June 2011 – Virginia Trail Guide

Appalachian Trail – Powell Gap to Swift Run Gap

June 27, 2011August 26, 20154 Comments

This section of the Appalachian Trail gives you stunning views from the summit of Hightop Mountain.

Adam Says…

We started off our hike by parking one car at the Swift Run Gap entrance and one car near the Powell Gap trailhead around mile marker 70 on Skyline Drive. The trail immediately starts with going uphill. Get used to it, because 3.6 miles of this hike is uphill. You gain 1250 feet of elevation during this stretch. For 1.7 miles, the hike from Powell Gap until you cross Skyline Drive again at Smith Roach Gap was overgrown in many parts. I can imagine that maintaining this section of trail was more challenging this year with all the rain, but we wish we had a weed-whacker with us to keep the grass and weeds from brushing up against our legs. The mountain laurel during this section was so abundant. It gave good cause to pause from huffing and puffing up the trail. After crossing Skyline Drive and continuing the white-blazed Appalachian Trail, you will continue your ascent. The trail was not as overgrown in this section. At mile 2.7, you will reach a blue-blazed spur trail that leads to the Hightop Hut, adding .2 mile to your hike. At mile 3.6, you will reach the summit of Hightop Mountain which has an overlook with valley views. The trail begins to descend at this point, through some slightly-rocky terrain. At 5.1 miles, you will cross Skyline Drive again. Continue to follow the trail until you reach Swift Run Gap at 6.4 miles.

Wookie on the Appalachian Trail. Below: The mountain laurel were gorgeous along the trail.

I really think Wookie enjoyed himself on this trip. It was his longest hike ever, but he pushed on through. We are always amazed at how we think he would be exhausted for the rest of the day, but he runs around the house as soon as he gets home like a puppy on crack. I think it is his way of boasting to our other dogs that he got to do something fun.

The views are always nice at the top of Hightop Mountain. This trail does get some decent traffic (especially in the area between Swift Run Gap and the summit), since it is really the first hike you could possibly do in the southern section of the park if you are driving from the north. We had met the thru-hiker “Shenanigans” at Hightop Hut, who talked to us for a while. He had heard of the Bearfence Mountain hut being closed. Rangers had put up a sign letting people know that the hut was closed, which helps the thru-hikers plan on where they were staying next. His goal was to make it up to Big Meadows, which would have given him a hike of close to 30 miles for the day. We went to check out the Trail Days festivities at Big Meadows Lodge and talked to one of the ridgerunners. These ridgerunners are hired by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club to basically hike the maintained trails through the area, talking to hikers, and checking in on the huts/cabins along the way. He told us that the Bearfence hut was going to be re-opened, so hopefully Shenanigans had a closer place to stay if he wasn’t feeling like doing a ton of miles that day.

Christine Says…

A couple days after we returned from our Virginia Highlands trip, we decided we were ready to go for another hike. After all, June 4^th was National Trails Day, and we couldn’t let the day go by without hiking somewhere. We didn’t want to go anyplace that required a lot of driving. We also wanted to do something shorter, so we could bring Wookie along. Pugs are not the best hiking dogs, but Wookie always enjoy accompanying us on less strenuous hikes on cooler days. In the end, we settled on another Appalachian Trail section. Swift Run Gap is only a 10-15 minute drive from our house, so we decided to do the 6.4 mile section between Powell Gap and Swift Run Gap.

We stopped at Hightop Hut and chatted with the thru-hiker ‘Shenanigans’. Below: One of the Skyline Drive crossings; Columbine in bloom.

This section of trail is about 65% uphill. It’s never unbearably steep uphill, but for almost the first four miles, you are almost always climbing. The trail goes by one nice view, from the summit of Hightop Mountain. It also takes you by Hightop Hut, which is another overnight stop for multi-night backpackers and thru-hikers.

On the particular day we hiked, much of the trail was lined with mountain laurel at their peak bloom. 2011 has been a fantastic year for mountain laurel. Spectacular, abundant, lush blooms have been everywhere across the mountains.

