Love Virginia

White Oak Canyon

July 5, 2009April 29, 202223 Comments

White Oak Canyon is one of Shenandoah’s most popular waterfall hikes. The trail begins directly across Skyline Drive from Skyland Resort.

Upper Falls of White Oak Canyon — The upper falls of White Oak Canyon plunge 86 feet to a pool below.

Christine Says…

Adam and I set out early on Saturday morning to hike the White Oak Canyon trail. Our primary goal was to avoid the holiday crowds, so we were quite pleased to arrive at 7:30 and find just one other car in the parking lot.

The park is always quiet and beautiful in the early morning.

The morning was almost chilly – sunny, no humidity and a crisp breeze blowing. It felt more like mid-May than the Fourth of July. I don’t know about you, but I always associate the 4th with sultry, hazy, buggy weather. Since I’m not a fan of typical Virginia summer weather, I thought the conditions were perfect for our hike. The only thing I wasn’t thrilled about was the bright sun shining up above in the sky. Sunny weather is great for hiking and enjoying the outdoors, but it complicates opportunities for waterfall and forest photography. The strong overhead light makes it nearly impossible to properly expose images. I was kind of bummed about that, but decided I was just going to enjoy the hike and not worry about getting good photos.

This rock formation sits at the junction of the Limberlost and the White Oak Canyon trail. Pictured below: the trail junction.

The trail makes its way down from the parking lot, crossing the Limberlost Trail twice. After leaving the remains of the hemlock forest around Limberlost, the trail quickly descends into White Oak Canyon. Ship-sized boulders start coming into view as you approach the stream. The stream starts off as a trickle, but quickly picks up energy as little rivulets of run-off join the flow. There are many small falls along the stream. In places, the sheer canyon walls soar upward from the water. The canyon is a rugged and wild place.

A pool along the White Oak Canyon stream. Pictured below: the stream passes through a narrow, rocky slot.

As you approach the upper falls, the sound of running water becomes increasingly audible in the woods. There are two footbridges to cross before you come to the viewpoint of the upper falls. This view is beautiful, but with a little extra effort you can reach the base of the waterfall and have an even nicer view. On warm days, the pool at the base of the falls is a popular swimming spot.

Luckily, the weather decided to throw a favor my way. Just as we reached the falls, a large band of clouds passed over the area. It literally went from crystal clear blue skies to thick overcast in the span of five minutes. I was able to photograph several spots along the waterfall before the clouds blew out as quickly as they appeared. I even got knee-deep in the water at one spot to get the composition I wanted. It was so slimy and slippery, so I used my tripod as a crutch. I saw lots of brook trout darting in the pool. They’re so pretty and colorful. They almost look like autumn leaves swimming in the water.

Cubs on the White Oak Canyon Trail. Pictured below: another shot of one cub and a view of momma bear’s back.

On the hike back, I stopped to take a water break. As I was sitting on a trail-side rock, I noticed a glossy, black shape moving quietly through the woods about 50 feet uphill from the trail. I mouthed “BEAR!” to Adam. A moment later, the sow and her two young cubs came into clear view. We sat and watched the family for about ten minutes. The momma bear moved parallel to the trail, turning over rocks looking for food. The cubs bounced along behind her. When they finally noticed us watching them, the cubs darted up a tree and watched us curiously. Momma bear glanced up a few times, but mostly continued feeding along the way. She soon ambled uphill and away from the trail. With just a quick look over her shoulder, she called the cubs to her. The cubs slid down the tree and scampered off into the woods with their mother. Seeing the bears was the highlight of the hike.

As we continued our return trip, we passed dozens of hikers. When we got back up to the Limberlost, there was even a church group hiking with 40+ members, lawn chairs, musical instruments. I’m so glad we hiked the trail early and were able to enjoy the solitude. You really can’t beat having a gorgeous waterfall and a great bear sighting all to yourselves!

Adam Says…

The White Oak Canyon trail is a great hike if you’re into streams and waterfalls. This hike and Dark Hollow Falls are probably the two most popular trails in all of Shenandoah National Park. Since this trail is so close to Skyland, it appeals to a lot of people. There is a reason why the parking lot for this trail is so large. This was the first time that we had hiked this trail from Skyline Drive. Typically, we have visited the lower section of falls and approached the hike from State Road 600 near Syria, VA and Graves Mountain. Going from the lower falls to the upper falls is quite steep, so if you want an easier day hike, I would recommend doing either the hike to the upper falls or the hike to the lower falls (instead of the full 8.2 mile loop).

Taking off from the parking lot on Skyline Drive, the trail is very well-traveled and smooth until you start seeing the water to your side. At .3 miles, you will cross the Limberlost Trail which you could add to your trip if you desire. The trail then presents more rocky conditions and you do have to watch your feet. As you hike along the water, you will see several spots to pause and admire the rushing water. At 2.2 miles, you will reach the top of the Upper Falls. There is a horse trail that cuts the trail perpendicularly and you will notice the hitch posts for horses on the trail. The water looks very peaceful here, but it soon rushes down into a deep chasm.

Scenery near the top of the first falls.

The viewpoint at 2.4 miles has some great views of the falls from above and the canyon cutting through the forest below. You will also see some dead hemlocks standing along the gorge. I can just imagine how magnificent this would have looked with the hemlocks still there. From the viewpoint, continue on the trail for another .3 miles. This is a sharp descent, but it will lead to the view from the base of the falls. You will come to a cement post which lets you know you are .2 miles from the next set of falls. This is also the marker that states you’ve reached the base of the falls. I think the park has abandoned an official trail to the pool at the bottom of the Upper Falls, but if you make your way along the rocks heading north from the cement marker, you will shortly come to a “No Camping” sign. Continue a little further and you will be able to see the impressive falls from the base, which includes the pool where the waterfall plunges. This is definitely worth taking the time to view.

