Trail Notes: From your cars, proceed up the purple blazed gravel road.

This is Mudhole Gap Trail. When I first hiked this route in 1998 the gravel road was more open to the sun but in recent years the forest has started to grow in around it. Walk around a forest gate. In about 0.3 miles from the start you’ll pass a white blazed spur trail on your right (your return route). At first the trail will be steep and winy. The grade soon lessens and straightens out as you walk along the side of the mountain. At about 1.5 miles it begins a gradual descent and at about 3 miles from the start ends in a small grassy turn-around area. Directly across from this clearing the trail continues as a footpath. Use this path to descend to Little Passage Creek. Turn right and follow the footpath, crossing the stream a couple of times, for about 0.8 miles.

Arrive at another maintained gravel road. This is part of the orange blazed Massanutten Trail. Turn right here and begin a steady climb up the service road. The pitch of the trail increases as you get further up the trail. The service road continues all the way up to Signal Knob. You can use it to reach the next trail in this route but I recommend taking the footpath to the left for a short excursion around the western side of Strasburg Reservoir. Keep an eye out for some perfectly cut stone near the trail.

Stay on the Bear Wallow Trail. At about 2 miles from the Meneka Trail junction come to a white blazed spur trail with a sign for the Elizabeth Furnace Campground. Turn right here and soon arrive at the original gravel road you started on. Turn left and soon return to your cars.