Virginia
Shenandoah County
Signal Knob Trail
Great vistas in George Washington National Forest
The trail starts uphill with yellow/orange blazes and curves to the right around the mountain for about 1.5 miles to Buzzard Rock Overlook. With a 1600 foot elevation gain over the first 3 miles, and very Rock Terrain this hike is strenuous. There is a total elevation gain of 2600 feet between the two ascents. Signal Knob is a mountain in the Massanutten Ridge that is near Front Royal. The summit of Signal Knob offers a great view of Fort Valley.
Length: 10.5 miles
Difficulty: 8
Nearby Trails
Bluff-Appalachian Trail Loop
Features Big Devil Stairs
Whiteoak Canyon Falls
Six waterfalls falls, starting from the Blue Ridge and ending down at the base of the canyon
Riprap Trail
Hike to Chimney Rock
Turk Mountain
Popular shaded trail with a spectacular view of southern part of Shenandoah National Park at the summit
Dolly Sods Wilderness
Rohrbaugh Plains Trail - Spectacular wilderness scenery
Day Hike
We didn't hike the entire Signal Knob hike, but rather followed the 8.6 mile Meneka Peak trail which included a good amount of Signal Knob. The Overlook was just gorgeous and I was able to snap quite a few beautiful images. This hike was also incredibly dog friendly for those of us with large high energy dogs (I have German Shepherds)It's a rocky climb in many areas but, as long as you have a little endurance built up and aren't trying to win a race, very do-able for those in okay shape. I'm overweight myself, but I do high incline walking on the treadmill and ellyptical on a daily basis. I think almost anyone who doesn't have any real physical issues is capable of doing the 8.6 mile day hike if they just take it slow and steady. But...if you are slow and steady be sure to get an early start if you plan to make the dinner table :)