The pool at the base of the falls is a perfect swimming hole.

We headed back from this point, since the other falls are not quite as impressive. This made for about a 5.4 mile hike. I have a feeling that a lot of people continue to do the whole hike without planning ahead. There is even a sign at the base of the Upper Falls warning hikers not to overestimate their hiking skills. Once you pass the upper falls, the continuation of the hike down is quite steep. The phrase in hiking, “What goes down, must come up” definitely applies here. The hike back up would be a steady uphill climb that would likely exhaust people who haven’t planned appropriately.

We both enjoyed seeing the momma bear and two cubs frolicking near the trail. We were able to show/warn two other hikers about the bears presence. I could tell they really enjoyed the viewing, too. The bear wisely moved away from the trail, probably sensing that many more hikers were headed in her direction.

Trail Notes

Distance – Anywhere from 4.6 to 8.2 miles (we hiked about 5.4 miles)
Elevation Change – Around 1200 feet. (2450 if you do the entire 8.2 miles)
Difficulty – 3. The route we hiked was moderate.
Trail Conditions – 4. The trail is well-traveled and well-maintained.
Views –0. No views – the entire hike is down in the woods.
Waterfalls/streams –4. One of the park’s nicest waterfall hikes. If you do the shorter out-and-back, you’ll see one large waterfall and many smaller ones. If you hike the full loop, there are six waterfalls.
Wildlife – 4. We saw a bear with her cubs, lots of chipmunks and a rabbit.
Ease to Navigate – 4. The trail is easy to follow and marked with blue blazes.
Solitude – 0. Unless you hike this trail very early in the morning, expect to see substantial crowds. It’s one of the most popular hikes in the park.

Directions to trailhead:

Follow Skyline Drive to the Skyland Resort area. The parking lot for White Oak Canyon is on the east side of the drive between mile markers 42 and 43. It’s almost directly across the drive from the south entrance to Skyland.

Turk Mountain

June 28, 2009April 29, 202218 Comments

Turk Mountain is a 2.2 mile hike of moderate difficulty. The trail is located at the far southern end of the park, and is less-traveled than many of the park’s other hikes.

Wookie and Adam enjoy the summit of Turk Mountain.

Adam Says…

We weren’t feeling terribly energetic on Saturday, so we decided to do a short hike in the southern district of Shenandoah National Park. Since it was cool, we even got to bring our pug, Wookie, along. The Turk Mountain trail is only 2.2 miles long, but it seems a bit longer due to the uphill portion. When you start, you will be on the Appalachian Trail for .2 miles. Then you will split off to join the Turk Mountain trail (marked by blue blazes). The last half of a mile is all uphill. During the climb, the side of the mountain blocks all breezes. We recommend hiking this on a cooler day with low humidity. Most of the times we have hiked this trail, it has been hot and humid, and when the breeze is blocked it feels stifling. There are some views to the east at about .9 miles into your hike at the last switchback, but the views are much better ahead. When you reach the summit, the breeze will instantly greet you again. Continue just past the marker to climb onto the summit rocks. You will get some great views of a large talus slope and the valley below to the west.

The talus slope below the summit is expansive and impressive.

This is a fun hike that a lot of people try due to the shortness in distance and close proximity to the southern entrance to Shenandoah National Park.

Christine Says…

As we entered the park on Saturday morning, I was telling Adam that I don’t feel like we see as much wildlife in the southern district as we do elsewhere in the park. Wouldn’t you know, as soon as the words finished coming out of my mouth, we passed a huge bear sitting right on the side of the road. I like to think he was serving as the park’s official greeter that day. A little later we passed a doe and fawn and a turkey with her brood of babies. What are baby turkeys called – turklings? turklets?

I digress… and now onto the hike! Turk Mountain is a fun, short hike that we’ve done several times in the past year. It’s a hike I choose a lot when I want an excuse to go to Sonic (this hike is near the Waynesboro park entrance. That town is home to our area’s only Sonic). I just love their coconut creme pie milkshakes. 🙂

Wow, I digress again. We had beautiful weather for this trip along the Turk Mountain trail. For the first half of the hike, we enjoyed cool, pleasant, breezy weather. The conditions were ideal for hiking, and I started wondering if we’d made a mistake in not selecting a longer hike. By the time we passed through the saddle and started our uphill climb, I was glad we’d decided to keep things short. The uphill portion of Turk Mountain isn’t terribly steep, I think I was just a bit tired from my busy week.

Indian Pipes along the trail. Pictured below: Butterflies and other wildflowers were also seen along the trail.

When we arrived at the summit of Turk Mountain, we had the entire rocky jumble all to ourselves. We climbed around on the rocks and enjoyed the crisp, gentle wind. The rocks at the summit of Turk Mountain are somewhat different looking than other rocks in the park. I don’t know much about geology, but the color seems to have more pink and gray undertones than other summits. Because this summit receives less foot-traffic than other SNP hikes, the rocks are in better shape – still covered with lichen and other plants. When you visit more popular summits like Old Rag or Stony Man, be sure to notice barren the rocks are.

The rocks on the Turk Mountain summit are different.

Wookie was so cute climbing around like a tiny mountain goat. I’m always amazed by how confident and agile he is on rock scrambles. The view from the top was a bit hazy, so I didn’t get any great photos. But it was still a fun hike and a very pleasant morning in the park.