At the summit of Hightop Mountain, we encountered two hikers and their dog. Their dog clearly wanted to eat Wookie for breakfast, so we were extra glad she was leashed! We enjoyed the views and the breezes. Hightop has a great view of Massanutten Mountain – one of the most distinct and impressive mountains on our local skyline.

After Hightop, the last couple miles of the hike were pretty easy – lots of downhills and flat. We were back at the car by lunchtime, so we decided to drive up to the Big Meadows area to have lunch and check out the PATC display for Trails Day.

We were able to say hello to one of our instructors from Backpacking 101. We also chatted with trail maintenance crews and participated in a demo of their big two-man saw. We happened to catch one of the ridgerunners at a ranger display and were able to chat with him about a bear incident we heard about near Bearfence Mountain Shelter. Apparently, a bear was getting too bold for his own good near the shelter. He had even started exploring tents in search of food. The last straw was when the bear destroyed an unoccupied tent belonging to a thru-hiker. The bear was trapped and transported to a less populated area of the park. While rangers worked on trapping the bear, the shelter was closed, forcing hikers to push on another 10-12 miles to the next shelter.

We enjoyed a nice picnic lunch at Big Meadows – burgers, fries and blackberry milkshakes (YUM!).

Wookie Says…

This is the first time in quite a while that I’ve been invited out on a hike! It was a nice cool morning, so Christine and Adam decided to bring me along on a 6.4 mile hike along the Appalachian Trail. It’s the longest hike I’ve ever been on!

I had a lot of fun trotting along the trail. I like walking second in line, because I feel safer between my two humans.

When we got to Hightop Hut, I considered stealing some trailmix from the thru-hiker, but Christine wouldn’t let me. Instead, I got to drink a bowl of water from my collapsible dog dish. On the summit of Hightop Mountain, I met a big, black and white spotted dog. She was really loud and scary. I think she would have attacked me if she had free run. Being so small, I always appreciate dog owners that follow the rules and keep their canine hiking companions on six foot leashes.

On the last mile of the hike, I started getting really tired. I could barely hold the curl in my tail, I was so exhausted. When we got back to the car, I stretched out on the floor between Christine’s feet and took a nap until we got to Big Meadows.

At lunch, I even got some well-earned treats – a few fries and some of Christine’s burger patty. I would have liked to taste a blackberry milkshake, but I don’t think anyone was willing to share. Lots of people wanted to pet me and say hello at National Trails Day. I guess hiking pugs are sort of unusual!

Trail Notes

Distance – 6.4 miles one-way with a shuttle required.
Elevation Change – 1250 feet
Difficulty – 2.5 The trail is over halfway uphill, with a few steeper sections.
Trail Conditions – 3. The trail between Powell Gap to Smith Roach Gap was overgrown. Otherwise the trail is fairly well-maintained, but there are a few loose rock sections going downhill.
Views – 4. Great views.
Wildlife – 2. We saw a few deer and a scarlet tanager on the trail.
Ease to Navigate – 4.5. Just stay on the Appalachian Trail.
Solitude – 2.5 The promixity to the beginning of the south district of Shenandoah National Park make this popular for the last three miles of the trail.

Directions to trailhead: On Skyline Drive through Shenandoah National Park, go to mile 70 in the South District of the Park. Park on the side of the road, near the sign for Powell Gap. You will see the beginning of the trail on the eastern side of the road. Follow the white blazes.

Twin Pinnacles Trail

June 18, 2011August 26, 20153 Comments

The Twin Pinnacles trail is a gentle trail that takes you to the highest point in Grayson Highlands State Park. The views from each of the Pinnacles are nothing short of spectacular.

View from Little Pinnacle — The view from Little Pinnacle. Below: Although this blog post primarily covers the Twin Pinnacles trail, don’t miss hiking up through Massie Gap to where it meets the Appalachian Trail. You’ll see ponies and spectacular scenery.

Christine Says…

When visiting the southwest region of Virginia, a visit to Grayson Highlands State Park is practically mandatory. That park and the high country around Mount Rogers might be my favorite spot in the entire state of Virginia for many reasons. The lovely boreal forest seen in much of that area is uncommon elsewhere in our state. The bald, open high country is stunningly beautiful. And, the kicker… there are WILD PONIES. Honestly, if there was nothing besides the wild ponies to set Grayson Highlands apart, I would still love it best. I grew up a horse crazy girl and that sentiment has never really abated in my adulthood.

