I’ve been away from college for the past couple of weekends, traveling different places, and, with this weekend being the first weekend I’ve stayed at school in about a month, I was dying to adventure! Luckily for us, it got up to 70 degrees and we had such a beautiful day!
We first decided to go to Seneca Rocks, which is about an hour and a half away from JMU. Fifteen minutes into our ride, we realized it was probably closed because it’s only February! I guess the warm weather got to our heads a little bit. After calling and confirming that it was in fact closed, we decided to head to a place we had heard a lot about but never had the chance to go to – the Massanutten Storybook Trail! Heading north from JMU, it only takes about 35 minutes to get to and it’s a beautiful drive, no matter what time of year. There’s a small parking lot at the head of the trail and we didn’t have any trouble finding somewhere to park!
The beginning of the trail!
The trail is paved and only about a mile long, out and back, so if you’re looking for a little nature walk with killer views, this is absolutely perfect for you! It’s especially perfect if you have children or grandparents that you’d like to bring with you. After crossing over a wooden bridge and walking along the path for a little while, you come to a lookout area where you have one of the best views of the valley I have ever seen! We were amazed at the views we could get with such a short drive and “hike.”
The lookout area is surrounded with beautiful pine trees!
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can venture off the platform that the park has created and soak up some views from other viewpoints! Turning to your right, you can go off of the platform and walk to some flat rock areas, where it would be nice to eat lunch, take pictures, or just relax! My roommate and I were definitely wishing we had brought a blanket and some lunch to eat while we sat and hung out.
There are so many flat rocks that are perfect for looking out!
One of the areas that would be good to have lunch on!
We ended up staying for about an hour and a half and, while we were there, we probably saw about 20-30 people so it wasn’t crowded but we definitely had some good company! We saw everyone from babies to grandparents, so it’s very safe for all ages. With the trail being paved, even people with low mobility might still be able to come! I definitely recommend this for a quick, scenic treat if you’re in the mood for some fresh air but don’t have the time or energy for a full-on hike. We had a blast!
Thanks for reading! I hope you’re able to check out the Storybook Trail sometime soon!