Wookie Says…

It’s been a while since I’ve gotten to accompany my masters on a hike. The last hike I did with them was the Dry Run Falls hike and I got a lot of ticks that day. Since the temperature was cool for late June, I was allowed to come along. This hike had a few things that I like – scrambling over rocks and views. I’m really good at climbing over rocks, so I was able to do this pretty well. I wouldn’t recommend all dogs to attempt this hike, since you really have to watch your paws or you could hurt yourself. Adam had to carry me over a few precarious rocks because I have short legs. However, I was able to confidently go back quicker than he could. On the way back down from the summit, I ran across a couple hiking up. For some reason, the woman cowered behind her husband and didn’t want to be near me. I tried to sniff her leg and she jerked it back quickly. I guess she thought I was really scary or vicious. Or maybe she was intimidated by my colorful Aztec-pattern collar. The bonus for the day is that I didn’t get any ticks on me.

Trail Notes

Distance –2.2 miles out-and-back
Elevation Change – 690 feet
Difficulty – 3. This hike has some nice flat parts to it, but the elevation change is over a short distance, making this a strong uphill for a portion.
Trail Conditions – 3. Some of the trail is very smooth, but other parts are covered by sharp, pointy rocks.
Views –3. There are some nice views from the top, but there are better hikes with more expansive views. The talus slope makes for some interesting scenery to add to the view.
Waterfalls/streams –0. Non-existent.
Wildlife – 1. You likely won’t see a lot here due to the steepness of the trail. The summit does provide for nice hawk and bird viewing.
Ease to Navigate – 4. Just one turn from the AT on to the Turk Mountain Trail.
Solitude – 3. There aren’t as many visitors to the southern section as other areas of SNP, but it is fairly popular. The summit rocks don’t lead to a lot of room to get views, so you may be sharing the beauty with others during mid-day hikes.

Directions to trailhead:

Follow Skyline Drive to mile 94.1. Park at the Turk Gap parking lot. Cross the drive and pick up the trail.

Mary’s Rock

June 26, 2009August 26, 201551 Comments

This hike to Mary’s Rock starts from Jewell Hollow. The route follows the Appalachian Trail for roughly three miles to Mary’s Rock. After spending some time enjoying the views, simply retrace your steps back to Jewell Hollow for a total hike of roughly six miles. There are other ways to reach the summit, but in our opinion, this route offers the best scenery and the most pleasant trail conditions.

Adam enjoys the view from Mary's Rock. — Adam enjoys the view from Mary’s Rock. Below: Check out this photo from one of our website visitors, Martine Zimmer. She spotted a rock on the Mary’s Rock summit that looked like a bear! It really does!

Adam Says…

Mary’s Rock is a great view hike on the Appalachian Trail. There are many theories on how the summit got its name, but my favorite one is that Francis Thornton’s daughter Mary climbed up to the rock and came back down carrying a bear cub under each arm. Francis Thornton III owned a lot of land to the east of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Thornton Gap is named for him.

The trail is rocky and passes many large boulders.

We have hiked to Mary’s Rock numerous times in the traditional way, from the trailhead at Panorama, but the trail from Jewell Hollow is not one to be missed. In my opinion, this is definitely one of the best hikes to do in the park for scenery. In the fall, you will be able to see great colorful views looking into the western valley below.

The trail is probably roughest during the first .75 miles, but then the rocks tend to give way to easier footing. There are great places to take in the views at .85 miles at the Pinnacle and at another overlook at 2.0 miles. You will also pass a AT hiker hut (Byrd’s Nest #3) about halfway through the trip.

The columbine is starting to bloom all over the park. We saw tons of it along the trail.

Despite the fact that we had to rush to make it back to the car by sunset, we really enjoyed this trail. We saw a bear on the trail going up and probably the same one again coming back. On the way back, I was probably only 75 feet away when the bear crossed our path, but he quickly took off as soon as he realized we were nearby. We also encountered two large bucks on the trail, too. When we saw the first one, we were coming downhill and it appeared that the buck wanted to stand his ground and approach us. So, we yelled at him and shooed him back into the forest.

The Byrd's Nest #3 Shelter is a popular camping spot for backpackers. — The Byrd’s Nest #3 Shelter is a popular camping spot for backpackers. The shelter was day-use only until 2008. It has since been remodeled for overnighters.

There is a geocache at the top of Mary’s Rock requiring you to identify dates on the USGS markers. You will have to climb up on the steep rocks to find them, but if you feel comfortable scrambling on rocks, this isn’t too tough.

Mary’s Rock Geocache titled “At the Rock”

Christine Says…

What can I say… we didn’t do a very good job using the distance scale on our map for this hike! I would have sworn that our PATC map made the hike look like 3.5 – 4 miles total, rather than the 6 miles it actually turned out to be. Normally, that wouldn’t be a big deal, but we didn’t start walking until 5:45 p.m.

This was the first time we’ve accessed Mary’s Rock via the Appalachian Trail. In the past, we’ve always gone by-the-book, and followed the designated Mary’s Rock trail. That trail begins at the Panorama parking lot, and makes its way up the mountain via a series of switchbacks. The Mary’s Rock trail is fine, but it’s really quite boring in way of scenery and views. The hike we did along the AT is longer, but it’s also flatter and tremendously more scenic.

The trail we hiked primarily follows the ridgeline, making one dip down through a saddle between the mountains. The trail is lined with ferns, mountain laurels and rhododendrons. There are many truck-sized boulders along the trail. They kind of look like graveyard headstones for giants. At the .85 mile mark, hikers are treated to an absolutely spectacular view from the Pinnacles, which is the highest point in Rappahannock County. The craggy, boulder-strewn mountains sweep down into the valley, hawks soar below and you get a nice look at Mary’s Rock way off in the distance. As I was enjoying the Pinnacles view, I said to Adam “You know… Mary’s Rock still looks pretty far off. Are you sure we got the distance right? We’re not going to be hiking back in the dark, are we?” He responded “Nah, we’re fine! You need to trust my map reading skills.”