Last time we visited Grayson Highlands, we hiked up Mount Rogers. This time we wanted to try something new, so we decided to hike the Twin Pinnacles trail, which lies completely within the state park’s boundaries. But before we set off on our new hike, I insisted that we hike far enough up the Appalachian Trail that I could see and photograph some of the ponies and their spring foals. The wild ponies of Grayson Highlands are not everywhere in the park. The best chances to see them are hiking through Massie Gap and then south along the Appalachian Trail.

As it turned out, the ponies were all tucked into the shade and relaxing at the higher elevations. We ended up hiking a little over halfway up Mount Rogers before we found the herd. We enjoyed watching a small family group of ponies – two mares, two foals and a stallion for about an hour before we headed back down to do our ‘real’ hike.

Foal along the AT — This foal looked so beautiful with the mountainous background. Below: Adam walking along the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail; A couple shots of the Catawba Rhododendron in bloom.

We also spent a little time headed slightly north on the Appalachian Trail so Adam could look for a geocache. While he did that, I enjoyed the spectacular blooms of the Catawba Rhododendron. They’re so colorful, and really set the mountainside awash in brilliant purple.

By the time we got to the trailhead for Twin Pinnacles, which is located behind the park’s Visitor Center, I was already sunburned, tired and hungry. Thankfully, Twin Pinnacles is a very, very short hike. At 1.6 miles, it barely makes my personal cut-off of one-mile for actually being considered a ‘hike’. Anything shorter than a mile is just a walk in my book!

For such a short hike, Twin Pinnacles packs in a ton of majestic scenery! The trail climbs very gradually to the highest point in the park – Little Pinnacle – at 5084 feet. You would think Big Pinnacle would be the taller, but the name is a slight misrepresentation.

From the top of Little Pinnacle, we had views in every direction. We could see Christmas Tree farms down in the valley. We could see Mount Rogers and Whitetop Mountain off in the distance. All through the forest, bands of red spruce were visible. They really stand out among other conifers due to their richer, russet colors.

Trail Leaving Little Pinnacle — The trail leaving Little Pinnacle.

Walking across the rocky, bare top of the mountain was reminiscent of hiking in New England. We quickly dipped back into the trees and walked through a small saddle over the Big Pinnacle. After a short, very steep climb, we stepped out onto bare rock overlooking a gorgeous vista. Of the two Pinnacles, I think Big Pinnacle has slightly nicer views of the park – especially looking down into Massie Gap. We enjoyed the breeze atop the Pinnacle, and I spent some time daydreaming more about the ponies and what they might be up to. (yes… really – I love those ponies!)

After leaving the second Pinnacle, we had a short walk back to the Visitor Center and a long ride back home. I wish we had more time to spend in the area – I love Grayson Highlands!

Adam Says…

The last time we had visited Grayson Highlands, we spent most of the day at Mount Rogers and had little time or energy left for anything else. I thought it would be nice to see some other features of this wonderful state park. Since the weather and views were lovely, we tried out the Twin Pinnacles Trail.

Storm Shelter — The 1.6 mile loop trail has several storm shelters built by a local boy scout troop. Below: The trail starts behind the visitors center.

