Hello again Hoos! This week, we are going to talk about some of our favorite
things to do while you’re here at UVa for the summer, or if you come to C’ville
for a visit. Today, I want to talk about a couple of my favorite places to go, both
during the summer and into the school year.
things to do while you’re here at UVa for the summer, or if you come to C’ville
for a visit. Today, I want to talk about a couple of my favorite places to go, both
during the summer and into the school year.
Something really cool about being in a city like Charlottesville is that you don’t
just have the amenities of that amazing and historic city, you have great access to
the outdoors. Right in Virginia’s Blue Ridge, you can hike, camp, swim, and really
explore the mountains of Virginia all from our backyard. When you look over the
tops of buildings at UVa, you can see the peaks of mountains in all directions. It is
truly a beautiful place to be, and we want to tell you about our favorite places to
explore.
just have the amenities of that amazing and historic city, you have great access to
the outdoors. Right in Virginia’s Blue Ridge, you can hike, camp, swim, and really
explore the mountains of Virginia all from our backyard. When you look over the
tops of buildings at UVa, you can see the peaks of mountains in all directions. It is
truly a beautiful place to be, and we want to tell you about our favorite places to
explore.
Humpback Rocks
The Humpback hike is a tradition among students, with hiking to Humpback landing
on the 100 Things to Do Before you Graduate List. The hike is about twenty minutes
from Grounds, but it’s a beautiful drive through Crozet, our neighboring town. Once
you get to the mountain, the hike is a little under a mile, but can be pretty steep at parts,
since it’s basically a mile straight up a mountain. It sounds intense, but it’s a really fun
hike to do with a group of people, and the view at the top is absolutely worth the climb.
It is open from sunrise to sunset, and those are the most popular times to go. Sunrise is
undeniably gorgeous, but it involves waking up early, where sunset is just as amazing
and you get to sleep in. With the sun setting at around 8PM in the summer here, you have
plenty of time to get up to Humpback on the weekend or even after your summer
class/internship/job.
on the 100 Things to Do Before you Graduate List. The hike is about twenty minutes
from Grounds, but it’s a beautiful drive through Crozet, our neighboring town. Once
you get to the mountain, the hike is a little under a mile, but can be pretty steep at parts,
since it’s basically a mile straight up a mountain. It sounds intense, but it’s a really fun
hike to do with a group of people, and the view at the top is absolutely worth the climb.
It is open from sunrise to sunset, and those are the most popular times to go. Sunrise is
undeniably gorgeous, but it involves waking up early, where sunset is just as amazing
and you get to sleep in. With the sun setting at around 8PM in the summer here, you have
plenty of time to get up to Humpback on the weekend or even after your summer
class/internship/job.
View from Humpback’s peak during the day - via Yelp! (Abby Simmerman)
This hike will likely be an activity you do with a club when you get to UVa, I
remember going on a few Humpback hikes my first year. The hike is a great way to
get to know people, and once again, IT’S GORGEOUS.
remember going on a few Humpback hikes my first year. The hike is a great way to
get to know people, and once again, IT’S GORGEOUS.
The Blue Hole
The Blue Hole - via C’ville.com (Sashank Sankar and Tom Daly, 7/18/18).
The Blue Hole is another amazing hike in Crozet, VA. It’s a short drive to get to the area,
and the hike is a little longer and more challenging than the hike at Humpback, but it is
absolutely worth it for the beauty AND the natural swimming hole. The hike is about 1.5
miles on the trail, and then a short venture slightly off the trail to get to jump in and start
swimming. This is a lesser known hike than Humpback, but is still very popular among
students. There used to be a rope swing there that was used to jump into the (surprisingly
deep) swimming area, but now there is just open swimming space. The Blue Hole is a
really cool and unique hike that I highly recommend.
and the hike is a little longer and more challenging than the hike at Humpback, but it is
absolutely worth it for the beauty AND the natural swimming hole. The hike is about 1.5
miles on the trail, and then a short venture slightly off the trail to get to jump in and start
swimming. This is a lesser known hike than Humpback, but is still very popular among
students. There used to be a rope swing there that was used to jump into the (surprisingly
deep) swimming area, but now there is just open swimming space. The Blue Hole is a
really cool and unique hike that I highly recommend.
Monticello
Okay, so not quite a hike, but hear me out. Monticello was the home of Thomas Jefferson,
and is located just a few minutes from Grounds here in Charlottesville. Monticello is Italian
for “little mountain,” and is sat atop a mountain overlooking the city. Though it is not exactly
an outdoor activity, you have the option to take a short hike from the visitor center up to the
main house, where you can take a tour. The outside of the house features beautiful gardens,
and amazing views of the city and the neighboring peaks. Additionally, as a UVa student, you
are given FREE admission to the main house, and a free tour! What a bargain! An amazing
part of being in Charlottesville is being surrounded by pieces of American history like
Monticello, and it may not be the most outdoorsy activity, but it is a really cool place to go
and visit. PLUS, they have those tri-tipped hats in the gift shop (bonus points if you buy one
before and wear it throughout the tour).
and is located just a few minutes from Grounds here in Charlottesville. Monticello is Italian
for “little mountain,” and is sat atop a mountain overlooking the city. Though it is not exactly
an outdoor activity, you have the option to take a short hike from the visitor center up to the
main house, where you can take a tour. The outside of the house features beautiful gardens,
and amazing views of the city and the neighboring peaks. Additionally, as a UVa student, you
are given FREE admission to the main house, and a free tour! What a bargain! An amazing
part of being in Charlottesville is being surrounded by pieces of American history like
Monticello, and it may not be the most outdoorsy activity, but it is a really cool place to go
and visit. PLUS, they have those tri-tipped hats in the gift shop (bonus points if you buy one
before and wear it throughout the tour).
The main house of Monticello - via Yelp! (Abby Simmerman)
Stay tuned to the blog this week for more information on Summer here in C’ville, the
great outdoors and more! If you take these hikes, be sure to tag @uva_summer in your
Instagrams so all of us interns an see your adventures. Happy adventuring!
great outdoors and more! If you take these hikes, be sure to tag @uva_summer in your
Instagrams so all of us interns an see your adventures. Happy adventuring!
Signing off,
Abby S.
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