A while later, we passed the Byrd’s Nest #3 Shelter, which was close to the halfway point of the walk up to Mary’s Rock. Time was passing quickly, and I was getting the distinct feeling that the hike was longer than the mileage we estimated. I started to get a bit squirrely at this point. We didn’t have headlamps or a flashlight, and I seriously did not want to get stuck out on the trail after sun down. A lot of the trail’s footing is made up of loose rocky terrain that twists its way through dense mountain laurel thickets. Also, there was a bear lurking in the area – we had heard him crashing through the woods and seen his rounded ears peeking up through the brush.

A back view of Mary's Rock. — A back view of Mary’s Rock.

After passing the shelter, we started almost jogging the trail to make sure we’d have ample daylight for the return trip. We got to the summit around 7:20, just a little over an hour before sunset. Mary’s Rock is an impressive rock outcropping that overlooks both the Shenandoah Valley and a little bit of the eastern Piedmont. In the late afternoon, the light is so warm and lovely on the rock. We enjoyed the vista for a couple minutes, and then promptly began our return trip. Along the way back, we crossed paths with about a half dozen thru-hikers. Many of them were setting up camp at the Byrd’s Nest shelter. We hiked the entire return trip very quickly, and made it back to our car just about ten minutes before the sun set. As we stepped off the trail onto Skyline Drive, I noticed a bear with cubs in the woods on the other side of the road. It was nice to see the bear family as a grand finale for our hike.

We saw this adorable cub and his mother right as we finished the hike.

Under normal, non-rushed circumstances, I’d have to say this is one of the prettiest and most pleasant hikes I’ve ever done in the park. I’d love to go back and re-hike it in the fall. I think the views along the way would offer some amazing places to photograph the fall foliage. And from now on, we’re not hiking anything over three miles in the evening.

Trail Notes

Distance – 6 miles total, out-and-back
(Check out the stats from MapMyHike)*
Elevation Change – About 800 ft.
Difficulty – 2. Nice and mostly level, with only a few very moderate climbs.
Trail Conditions – 3. There are some loose and pointy rocks along several sections of the trail. If you don’t pay attention, this trail can be an ankle-turner. But overall the trail is smooth and well-maintained.
Views – 4. On a clear day – the views are amazing!
Waterfalls/streams – 0. Non-existent
Wildlife – 5. Bears, bucks, chipmunks, rabbits, squirrels and many species of birds. It was a great trail to see animals.
Ease to Navigate – 4. After a very brief walk on the Leading Ridge trail, you follow the AT all the way up to Mary’s Rock. You will not see signs for Mary’s Rock until the cement marker post at the Meadow Springs trail junction.
Solitude – 3. You probably won’t see many hikers between Jewell Hollow and the Meadow Springs Trail junction (with the exception of AT hikers in June). However, the officially designated Mary’s Rock is very popular. It is likely you will see many people in the last mile before reaching Mary’s Rock.

Directions to trailhead: The trail is located on Skyline Drive at mile marker 37. Park at the Jewell Hollow Overlook. Walk 50 yards north on Skyline Drive. You’ll see a cement marker for the Leading Ridge trail on the west side of the drive. Follow the Leading Ridge trail for .1 of a mile to a junction with the AT. Turn right and proceed from there.

* MapMyHike is not necessarily accurate, as the GPS signal fades in and out – but it still provides some fun and interesting information.

Humpback Rock

June 18, 2009July 13, 201413 Comments

Humpback Rock is a steep, but popular trail in the northern section of the Blue Ridge Parkway with great views.

Humpback Summit — The summit of Humpback is always crowded.

Adam Says…

This was the third of our three hikes in one day, with Crabtree Falls and The Priest making up the earlier hikes. We both were quite exhausted. Christine definitely didn’t want to do this when we arrived. She blamed me for tweeting about it earlier, since she felt the tweet had publicly committed us to finishing all three hikes. So, I think I’ll not be allowed to tweet for a while. We were both low on energy, but we relied on each other to get ourselves up to the top.

It is surprising to see all of the different people that hike this trail and what they choose to wear. We saw people with serious hiking gear and trekking poles. We saw elderly people with business shoes and teenage girls wearing party dresses. This is a steep trail through most of the hike, so be prepared and wear appropriate shoes/clothes or you may end up on a future blog. As much as you will huff-and-puff on the way up, you will likely have a sadistic smile on the way down as you witness the effort on the faces of those ascending, knowing your work is behind you. We heard a lot of music when we were hiking up and couldn’t place it. It turns out there was a bluegrass concert at the Humpback Rocks visitor center.

You can extend the hike an extra mile by taking off from the Humpback Rocks Visitor Center parking lot and taking the Mountain Farm Trail. This takes you through a re-creation of an 1890s farm with lots of buildings you can inspect and think about a farming time long ago. For us, we didn’t have any fuel left in our tanks to walk the extra mile and the concert was taking place at the farm.

You can see a little snip of the Blue Ridge Parkway from the summit.

The views from the top are quite remarkable and you will have some gorgeous views of the Parkway and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Take some time to soak in the beauty of the area.

Christine Says…

Let’s see here – what do I remember more about Humpback Rock… the pain or the suffering? Really it’s so close; I’m going to have to call it a draw. All kidding aside, Humpback Rock is actually a fun and scenic hike. This isn’t the first time we’ve hiked it, and we normally enjoy the hike quite a bit. However, it was probably rather ill-advised for us to hike it as the final leg of our trifecta of hikes along the Blue Ridge Parkway. We hadn’t eaten anything in over eight hours (except for that half donut on the summit of The Priest). We were both really hungry and thirsty, but stupidly mused “How bad can one more mile of uphill really be?”

