Bother Knob

Overview

Bother Knob is located in Rockingham County in Virginia, right on the border with West Virginia. It is within the limits of George Washington National Forest. There is a fire road which runs along the side of the mountain and Bother Knob is several hundred feet above the fire road. On the summit, the area has been cleared for several hundred feet in all directions which gives you really nice views both into Virginia and to West Virginia. There is a USGS monument set into rock on the summit which is clearly marked with a metal rod. The trail from the fire road is poorly marked. All I found were the remains of orange surveyor's flagging tied to several trees. The trail sems to be seldom used but just head up, trail or no trail. It's just a hike.

Getting There

From Washington, D.C., take Interstate 66 west to Interstate 81 south. Once you reach Harrisonburg, take the Route 33 west exit towards West Virginia. Be careful as you pass thru Harrisonburg as Route 33 is poorly marked as you make your way thru the city. Several miles past Hinton, make a left hand turn onto Route 613. Follow Route 613 thru the Virginia farmland and beware of the signs warning of horse and carriages. I saw several on this trip. Pass thru Cloverhill and Ottibone (last stop for food/gas). The road will become Route 924 and the road wil then head up to the top of the mountain. Once you reach the ridge, you can either park here or if you have a 4x4, make a right hand turn and head up the fire road. Several miles up the fire road there is a Y in the road. Bear to your left and follow this road for about 1/2 mile and when you reach a 90 degree bend to the right in the road, look for the trail on your right. Follow the trail, basically staight up to the summit.

Red Tape

There are no fees for climbing in the park in this area.

The park is open year round although I would think that due to the steepness of the entrance road, it may be difficult to access.

When To Climb

Bother Knob can be climbed year round. Like all mountains, the conditions will be more severe.
You can also climb Flagpole Knob which is relatively close (within several miles) to Bother Knob.

Camping

There are numerous camp-sites along the fire road to Bother Knob. Some sites are along cleared ridges and give great views of the surrounding valleys while others are tucked into the thick forests. There are no facilities with these sites.

At the bottom of the mountain is Hone Quarry where there are campsites with facilities. The daily fee is $5.00 for a campsite. These are beautiful sites along a trout stream. Directly above the campsites is a manmade lake stocked with trout. There are numeours trails originating from here going up into the mountains.

Mountain Conditions

The Park Service can be contacted at the Dry River Ranger District @ 540-828-2591.

southernregion.fs.fed.us/gwi/

Average Temperature / Precipitation

Averages shown are for the city of Harrisonburg, Virginia. Average temperatures shown are for monthly averages of highs and lows.

January 32.1 / 1.56

February 39.0 / 0.76

March 38.6 / 3.57

April 55.0 / 1.49

May 59.8 / 2.54

June 68.5 / 2.79

July 70.3 / 3.68

August 72.8 / 4.45

September 63.1 / 1.13

October 54.2 / 0.65

November 49.9 / 0.45

December 41.2 / 1.72

Weather Forecasts