Hone Quarry Mountain Trail

Hone Quarry Mountain Trail (TR 435) is a long ridge route in the George Washington National Forest west of Harrisonburg, Virginia. It’s mapped as a long-distance hiking route (~9.67 km / about 6 miles) that’s typically run as a loop by linking to Heartbreak and Big Hollow trails.

The ridge travel is the point of the hike: you climb to the Hone Quarry Mountain Trail and then head along the top, with Abbie Point Overlook as the main stopping place. From there, the route continues west along the ridge with the grade staying mostly in the dip-and-climb range.

The toughest riding/hiking feel comes from sustained steep sections and rocky footing, with some parts minimally maintained compared to the more popular GWNF trails. Expect unblazed or sparsely blazed connections at junctions, so navigation needs to be intentional.

Most versions of the loop start by accessing the Hone Quarry Recreation Area area near the Hone Quarry Campground and then ascending via Big Hollow or Heartbreak to reach Hone Quarry Mountain Trail. From the ridge, Big Hollow is used to drop back toward Hone Quarry, closing the loop.

Trail character includes narrow, intermittently overgrown tread in places after you leave the better-known overlooks, plus occasional stream/stream-crossing travel around the Hone Quarry area (dry in summer, but can be difficult when higher).

Given the rocky tread and limited marking at some junctions, bring a map/compass or other reliable navigation and expect to spend more time on route-finding than you would on heavily signed loops.

More information: geocache – Virginia Trail Guide, dry river ranger district - Virginia Trail Guide, Mines Run Trail, GWNF - Wandering Virginia