During our morning in Grayson Highlands, Christine was determined to see wild ponies. She stated that she didn’t want to leave until she saw ponies and hopefully foals. In my best Mr. T impression, I said “I pity the foals” and we started our search. We ran into an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker. I wish we had stopped to get his trail name, because he was such a happy guy. He was from Florida and just said that he is just amazed every day at what he is doing. He said that he often goes blue-blazing (since all of the AT is white-blazed, trails off the AT are typically blue-blazed) to see other things that people recommend. He wasn’t out to set any records for speed, he was just enjoying every moment. I hope he makes the trip the whole way. I kept thinking that he is adding on a lot of extra miles that I know many other hikers wouldn’t want to do. I was asking if he had seen any ponies and he said he walked through about four herds getting to this spot today, so I knew we were on the right path. Shortly after we parted ways, we ran into our first two ponies. They were a little stand-offish, but they didn’t run away from us. These ponies looked a little rough, like they needed some time with a grooming brush. Christine wanted to continue to try and find some more groups of ponies. Shortly after we continued to climb up the AT, I looked back to enjoy the view (and catch my breath) and I saw some ponies not far from where we were hiking. We decided to climb back down and check them out and Christine saw there were two foals with them. We spent about 45 minutes just watching their behavior from a safe distance before I nudged Christine away to continue on with our day. I’m sure she could have stayed all day looking at this set of ponies.

There are two different options for this trail. You can start from the parking lot at Massie Gap and hike steeply uphill via the Big Pinnacle Trail. We decided to go the easier way, since we had already spent a good time hiking before this.

To get to the trailhead, just continue on the park road, Grayson Highland Lane, until you reach the parking lot to the Visitor’s Center. Once you park the car, you will have to climb up several stairs until you reach the Visitor’s Center. As you are looking directly at the Visitor’s Center, the red-blazed trail begins behind and to the left of the Center. After a short distance, you will reach a larger bulletin board with a map of the trail where the trail forks. Take the left fork. You will soon come across the first of four storm shelters along the trail that were created as an Eagle Scout project. You will reach the first rocky outcrop, Little Pinnacle around .7 miles. The Little Pinnacle is actually higher than the Big Pinnacle in elevation. The trail continues on for a few tenths of a mile until you reach the sign for the Big Pinnacle overlook. The trail up to the Big Pinnacle consists of steep stairs leading to the top, but it isn’t too far of a climb to the top. Once there, you should be able to see the Massie Gap parking lot below. Go back to the sign and continue to follow the signs leading back to the Visitor’s Center. You should finish your trip at 1.6 miles.

I did do a little geocaching on the trail while I was there. In one of the geocaches, I found a toy Pinnochio from the Shrek movies. I decided to grab it (in geocaching, you typically take something and leave something in the container). As we continued to hike, I kept thinking that I heard something barking or voices that were in the distance. I asked Christine a couple of times if she heard anything and she said she didn’t. After thinking that I was going crazy, I finally realized that this Pinnochio was making noises. He makes some grunts and occasionally says, “I’ll never become a real boy”. We had a good laugh at my expense over that. If you would like to find the geocaches on the trail, they are:

The Littlest Pinnacle – an earthcache
‘Tween the Pinnacles
Big Pinnacle – an earthcache

For a hiker in Virginia, it really doesn’t get any better than a visit to Grayson Highlands State Park. This is truly a magical place!

Trail Notes

Distance – 1.6 miles
Elevation Change – 250 feet
Difficulty – 2. The trail is mostly flat and easy with the exception of one short, steep climb up Little Pinnacle.
Trail Conditions – 4. The trail is heavily-traveled and in great shape.
Views – 5. Spectacular views from one of Virginia’s highest spots.
Wildlife – 1. We saw some birds. There might be bears and deer in the area, but we didn’t see anything.
Ease to Navigate – 4.5. There are a couple turns, but if you follow the signs you’ll easily be able to stay on the loop.
Solitude – 2. The short length and excellent views make this trail very popular.

Directions to trailhead: From Abingdon, take 58 East until you reach Grayson Highlands State Park on the left through SR 362. Continue on Grayson Highland Lane until you reach the parking lot for the Visitor’s Center. The trailhead is behind and to the left of the Visitor’s Center.

New River Trail – Fries to Foster Falls

June 8, 2011May 23, 202217 Comments

The New River Trail is a 57-mile rails-to-trails bike path. It starts in Galax or Fries and runs to Pulaski, following the New River closely for most of the way. We biked a 20+ mile section from Fries to Foster Falls.

A Look Down the New River Trail — The trail was shady and lush! Below: One of the many bridges along the trail – this one crossed the New River; A view of the New River at Foster Falls; Adam looks at some small rapids.

