WOLF GAP - George Washington National Forest
Wolf Gap is a great place to camp but can get full on some weekends. Fortunately, there are many spots to camp outside the main campground. There are 9 primitive sites with tent pads, picnic table, and fire ring. A pit style toilet is also available. Water is available from an old time hand pump. The water is good but contains a great deal of iron ore so you may wish to bring your own. There is also a picnic area with tables and grills. Spots in the camp ground are first come first serve. After you pick a spot, walk down to the parking area and fill out a card for your site. Pack out your trash.How to get there?
 | From I-81, take exit 283 Woodstock VA South toward Columbia Furnace. Go 5.3 miles and take a right on 768; Union Church Road. Go .3 miles and take hard right onto 675. At .5 miles 608 leaves to the right (3.9 miles to gate on FR 88) At 3 miles, stay right to continue on 675.At 4.9 Sam Clark road (789) goes left up the mountain to some camp spots at top At 5.3 FR 92 goes right eventually to FR 88 / route 608 At 6.7 Arrive at Wolf Gap Camp Ground on Right |
What to do?
 | The Big Schloss is a large rock out cropping with stunning views of Stony Creek valley and on the other side, Trout Run valley. The Shenandoah valley, Massanutten mountain, and the blue ridge are visible in the distance. The big schloss is a 2 mile hike up the Mill Mountain trail (blazed Orange) from campsite #9. The hike is very steep for the first half mile but otherwise not too strenuous. Go left after .5 mile at top of ridge. There are great views from the ridge as you walk along to the schloss. Take a right onto a white blaze trail from the main trail just under 2 miles at the sign. This is a great hike with kids. Continue on past the schloss for another mile to take the Mill Mountain cut off trail (blazed blue) down to forest road 92 in two miles. |
There are dozens of places to hike and explore in this part of the forest.
- Continue down 675 past Wolf Gap for about 5.5 miles to FR 562 with parking and a camp site for the half moon trail. 3.5 miles up to Half Moon lookout. Stay right on trail around 1.0 mile at creek crossing, left trail goes to another parking lot on 675. Come to intersection with sign at 2.5; go left 1 mile to look out. Go right .7 miles to big blue / tuscarora trail.
- Go to the end of FR 88 and park at the gate, hike past the gate on the road then past the second gate. Cool hike with kids on a hot day; Trail is in the creek for a mile past the second gate. then a cool pond. Large Ant hills further on. Big Blue/Tuscarora trail in a couple of miles.
- Also from the end of FR 88 is a trail up to the little sluice. This is a four wheel drive trail leaving on the left up to the ridge a mile or so after the gate. At the top, go to the top left corner of the open field and follow the trail out to the little sluice, which is a rock out crop with a great view of Stony Creek Valley and the Big Shloss.
- Across the road from Wolf Gap Camp Ground is over flow camping and the Tibbet Knob trail. Here is a nice shot of Tibbet Knob looking back from an over look 4.5 miles down the Mill Mountain Trail. Directly behind the Wolf Gap sign pictured at the top of this page is a narrow dirt driveway up into the over flow sites. Follow the woods road up the hill and it eventually turns into the Tibbet Knob Trail. There are several primitive camp sites at the top but no water up there.
- .5 miles down 92 is a short trail going back up toward Wolf Gap
- 3.2 miles down FR 92 on left, the Mill Mountain Cut Off trail leaves up hill to join Mill Mountain Trail in around a mile.
- 3.7 miles down FR 92 is the stony creek. Coming from Wolf Gap, Trail left goes ~ 3 miles to the big blue/tuscaroa. Trail right follows the creek for a mile or two before ending. Creek is stocked for trout fishing.
- The zoo which used to operate next to the store a few miles further down 675 is closed. The store remains open.
- Sadly, the five guys burgers and fries that used to be at the intersection of I-81 and 42 is gone. Several fast food places and Walmart remain.
Where else to camp nearby?
There are four or five over flow camp sites across 675 from Wolf Gap. Several of these have picnic tables and fire rings.There are also some spots down forest road 92 about 5 miles and 6.4 miles. Forest Road 88 also has a couple of spots.
Driving back down 675 toward Columbia Furnace from Wolf Gap, the first gravel road on the right; Sam Clark (789) will take you up the mountain towards tibbet knob. There are several primitive campsites at the top .
5 miles past Wolf Gap toward Wardensville WV on 675 take a right onto FR 562. The half moon trail parking area has a camp spot next to the creek.