As we learned, it can be quite bad! Along the way, Adam and I moaned at every moment that someone else wasn’t in earshot. We took turns declaring that we should turn around, go back to the car and just get lunch at Sonic. At one point, I said to Adam “Here… take this blasted camera and go up to the top and take photos for me. I’ll wait here.” A few minutes later, I turned around and saw Adam sitting on a rock about thirty feet back. He told me that he didn’t think his feet would move – not even one more step. Basically, we were a big, stinking heap of melodrama.

Last time we hiked up to Humpback Rock was April of 2008. Sometime since then, the trail has been re-routed. The first half of the climb still follows a steep, but wide and smooth, pathway up the mountainside. In the past, the second half of the trail climbed up the backside of the rock. The terrain was more like a scramble than a trail, but it was fun. Now, in order to reach the top, hikers must climb around and under the rock and then follow a trail up the side to reach the summit.

By the time we got to the top, we were beat!

If you hit Humpback Rock on a nice, clear day – the views are beautiful and panoramic. The rock ledges at the top are fun to climb on and there are lots of places to sit and enjoy the view. The trail is exceedingly popular with central Virginians, so it’s not the kind of place you’ll find peace and solitude. On the beautiful Sunday afternoon we hiked the trail, we saw at least 50 other hikers.

Trail Notes

Distance – 2.0 miles out-and-back
Elevation Change – 800 feet
Difficulty – 3.5. This is short but fairly strenuous.
Trail Conditions – 3.5. There are some pointy rocks later on in the trail, but there is a lot of sections that are covered in gravel.
Views – 3.5. Nice views from the top.
Waterfalls/streams – 0. Non-existent
Wildlife – .5. I don’t think you’ll see much wildlife due to all the people.
Ease to Navigate – 3.5. The trail is not hard to follow.
Solitude – .5. If you do this during any normal day hours on a nice day, it will be tough to not have people in your view.

Directions to trailhead: The trail is located on the Blue Ridge Parkway between mile markers 5 & 6… although you can hike to the rocks via slightly longer routes from either the picnic grounds or visitors center. For the route described above, there is a large parking lot with a information board near the trailhead.

Crabtree Falls

June 15, 2009August 26, 201561 Comments

Crabtree Falls is probably Virginia’s best-known waterfall hike. The hike is located a short distance from the Blue Ridge Parkway. The trail climbs alongside the falls and ends at an overlook of the Tye River Valley.

This is the first large cascade you'll encounter on the hike. — This is the first large cascade you’ll encounter on the hike.

Christine Says…

Crabtree Falls, located in George Washington National Forest’s Glenwood & Pedlar Ranger Districts, is one of the classic “must-hike” Virginia trails. When the area is experiencing good amount of rainfall, the 1,200 foot series of falls can be truly impressive.

Adam and I left our house at 5:45 a.m. on the morning of this hike. I wanted to get to the area before the sun started shining into the gorge. Sunny days usually mean crappy waterfall photos. On the morning of our hike, the area was forecast to have quite a bit of fog. I was really excited and had visions of the falls – cascading through the mist, lined with lush, blooming mountain laurel. Unfortunately, it was not to be. When we arrived, the fog was gone, the sun was already high in the sky and the laurel had mostly gone to seed. Nonetheless, I was still able to find a few shady spots along the way to take photographs.

The beautiful arched bridge over the Tye River.

The trailhead is located at the upper parking lot of the Crabtree Falls area. There is a $3.00 fee to use this area. Even though the trail starts from the upper lot, don’t miss walking down to the lower lot to take a walk across the beautiful laminated wooden arch bridge that crosses the Tye River. It was delivered to the area in a single piece and has graced the spot since 1978. Crossing the bridge used to be part of the hike, but improvements to the area expanded parking, added restrooms and shortened the trail.

As you start the hike, don’t neglect reading the bulletin board at the trailhead. It provides many cautionary tales concerning the waterfall’s deadly terrain. As of June 2015, 29 people have fallen to their deaths at Crabtree Falls – most of them teenagers and young adults. The rocks surrounding the stream are coated with transparent algae. It doesn’t look wet or slippery, but it’s honestly as slick as grease in some spots. The forest service is always warning hikers to stay off waterfalls – but they really mean it at Crabtree.

Adam climbs the steps along the Crabtree Trail.

The first impressive cascade is at the very bottom of the trail and is accessible along a level, paved walkway. The trail to the summit starts on the right side of the paved path, and climbs quickly upward. The trail makes use of steps, railings, wooden walkways and switchbacks to traverse the steep terrain. Some of the switchbacks meander quite a distance from Crabtree Stream, but the sound of rushing water is ever present in the woods. You never move so far from the stream that you can not hear the sound of the waterfall. It’s such a soothing sound. There are five major cascades (and many smaller ones) that make up Crabtree Falls.

The trail is mostly well-graded and maintained. There are a few rocky sections, and some of the rocks may be loose or slippery. On the day we hiked, the trail was really muddy from all the recent rain, but it was still easily passable. I think most of the pretty sections of the falls are within the first three-quarters of the hike. The big, dome-shaped cascade at the top is impressive to see, but it just doesn’t photograph well. At the Tye Valley overlook at the top, you can’t see the falls below you at all. If you hadn’t just walked along the waterfall on your hike, you might not even believe it’s there. The view from the top is just so-so – mostly just tree-covered mountainsides. It pales in comparison to the waterfall views. Most hikers choose to turn around at this point, but you also have the option to continue the hike along the stream, ending up at Crabtree Meadows.