Adam Says…

When we were originally planning our trip down near the Grayson Highlands area, we were planning to incorporate a bike ride on the Virginia Creeper Trail. We had previously done the Virginia Creeper Trail from Whitetop to Damascas, but we wanted to do the entire trail. After doing some research, we found out that due to recent tornado activity, only 8 miles of trail is still available to bike south of Damascas. There are plans to restore it soon, but it kept us from going with our original plan.

We were disappointed, but I had remembered hearing good things about the New River Trail. After discovering that we could still stay near Grayson Highlands and do this trail, we had a solution. The next challenge was trying to find a shuttle service to bike. After doing some internet research, I found a place called New River Trail Outfitters that offers the service. However, when I tried to call the numbers were disconnected. I’m not sure if they are out of business, but I couldn’t find any current information for them.

Bike and Canoe Livery — The livery at Foster Falls rents bikes, canoes, kayaks and tubes. They also handle the bike shuttle service. Below: The stable at Foster Falls, A caboose on display; Foster Falls has an old depot building now used as a shop.

I then called the New River Trail State Park and found out that they offer a shuttle service. The park headquarters is located in Foster Falls. The cost per person to shuttle from Foster Falls to Fries or Galax is $25/person. When I called in for information, I found out they opened at 9AM. When I asked if we needed to make a reservation, I was told “No. You can just show up.” It’s definitely much more laid back than making shuttle reservations for the Virginia Creeper. Along the Creeper, shuttles fill up days in advance, so you usually have to make a reservation with a credit card well ahead of your trip.

We decided to get there right at 9AM. The day was calling for temperatures in the high 90s, so we wanted to get most of the bike ride over before the hottest part of the day. We had to wait for a little while for a second employee to show up, but we were able to get our bikes loaded and we were off by about 9:20. It took about 35 minutes to get to Fries. We were thinking that it was going to be a very long bike ride, but the bike path is actually quite a bit shorter than the distance by car.

The New River Trail State Park is the longest state park, measuring a total of 57 miles, but only averages about 80 feet wide. This is a state park with the purpose of biking, hiking, horseback riding, kayaking, or tubing. The guys operating the shuttle service says that most people choose to rent kayaks and float the river along the trail.

Biking Across the Fries Junction Bridge. Below: A variety of scenery along the trail.

I would recommend getting a copy of the bike map to take along with you. This path that we chose mostly takes place in the south section, but you will be 1.2 miles in the north section.

We decided to go for the section from Fries to Foster Falls because we thought it would be a little more manageable in the heat than the Galax to Foster Falls section. The Galax to Fries Junction section would have meant another 8 miles of biking and doesn’t parallel the New River until it reaches Fries Junction.

The bike path at Fries immediately starts by the New River. Right from the parking lot, we were able to see gorgeous views of the river. The trail takes about 5.5 miles to reach Fries Junction (which intersects with the trail from Galax). At Fries Junction, we did run into about 10 camp counselors that were biking the trail and talking about which colleges they were admitted to. I tried to keep quiet for a while, since I work in the JMU Admissions Office, but I did talk to one girl that was going to JMU next year as a freshman. We pressed on after a short break, following the signs to Pulaski (the terminus of the trail). We passed by Byllesby Dam (at mile 8.0) and Buck Dam (at mile 10.6). We stopped to eat a snack at Ivanhoe (at mile 13.7). Shortly after Austinville (at mile 16.5), we went through a short tunnel. This tunnel wasn’t that dark, so you most likely would not need a headlamp to go through. At mile 20.1, we reached Shot Tower. We parked our bikes and hiked up the steep stairs (which is tough after biking a while) to explore the tower. After we were done, we finished our ride back at the Foster Falls state park headquarters where we had started our trip.

There are a few geocaches to find along the way for this bike ride.

I definitely would like to come back and do some other sections of the trail. The section from Galax to Foster Falls is about 28 miles and the section from Foster Falls to Pulaski is about 22 miles. When we were reflecting back on the rails-to-trails bike rides we have done, we would put this only second to the Virginia Creeper trail.

