Brown’s Hollow, Roaring Run, and Emerald Pond (11 miles- Strenuous)

This is a beautiful hike in the George Washington National Forest just outside of New Market. In the middle of the hike sits a serene spring-fed pond.

We'll meet at the Massanutten Visitor Center. It’s permanently closed, so if you reach the parking area for a place that looks haunted, you’re in the correct place.

From the visitor center we’ll take the Wildflower trail and then Massanutten South trail until we reach Brown’s Hollow trail (about .5 mile in). Continuing Brown’s Hollow, we’ll cross Roaring Run a couple of times, hiking a little over 4 miles until reaching a T-intersection. Going right on Roaring Run trail, we’ll ascend about a mile until reaching another T-intersection with Forest Service Road 375. Turning right again, we’ll ascend about another half mile until we approach Bird Knob trail. Taking Bird Knob trail, we’ll detour just off the main trail to go visit Emerald Pond to break and have lunch.

After lunch we’ll make our way back to Bird Knob trail, continuing until we reach the intersection with Massanutten South trail, where we’ll turn left and descend through rocky outcrops, cliffs, and beautiful views, retracing our steps back to our starting trail and back to the parking area.

https://myhikes.org/trails/browns-hollow-hike

Notes about Strenuous Hikes: While I encourage people to hike at a pace that is comfortable for them, strenuous hikes do require us to pick up the pace a bit to ensure we’re off the trail well before dark. I’m not talking about jogging here, but an average pace of between 2-2.5 mph is a good baseline. Be sure of your abilities before signing up for this. If you aren’t used to hiking in the mountains, I would start with something shorter and build up your stamina. If you would like suggestions on where to start, I am happy to suggest a few hikes that might work; just message me.

What to Bring: Weather-appropriate clothing (layers will likely be necessary), hiking boots/shoes, a pack with plenty of water (minimum 2 liters), lunch, and snacks, trekking poles

Difficulty: Strenuous, approximately 11 miles with about 2500 ft elevation gain

Hike Type: Loop

Where to Meet: Check the Where to Find Us section on this page for map pin and address

Weather: Severe weather will prompt me to postpone until my next available weekend day. I’ll update in the comments if necessary.

Dog Policy: Dogs are welcome. Please keep them on a leash. Not only is it law, but wildlife don’t appreciate being terrorized by dogs (no matter how cute and friendly they may be) and other hikers may not be comfortable with unleashed dogs.

RSVP: If you find that you're not going to be able to attend the hike, please update your RSVP to "Not Going" as soon as possible to allow anyone who might be on the waitlist the chance to attend. Please be courteous to those on the waitlist and allow them ample time to make plans for this if you find you can't go. Be aware that dropping at the last minute does not give waitlisted folks enough time to prepare.