Hikers beware: there are rock monsters lurking around the Hanging Rock Raptor Observatory. These rock fiends have one goal: to trip you as you hike Hanging Rock.
This Hanging Rock hike is probably not the Hanging Rock you’re thinking of. It’s a roughly two mile out-and-back hike near Paint Bank, Virginia. Not to be confused with Point Blank, which has a very different meaning and as far as I know is not a town in Virginia.
Some internet sleuthing (Wikipedia) revealed Paint Bank got its name from iron ochre and red clay found in the nearby Potts Creek. Supposedly, Native Americans used these materials make red war paint and pottery.
The hike itself is moderate in difficulty and quite popular. However, when my friend (Miriam) and I hiked this on a random weekday we saw maybe three others, including a dog who was chilling in the Observatory. On that note, this hike is dog-friendly and requires no fee.
There are numerous trails in this area, so map out your path ahead of time as cell service is non-existent here. At the end of this hike, your reward will be some pretty awesome views and the Hanging Rock Observatory Tower, which is (sadly) currently closed due to structural issues. US Forest Service volunteers are working on repairing it. If you’re interested in donating to conservation projects, seeing birds, or just preserving a cool building you can donate at hangingrocktower.org.
Upon completing our hike, Miriam noted a nearby landmark called Shires Cave, and we decided to find it. Just as the sun was setting we located what appeared to be the ruins of a barn and a broken toilet in the middle of a field that was close to the cave. We parked there and looked around for no trespassing signs. Finding none and seeing what appeared to be a trail or road going into the woods, we decided to try locating Shires Cave using Google Maps.
Was this a dumb idea? Absolutely. The trail soon vanished into a mire of deadfall leaving us to bushwhack our way down a steep hill with no cave in sight. Neither of us had told anyone where we were, there was no service, and it was dusk.
Fortunately, we found Shires Cave and it was worth the effort (and 30-minute hike). Disappointingly, the cave was grated over so there was no way inside, which was probably for the best given the lack of sound judgment Miriam and I had already displayed so far. We snapped a few pictures and returned to my car.
I really couldn’t find much information about Shires Cave other than that it appears to have been grated in 1985 for safety or scientific reasons.
Happy Hiking!