Christine Says…

The New River Trail wasn’t our first choice for this mini vacation. Initially, we had planned to head down to Abingdon and make a second attempt to bike the entire Virginia Creeper. Let’s just say we don’t have good luck when it comes to the Creeper. In 2009, it rained on us for 17 miles before we bailed out and caught a van ride back to Abingdon from Damascus, in 2010 I got bronchitis and was too sick to go when we planned, and in 2011 the section of the trail between Damascus and Abingdon was closed due to tornado damage. Apparently, some mythical force is keeping us from finishing that trail!

Tunnel — This was the only tunnel we passed through on the section we biked. Below: Geese and goslings; Pretty wildflowers along the trail; Rocks and rapids in the new river.

Luckily, Adam was able to do some last minute research and plan an alternate getaway for us that included biking along the New River Trail. The trail is 57 miles long and passes through Grayson, Carroll, Wythe, and Pulaski Counties, linking the towns of Pulaski and Galax with a side spur of the trail linking to Fries. It hasn’t been around as long as the Virginia Creeper, so it’s not as well-known and the area doesn’t have quite as many bike-friendly amenities (shuttle services, bike shops, trailside cafes). But what it lacks in amenities, it makes up for with its beauty and solitude. We saw fewer than two dozen people along the New River Trail over a 20+ mile span and greatly enjoyed the pristine river scenery.

The trail was in great shape – smooth and flat, covered with fine crushed stone. There were lots of pretty wildflowers along the path – snapdragons, mountain laurel and others I didn’t know. Every now and then, I’d catch a deer watching us quietly from the woods. We saw a pair of geese and their goslings hanging out at one of the primitive trailside campsites. The river was fed by many small streams cascading down the hillside above the trail. There were even a few small waterfalls flowing. The New River was spectacular! All the spring rain had water levels higher than average, so there were many rapids and cascades that probably aren’t there when the water is lower. The driver of our shuttle even mentioned that they had to cancel canoe/kayak/tube trips due to high water on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend.

It was close to 100 degrees outside on the day we biked, so that made it a bit uncomfortable. Although, once we got going, the breeze from pedaling along made the heat bearable. Thankfully, much of the trail passes through a shady tunnel of woods, so we were able to stay out of the direct sunlight most of the way.

Nonetheless, I drank almost three liters of water and a 20-ounce bottle of lemonade over the course of the ride. I also ended up with a huge, salty sweat ring on the front of my shirt (GROSS!) and my legs were crusted with sweat mixed with gravel and grit (DIRTY!). I was not a pretty site at the end of the trail, but I had such a good time I didn’t care!

Two things I liked best along this bike path were the Fries Junction Bridge and the Shot Tower. The bridge was neat just because it was so long and curvy. Shot Tower was interesting for its history. The tower itself sits above the trail. So you have to take a short, steep climb up a hill and several flights of steps to visit the tower – but it’s definitely worth the effort. Another little tidbit of history from the area is that Stephen F. Austin, ‘The Father of Texas’, was actually born in Wythe County, in a small town that now bears his name (Austinville). The trail passes right through that area.

Horses — Park employees enjoy a shady spot on horseback.

I would definitely make a return trip to bike more of the New River Trail! The state park shuttle service makes it so convenient. I also might want to go back and ride horses along the trail. Seeing all the horses at the Foster Falls stable really made me miss having a horse and going for long rides.

After finishing up with our bike ride, we got cleaned up and headed into Galax for a movie and pizza. I was shocked that movies in Galax were only $4.00 for a matinee (as of 2011)! After the movie, pizza at RJ’s Pizza and Subs was delicious! They had really good and inexpensive food.

Trail Notes

Distance – 21.3 miles
Elevation Change – negligible
Difficulty – 1.5 The terrain is extremely flat, so if you can do the mileage, you shouldn’t have a problem.
Trail Conditions – 4.5. The trail is either very small gravel or dirt. It doesn’t get better unless you find paved trails.
Views – 1.5 You don’t get views from high points, but there are a few nice unobstructed views of the river and some of the mountains around you.
Waterfalls/Streams – 5. Most of the trail, you are biking along the New River.
Wildlife – 2. We saw a couple of deer and a black snake on our ride.
Ease to Navigate –4.5. The trail is very easy to follow and well-marked.
Solitude – 2.5. This trail does get busy on nice weekend days, but it is not as popular as the Virginia Creeper trail.

