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Elizabeth Furnace - Weekend Trip Report and Review

7/2/2013

16 Comments

 
What a great destination, and so close!  The Elizabeth Furnace Family Campground is a mere 1.5 hours from DC, and features great swim holes and good hiking, trout-fishing and rock-climbing.  The campground sits along Passage Creek, which drains a valley formed by the two major ridges of Massanuten Mountain, which runs south from the far western end of I-66 through the George Washington National Forest.

Swimming
Passage Creek features clear, clean water, relatively unfertilized by agricultural run-off.  The swim hole at the campground was excellent, with a great jumping log as pictured below.  There were a few other families there, but it was not overly crowded.  I don't know if the 50% chance of T-storms was lowering turnout, but the camp host said the place was pretty full by his standards.  There was still a bunch of sites available when we got there on Saturday evening.

Fishing
We did see some medium-smallish trout and sunnies swimming around - the creek is stocked - and will probably get a fishing license next time we go.  For a VA resident over, its $23/year for a fishing license, plus $4/year for a National Forest Stamp.  The VA license is $47 for nonresidents.

Rock-climbing
Just after entering the National Forest, lookout for some cliffs on the right, and then park on the right at the large lot in 200 yards.  There is also a small pull-off area opposite the cliffs that I used to drop off the people and gear.  May Joy and the kids played in the water while I hung a top-rope on I Love Big Jugs, a 60' climb that starts off as 5.5, and ends with a steep, pumpy 5.8 section.  This area is known as the Roadside Crag/Talking Headwall, and is a very family friendly place to climb.  There is another climbing area about an hour up the hill called Buzzard Rocks, which I did not check out yet. 

Campground
I liked the campground.  We took site #2, next to the host's RV and the bathroom, which includes 4 showers with private, lockable entrances. There are 30+ sites, and they have good privacy, thanks to the dense vegetation, which included lots of black haw viburnums that were loaded with yet-green berries.  Poison ivy is lush though, so you need to be wary, especially at night and with kids.

Bugs
We did not find any ticks throughout our trip; however, we did not do much bush-wacking either.  No mosquitoes.  There were some tiny biting gnats that were a minor nuisance on legs and arms, although the kids never complained.
BIGGER PICTURES in GALLERY
16 Comments
Claudia Weber
8/14/2013 02:40:11 pm

Hi; my husband and I were through this campground on our way home from a trip to VA and now we want to go here in Oct. Did you have to make reservations? If so, how did you go about it because I'm not having any luck in finding out how to do this. Additionally, do you know if the showers, etc are open in Oct? Thank you so much for any information you can give me. Claudia

Reply
Nick Grenier
8/22/2013 04:02:19 am

Hi Claudia,

Showers and flush toilets should be open until the first Monday in October (Oct. 7th this year). They may keep them open longer if the weather is warm enough. On the other hand, if it gets really cold early, perhaps they will winterize early to keep the pipes from freezing.

The campground is first-come, first-serve, you cannot make reservations. I would be surprised if you were to find the campground full though, especially in October; the only reason would be a busy hunting season. But I think you’ll be fine. If you really want to play it safe, get there as early as possible on a Friday.

Make sure to nibble some ripe Viburnum berries. They look like the black haw in my area which is sweet and tasty, but if they prove bitter, let me know (there are some 150 species of Viburnum, none are particularly toxic, but only some are tasty).

If you have further questions about the campsite, or want an update on their bathroom closure schedule, call the Forest Service before your trip: (540)984-4101.

Happy camping!

Nick

Reply
Nick Grenier
8/22/2013 05:50:56 am

To learn more about Viburnums, here is a good little write up: http://www.eattheweeds.com/valuable-viburnums/

Claudia
8/22/2013 07:27:00 am

Thank-you Nick for the great response and helpful info. We decided to plan a trip up there in mid-May or June next year. This is an absolute must for us. We'll be going to Ricketts Glen in PA in Oct. I'll plan on contacting you before we head up to EF next year, if that's ok. Claudia

Nick Grenier
8/23/2013 03:25:08 am

Sounds great Claudia. Ricketts Glen looks gorgeous. Summer of course is the best time to enjoy the swim hole at EF - unless you're one of those people who relish the thrill of cold water.

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5/13/2025 01:14:14 pm

Sounds like a great weekend getaway! Your review of the Elizabeth Furnace experience gives a nice balance of insights. It’s always helpful to hear about the highlights and hidden gems from trips like this!

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5/13/2025 01:44:21 pm

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5/13/2025 01:56:22 pm

Thanks for the detailed review of your weekend trip to Elizabeth Furnace! The area sounds beautiful, and your insights about the hike and surroundings are really helpful for anyone planning a visit.

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    Nick Grenier is an outdoor educator and homeschool instructor based in Alexandria, VA.

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