Mary’s Rock Hike

Day 3 of Shenandoah National Park Get-Away

Please visit our post about Shenandoah National Park for the start of our journey.

About the Hike

Buck Ridge Trail to Mary’s Rock via AllTrails

Website to Mary’s Rock Hike via National Parks Service

Date of hike: 03/20/2021

Difficulty level: moderate

Distance: 8.8 miles round trip

Elevation: 3,514 feet

Elevation gain: 2,585 feet

Location: Shenandoah National Park, Madison, VA

About Mary’s Rock

Mary’s Rock is the eighth highest peak in Shenandoah. It is located just south of the Thornton Gap Entrance to Shenandoah National Park.

According to Wikipedia, there are many versions as to how the mountain got its name.  The first story claims that Francis Thornton, a landowner after whom the Thornton Gap is named, showed the property he and his newlywed bride, Mary Savage would own together.  Supposedly, Francis Thornton either pushed Mary off the cliff or Mary slipped and fell to her death allowing Thornton to inherit the property. 

Another story claims that Mary was Thornton’s daughter, who climbed up the mountain as a young girl and returned with a bear cub in her arms. 

A third version states that the mountain was named after the wife of William Randolph Barbee, an American sculptor and son of a toll collector at Thornton Gap.

Our Hiking Experience

We were blessed with much sunnier and warmer weather on day 3 of our mini vacation, which made for a much more pleasant hiking experience.

The ascent to Mary’s Rock was steep and steady, nothing like our rock scrambling experience from the previous day. Nonetheless, we were still exhausted and I was scared to eat, which made the climb very challenging. We spent a great deal of time at the summit enjoying the gorgeous views while resting and warming up in the sunshine.

I was so tired on the way back that at one point on the way down, I thought I was not going to make it back that day. I was ready to sleep in the woods. We finally did make it back, after a lengthy rest on a rock.

All in all, Mary’s Rock is very much worth visiting, just, preferably, not the very next day after climbing Old Rag.