Directions to trailhead: For the headquarters of New River Trail State Park for the shuttle service, take exit 24 (69 East) off of Interstate 77. Take a left on to US-52 North. Go 1.5 miles and take a right on to Foster Falls Road/State Route 608. There should be signs directing you to the New River Trail State Park. There is a fee of $2 to visit the park.

For the trailhead in Fries, VA, Fries is located off of highway 94. From Main Street in Fries, turn on Firehouse Drive. You should see the small parking lot and bulletin board shelter for the start of the trail at the curve on Firehouse Drive.

Rocky Knob

June 4, 2011August 26, 2015Leave a comment

This short ‘lollipop loop’ hike takes you across high cow pastures offering great views of the valley below. Eventually you climb to the summit of Rocky Knob and enjoy visiting a former Appalachian Trail hut. The views from the hut and the rocky outcropping on the summit are excellent!

Open Meadow and Trail Marker — The trail climbs up across open meadow. Below: We sampled fourteen different wines at Chateau Morrisette; Hiking in open pasture; The hike takes you across the Saddle Overlook.

Christine Says…

A couple years ago we visited the Virginia Highlands area and did some hiking at Hungry Mother, biked the Virginia Creeper and climbed Mount Rogers. We had such a great time, that we decided a return trip was in order. We stayed in the small town of Hillsville – right off I-77. It was the perfect spot to use as a base for a number of activities in the area.

The first thing we decided to do was head up to the Meadows of Dan to explore that area of the Blue Ridge Parkway. We settled on a visit to Chateau Morrisette to sample wine, a short hike in the Rocky Knob area and a photo shoot at Mabry Mill.

Normally, I wouldn’t drink a bunch of wine before hiking in 95 degree weather, but it was the only way the schedule would allow us to fit everything into one evening. So… off I went to drink fourteen different kinds of vino! Chateau Morisette was such a great place! Their winery is right off the Blue Ridge Parkway, nestled into the rolling Virginia countryside. They have a large tasting room with a friendly staff. A variety of adorable and friendly dogs hang out and roam freely around the winery. Outside, there are pavilions and gazebos where people can lounge and enjoy their wine. I enjoyed every single wine I tasted – especially their Chambourcin. I also like that they donate part of the profit from their Liberty wine to support the training and placement of service dogs. We spent about an hour at the winery, purchased some bottles of the wines I liked best and headed on our way to the Rocky Knob area – just a few miles north on the Parkway.

We parked at the Rocky Knob campground and crossed the road to find the trailhead. To access the trail, you can either go through the gate or squeeze through the zig-zag. The first part of the trail climbs across open meadow, The views were amazing… rolling mountains in every direction. The sun was really beating down on us. I was so hot and thirsty (probably from the wine!) that I drank nearly two liters of water in the first half hour of hiking.

View from Rocky Knob — The view from Rocky Knob. Below: The shelter sits on a hillside above a rocky outcropping; A better view of the shelter, outside and inside.

At the crest of the hill, we passed through another zig-zag fence opening and entered the woods. The forest was full of wildflowers, azaleas and mountain laurel. Some of the flowers were different than anything we have in the Shenandoah, and the azaleas were predominantly orange (instead of the pink ones we have near us). In the shade, it was much cooler and more comfortable for hiking.

We passed out of the woods briefly to cross the parking lot at the Saddle Overlook. At the south end of the overlook, we entered the woods again and began an uphill climb. At the trail junction, we followed the right arm of the loop and ascended to the Rocky Knob Shelter. The shelter used to sit along the Appalachian Trail and served as an overnight stop for thru-hikers. The AT was re-routed much further west a long time ago, but the shelter was left intact. In front of the building, a small descent takes you down to a rocky ledge with a spectacular view (the view is almost as good from the shelter itself.) The hillside was covered with mountain laurel – so gorgeous.