There are discrepancies about the length of this hike. On the internet, I’ve seen it listed everywhere from 2.2 to 4 miles. The on-site plaque at the base of the falls says the hike is two miles to the top, for a total 4 mile out-and-back. Our Blue Ridge Parkway hiking guide lists the hike at 3.4 miles, out-and-back. It seems like the happy medium distance, so we’ll go with that measure.

Adam Says…

The hike along Crabtree Falls is one of the best waterfall hikes, since you hike along the falls for most of the way. I haven’t experienced any other hike in Virginia that allows you to walk along such an impressive series of falls.

Another beautiful section of falls along the trail.

This was our second trip to Crabtree Falls. We were hoping to go in the late spring or early summer for views of mountain laurel along the stream. It looks like in this area, we just missed the peak by about two weeks or the laurel didn’t bloom as well this year. When you reach the top of the falls after a 1.7 mile hike, there is a stone platform at the top that provides you with nice views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Near the entrance to the paved trail you will see a small family cemetery. These are actually distant relatives of mine. My great grandmother was a Fitzgerald and owned the farm next to the McCormick Farm. My mother used to visit that farm often when she was little. If you are interested in history, the McCormick Farm is open to visitors and has lots of exhibits showing the early farming techniques. Cyrus McCormick was the inventor of the mechanical reaper which revolutionized farming.

This is a great hike that a lot of families do before picnicking at one of the tables near the lot entrance. I know we will visit this location time and again.

Trail Notes

Distance – 3.4miles out-and-back.
Elevation Change – 1000 feet
Difficulty – 3. This is a fairly steep trail with plenty of switchbacks. However, most people will stop along the way to enjoy the falls, so it breaks up the pace.
Trail Conditions – 3. There are lots of pointy rocks along part of the trail, but there are some sections that are very nice. The view to the lower falls is even paved for wheelchair access.
Views – 2. At the top of the falls, you get a decent view of the Tye River Valley
Waterfalls/streams – 4.5. This is one of the best waterfalls in the Central Virginia area.
Wildlife – .5. You probably won’t see anything here other than people.
Ease to Navigate – 4.5. Just stay on the trail.
Solitude –1. This is an extremely popular hike, so you will surely see people along the way.

Directions to trailhead: If you are approaching from I-81, take exit 205 towards Steeles Tavern. Take a left on to Rte. 11 and then a quick right on to VA-56 heading east. Follow this past the Blue Ridge Parkway (near BRP Mile Marker 30). After a few more miles, you will see the signs for the parking area of Crabtree Falls on your right. The parking lot loops around and you will see the trailhead and map near the restroom facilities.

Sugarloaf – Keyser Run – Hogback Mountain Loop

June 10, 2009April 29, 20229 Comments

The Sugarloaf-Keyser Run-Hogback Mountain Loop is a lovely 4.9 mile hike through classic Virginia forest. It passes by several nice panoramic viewpoints and makes use of the Appalachian Trail, a couple SNP trails and a fire road.

Christine says…

We hiked this trail with my parents to celebrate a combination of (belated) Mother’s Day and (early) Father’s Day. My parents are fit, active, outdoorsy people, so we knew they would enjoy a day of wildlife watching, hiking and picnicking in Shenandoah.

We picked the Sugarloaf-Keyser Run-Hogback Mountain Loop because it sounded like the perfect length and difficulty for the whole group. For some reason, my mom had a hard time remembering the name of the hike, and kept referring to it as “Hogland.” I chuckle every time I think of a hiking trail being called Hogland; it sounds like the name of a porcine-themed amusement park.

It definitely turned out to be a suitable hike for the whole group. The first 3.5 miles were really easy going. The AT and Sugarloaf segments were both especially pretty. The section along the Keyser Run Fire Road was boring, as fire roads always are. My mom and I agreed that fire roads are always a little dull compared to “real” trails. We saw a couple hikers coming out of the Little Devil’s Stairs area on Keyser Run Road. They looked exhausted and sweat-drenched. The day turned out to be a lot warmer than had been forecast.

The view from the summit of Hogback Mountain (the highest point on the trail) was a little underwhelming for me. The valley vista was lovely, but it was hazy and the view was ruined by power lines and an obstructive radio tower. The views from Little Hogback are definitely nicer, even though the vantage point isn’t as lofty in elevation. The saddle between Little Hogback and Hogback also has one especially beautiful view spot.

The saddle between Little Hogback and Hogback is very pretty

The whole hike only took us a couple hours to complete, even with water and snack breaks along the way. Afterwards, we shared a delicious picnic lunch at Pinnacles and headed home tired and stuffed full of chocolate chip cookies and fried chicken. It was a really fun day.

Adam says…

Since there are a lot of trails and options in this area, here are the trail directions we used. After crossing Skyline Drive from the parking lot and proceeding .3 miles, you will come to a concrete post. Take a right and follow the blue blazes down the Sugarloaf Trail. Hike for 1.1 miles until you come to the next marker. Take a left onto the Pole Bridge Link Trail. Continue for .5 miles and then take a left on to the Keyser Run fire road. Follow this for 1.1 miles, crossing Skyline Drive. When you reach the AT junction, take a left heading south on the AT. Keep on the south AT, going up Little Hogback and then Hogback Mountain. You will cross Skyline Drive one more time on your descent. Follow the south AT until you reach the parking lot.

The stream crossings were shallow and easy

This hike had some very pretty spots on the trail. The fern-covered forest floor near the beginning of the trail and again near Hogback Mountain was really quite gorgeous. I felt this trail was very easy and most people could handle it. The only challenging portion was the brief half-mile set of switchbacks climbing up to the Hogback Summit. Last year, a ranger told us this was the best hike in Shenandoah National Park. I would disagree, but it was still an enjoyable hike and our first time on this particular route.

