This adds a little more than half a mile or 15 to 20 minutes and very little elevation.
The trail from the Black Rock Summit Parking area forms a loop by connecting the Appalachian Trail to the Trayfoot Mountain Trail.
There are even more trails in the trail system in this area but for this short hike all you really need to do is follow the signs.
Everything is well marked.
Which direction to hike?
Some loop trails can be more or less difficult depending on if you go clockwise or counterclockwise. That’s not the case for Blackrock Summit.
Both directions are easy.
If you go counterclockwise and take the Appalachian Trail you will hit the overlook slightly sooner and that’s what we did.
Hiking Blackrock Summit Counterclockwise
The first half of the hike along the Appalachian Trail is an easy walk through a dense forest of hickory and oak.
It doesn’t take long to reach the incredible boulder field and stunning view, though.
The trail circles around the boulders and there are several spots where the view is absolutely incredible, whether or not you climbed the rocks.
There is a marked intersection with the Blackrock Spur Trail as the Appalachian Trail bends across the slope.
You can follow this down the mountain to one of the intersections with the Trayfoot Mountain Trail and then follow Trayfoot Mountain back to the parking lot or just keep to the Appalachian Trail as it hugs the bouldery summit.
Staying on the Appalachian Trail also connects you to the other intersection with the Trayfoot Mountain Trail as you exit the boulder summit area. This is the route you want for the shortest hike.
Rock Scramble Area
Collapsed quartzite rock forms Blackrock Summit. The rock is believed to be formed from the seabed of the Iapetus ocean, an ancient sea that disappeared more than 400 million years ago.
For those of you that want to nerd out on geology, here’s a deep dive on the Iapetus Ocean. Seriously, where was any of this information when I was in school?
The map on the trail board has four little green ‘V’s indicating where viewpoints are along the trail around the summit.
In reality, the entire section around the boulder area is a viewpoint. Layers upon layers of mountains as far as you can see.
If you decide to scramble on the rocks you can get above the tree line and the view opens up even more.
Climbing on the boulders at Black Rock Summit
Rock Scrambling is inherently more dangerous than hiking. Make sure you have proper foot wear and your 10 essentials anytime you go rock scrambling and never climb alone.
When you first reach the boulders from the Appalachian Trail side, the slope is very steep. You can definitely scale it from this direction, but it’ll be more difficult.
The slope of the boulders gets less severe the further you go around the summit.
After the trail bend and the intersection with the Black Rock Summit spur, the rocks seemed the best for scrambling. It was still mentally challenging but not too physically difficult.
You will need both hands free to climb the boulders, but you don’t need any climbing experience to scale the rocks.
Just watch your footing, some rocks shift when you put your weight on them.
Once you are ready to head back to the trail you will need to find a safe route down the boulders.
I found the climb down more difficult than the climb up. No matter how you do it, you’ll have to go slow and shift your weight from rock to rock, testing for stability.
Just before you reach the Trayfoot Mountain Trail, there is a small section at the edge of the boulders that is much more level than the rest of the area. This is the best place for kids to get on the rocks and climb around.
Go left on the Trayfoot Mountain Trail and follow the winding path through the forest. You will arrive back at the parking lot in short order.
Even with the rock scrambling this hike took a little less than an hour. You don’t need to do the rock scramble to really enjoy the view. If you do decide to scramble it’s more of a puzzle than strenuous work.
I was really happy that we took this hike. It certainly helped that we were there when the fall leaves were peaking.
Even without the fall colors the rock scramble is fun and the view is wide and wild.
If you love rock scrambling and huge views then you really, really need to go to Bearfence Rock Scramble and Devil’s Marbleyard. It’s a longer, more technical rock scramble packed into a short hike. And one of our favorite can’t miss short hikes in Shenandoah National Park.
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