We hiked a little bit past the shelter. There was one more nice view, but after that the trail started to descend toward the picnic area, so we turned around. The return trip follows the steeper arm of the loop downhill. As we walked back, the views from the trail were even prettier. The sun was dropping in the sky, making the light softer and warmer.

When we got back to the pasture area, the cattle had come out from the shady areas they had been hiding. They looked at us curiously and trotted off when we got too close. We made it back to the car a good while before sunset, but early enough that I had enough time to shoot Mabry Mill.

It was a great, short hike! I wish it hadn’t been so hot, but it was otherwise a perfect evening.

Adam Says…

We got checked in around 2:00PM and decided that we should try and make the best of the afternoon. Christine has been wanting to photograph Mabry Mill on the Blue Ridge Parkway for a while, so we thought it would be best to hit that closer to sunset. We decided to try and squeeze in a hike beforehand. We debated about going to Fairy Stone State Park, but opted for this short hike on the Blue Ridge Parkway, just north of Mabry Mill. We drove past Mabry Mill and saw the signs for Chateau Morrisette winery. After Christine went through a quick wine-tasting, we made our way up to the Rocky Knob trail.

Mountain Laurel — The mountain laurel was spectacular! Below: More wildflowers, azaleas and mountain laurel.

There are many ways to approach this hike. We consulted our Falcon Guide, which just got us confused on which was the best way to go. They list about three different hikes for this one, but don’t really provide appropriate directions for all three.

We started the trail, by parking our vehicle right outside the Rocky Knob campground. Directly across the parkway road from the campground entrance, there is a fat-man squeeze leading in to a field. This is to keep the cows that occupy this field , so don’t try to open any gates. After crossing through, head right following the blazed posts through the grassy fields. You will slowly ascend this hillside. At .6 miles, the trail leads to another fat-man squeeze that leads into the woods. At .75 miles, you will come out of the woods and reach the Saddle Overlook area. Keep going straight and go back into the woods. At .83 miles, you will reach a junction. This is the beginning of the lollipop loop section of the trail. Take the right branch. Just about another 150 feet, you will reach another junction. Take the left to start the red-blazed trail. This trail leads uphill fairly steeply with a switchback. At 1.0 miles, you will reach the end of this trail, which leads to the Rocky Knob shelter and joins back with the blue-blazed Rock Castle Gorge Trail. Head up the trail (north) just about 150 feet up the trail and you will come to the Rocky Knob overlook. Backtrack and go back to the cabin to enjoy the views and explore the cabin. Head down the Rock Castle Gorge Trail (south), passing by the Saddle Overlook and making your way back to your vehicle.

Adam takes in the view from the second view, past the shelter. Below: Cows were grazing in the pasture on our return hike; A last view across the open meadows.

The temperature for the day was over 90 degrees and the sun was beating down on us relentlessly, but the views that you get from the field, the Saddle Overlook, and the shelter were truly breathtaking. It was a clear day, with no threat of rain, and even in the haze we felt like we could see for fifty miles around us. The shelter was impressive too. The Appalachian Trail used to run through this area and this was once used by thru-hikers. I can just imagine how wonderful of a shelter this would be – the sunrise from this spot must have been amazing.

Christine and I were both impressed with the landscape along the way. There is a longer 10.6 mile hike through the Rock Castle Gorge that will be something to add to our “must hike” list on a day when we have more time.

Trail Notes

Distance – 2.3 miles
Elevation Change – 480 feet
Difficulty – 2. The uphill is nice and gradual.
Trail Conditions – 4. The trail is nicely maintained with a few rocky spots.
Views – 4.5. The views from the meadow and the Rocky Knob summit were beautiful!
Waterfalls/Streams – 0. None
Wildlife – 1. Maybe the cows count?
Ease to Navigate – 3.5. Some of the maps and descriptions are a little confusing.
Solitude – 3. It’s hard to judge this. We visited on a weekday evening. I assume this area is heavily trafficked on weekends.

Directions to trailhead: The Rocky Knob campground is located around mile 168 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Park your car just outside the campground, cross the parkway, and begin the hike by going through the fat-man squeeze and going right up the meadow.