One of the prettiest section of trail was the Appalachian Trail crossing Hogback Mountain — One of the prettiest sections of trail was the Appalachian Trail crossing Hogback Mountain

We ran into our AT thru-hiker for a third time! When we stopped to talk to him, I told him, “I promise we’re not stalking you.” He laughed and asked “Don’t you guys ever go home?” Quite funny that we’ve seen him so many times in a park that encompasses 196,000 acres!

Trail Notes

Distance – 4.9 mile loop.
Elevation Change – 700 ft. Most of this is during the climb up to Hogback Mountain.
Difficulty – 1.5. For most of the trail, the trail is level or slightly downhill. There is a steep set of switchbacks to the summit of Hogback Mountain.
Trail Conditions – 4. The AT is well-maintained. You also travel on the Keyser Run fire road for a little over a mile.
Views – 3. The view from the summit of Little Hogback was the nicest unobstructed view.
Waterfalls/streams – 1. A couple of very small stream crossings, but not photo-worthy.
Wildlife – 2. Some signs of bears in the area, but you’re more likely to see some deer along the way.
Ease to Navigate – 4. There are a couple turns, but the directions are well-marked on cement posts.
Solitude – 4. Likely to see AT hikers mostly during June, but we didn’t really see many others.

Directions to trailhead:

Park just south of the Hogback Overlook, in the parking lot located at mile marker 21 on Skyline Drive. At the south end of the lot, you will find the AT marker. You will cross the drive here, go slightly uphill, and then start the descent.

Loft Mountain Loop

June 3, 2009March 21, 20151 Comment

The Loft Mountain Loop is an easy, 2.7 mile trail that makes use of a fire road, the Appalachian Trail and the Frazier Discovery Trail. It takes you past one of Shenandoah National Park’s finest views.

Christine Says…

Adam and I love visiting the park on weeknights after we get off work. The traffic is usually light and the animals tend to be more active. On Tuesday night, we saw many deer, a timber rattlesnake, a couple rabbits, a bear with three cubs and only a handful of human beings. If you live close to the park, weekday evenings are the perfect time for a quick hiking escape – especially on June nights when twilight lingers until 9:00 p.m.

On this particular night, we chose to hike the Loft Mountain Loop, which is located in the south district of the park. Generally, fewer people visit the south end of the park than the other two districts (north and central), so it always feels quiet and peaceful. I have so many fond memories of camping at Loft Mountain as a child. We had a rickety, second-hand, pop-up camper. I remember waking up on cold mountain mornings to the smell of bacon cooking over the campfire and going to sleep at night after roasting marshmallows and listening to my dad’s goofy “ghost stories”. Ah… such nostalgia!

The hike starts out on a fire road almost directly across Skyline Drive from the Patterson Ridge Trail. The hike goes uphill for a short distance until you reach the Ivy Creek Hut (used by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club for maintenance activities) and the Ivy Creek Spring. Pass through the site and follow the blue blazes uphill for a couple hundred yards to the junction with the Appalachian Trail. The stretch along the AT climbs steadily uphill for about a mile. It eventually levels out on the ridge of Loft Mountain. At this point the terrain opens up – the trees are further apart and the trail is grassy and almost meadow-like. Adam kept getting ticks on him (FIVE!), but I didn’t get any at all.

The PATC maintenance cabin — The Ivy Creek Hut is used by the PATC.

Your first nice view will come on a small rock outcropping facing northeast, but the big payoff for this hike comes at the 1.5 mile mark. The southwest facing summit of Loft Mountain is awesome – definitely one of the park’s most spectacular views.

We reached the vantage point in time to see the building storm clouds to the west. We shared the summit with an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker camping nearby. He was from Boston and had been on the trail since March. He told us he had covered 22 miles that day and was looking forward to spending an upcoming night off the trail at the Big Meadows Lodge. He remarked that he was thinking hard about a big cheeseburger and a cold beer.

I couldn’t help but think of the guy later on in the evening when we were back in our car, watching the Loft Mountain area being pummeled with lightning and torrential downpours. I love hearing trail stories from thru-hikers, but I don’t think long distance backpacking is for me.

We stayed on the summit for about fifteen minutes, and then quickly made our way down the Frazier Discover Trail and back to our car.

Adam Says…

This is a trail that we both enjoy quite a bit. It’s not too tough and has some nice views to both the east and west, which is not common for Skyline Drive. If you do this hike early in the morning or late in the evening, you should be able to see a good view for a sunrise or sunset. There are also a couple of possible campsites along this stretch of trail and a developed campground along Skyline Drive at Loft Mountain.

The trail was lined with little flowers.

It was very interesting to talk to the AT hiker. June is the month when most of the northbound thru-hikers are passing through Virginia. If you have a chance, it’s worth talking to some of these people about their experiences. Most of them use trail names instead of real names during the hike. The one we talked to this night was very friendly and talkative. He said that his toughest leg so far was in the Smoky Mountains, but this was largely due to the snow that was still there. He was enjoying his first sunset view in SNP. It’s quite an accomplishment to be able to hike the entire AT. I would love to be able to have the chance to do this some day.

The rock cliff below is an impressive sight to find along the Frazier Discovery Trail.

This giant rock wall can be found on the descent along the Frasier Discovery Trail — This giant rock wall can be found on the descent along the Frazier Discovery Trail

Trail Notes

Distance – 2.7 miles
Elevation Change – 600 ft
Difficulty – 1.5. Other than a mile of climbing along the fire road and the Appalachian Trail, the hike is either level or downhill.
Trail Conditions – 4.5. The trail is extremely well-maintained.
Views – 4. The view from the Loft Mountain summit is really spectacular.
Waterfalls/streams – 0. No streams on this trail. There is a spring near the PATC maintenance cabin.
Wildlife – 2. We saw deer and a rabbit.
Ease to Navigate – 4. There are a couple turns, but the directions are well-marked on cement posts.
Solitude – 3. The hike is short and near one of Shenandoah’s campgrounds. So, on busy weekends, expect to see a fair number of people. We hiked it on a weeknight in June and came across a pair of backcountry campers and an AT thru-hiker.

Directions to trailhead:

Park at the Loft Mountain Wayside at Skyline Drive mile marker 79.5. Walk north along the drive for a 150 yard and then cross the drive to pick up the fire road. The trailhead is almost directly across the drive from the Patterson Ridge trail.

Camp 70 Road – West Virginia

May 27, 2009September 21, 20188 Comments

Update: As of January 2018, camping is no longer allowed along the Camp 70 Road in Little Canaan Wildlife Management Area. More information.

The Camp 70 Road is a fantastic short bike ride along the Blackwater River.

The Camp 70 Road on a day with prettier weather.

Adam Says…

This is a great ride on a multi-purpose road. We had heard about this road being a good biking road from a local bike shop employee. You are likely to see some people hiking or biking on this road. Despite a lot of potholes, the road does run very smoothly if you keep your eyes open. The road goes along the Blackwater River and eventually ends right at the river. If you go to the very end, you will see a small blue-blazed trail. Continue this along the river for about .1 mile and you will come up to a swinging bridge. This bridge does look a little sketchy, but I convinced myself that the water wasn’t that deep if it all fell apart. I thought at one point there was one nail holding the entire thing together. There are a couple of geocaches along this trail While I was reviewing the geocache log for Blackwater Swinging Bridge Cache, I discovered some friends I met through geocaching found it the day before.

Here is a list of the geocaches on the trail:

The Swinging Bridge is a short walk after the road ends

Christine Says…

So, we didn’t have great weather… this is still such a pretty, short bike ride – definitely a must-do when visiting the Canaan Valley area. There are so many gorgeous views of the Blackwater River along the way. The road is lined with popular fishing spots. There is even a deck built at one point to allow wheelchair access to fishing. The road surface has many potholes, but it’s easily handled by any mountain or hybrid bike. The ride out might be ever-so-slightly uphill, because the ride back is super-fast and makes for a fun race. 🙂

The Camp 70 Road follows the Blackwater River

Trail Notes

Distance – About 7 miles
Elevation Change – insignificant
Difficulty – 1.5
Trail Conditions – 3.5 Despite some potholes and larger gravel, this one is in good shape.
Views – 1. No views unless you count the river views
Waterfalls/streams -3.5. Nice views of the Blackwater River
Wildlife – 1.5. Mostly just deer in the area
Ease to Navigate – 4. The road is easy to navigate, but I dropped it down a point in case you were trying to find the swinging bridge. The trail is not the best marked out there, but just follow the river.
Solitude – 1. This road is extremely popular with bikers, campers, and fishers.

Directions to trailhead: The road starts behind the Shop and Save in Davis, WV. There is plenty of parking right along the road.

Canyon Rim Trail – West Virginia

May 25, 2009October 11, 20094 Comments

Our guide book described this moderate five-mile hike as having exceptional scenery and a couple stream crossings.

The rhododendron along this trail are jungle-thick — The rhododendron thickets along this trail are jungle-dense

Christine Says…

The trail description in our hiking guide, Day & Overnight Hikes in West Virginia’s Monongahela, made this hike sound like a must-do with lots of solitude and great views of the Blackwater Canyon. It did warn that the overlooks were on hard-to-find spur trails, but we didn’t give that a second thought. We tend to have a good sense of direction and aren’t afraid to do a little bushwhacking.

The trail was about what I expected… a narrow path winding its way through dense thickets of rhododendron. The growth was so thick that the forest felt stifling. The air was damp, heavy and still. The footing for the first mile was often muddy and wet as the trail descended. There were many pink lady slippers growing along the trail. Other than one short initial descent, the trail was easy and mostly level.

The part of this hike that was unexpected were the lackluster views. The fist overlook was pretty easy to find. It cut a short distance through the rhododendron to a big pile of boulders. The vegetation was so thick at this viewpoint, that you really couldn’t see down into the canyon very well. Unfortunately, we never found the second viewpoint despite looking carefully on a couple passes. We’re guessing that the spur path was completely overtaken by new growth. I really think the views of the canyon from Lindy Point in Blackwater Falls State Park are as nice as anything in the area.

After failing to find the second overlook, we trekked back to the car feeling a little let down by the hike. Maybe if we had found the second overlook, I would have felt more than “meh” about the hike.

Adam Says…

I agree with Christine in that I was underwhelmed. We could see the canyon along the way, but never found a good way to get to it. Christine did find one overlook, but she didn’t feel that it was photo-worthy.

We did see more lady slippers on this trail than on any trail we have ever found anywhere. If you’re into those, this is a good trail to check out.

We made our way to Big Run. We were also trying to find the Canyon Rim Waterfall that was listed in a book, but we didn’t find it or a way to get down the water to view possible places for falls.

Trail Notes

Distance – 5 miles
Elevation Change – 600 feet
Difficulty – 2. Other than a few short, steep climbs, the trail is mostly level.
Trail Conditions – 2. The trail can be very muddy and wet and is often overgrown by the dense thickets of rhododendron. There are several small streams to cross. In low water times, these may be dry.
Views – 1. On the day we hiked, we saw one unremarkable view of the Blackwater Canyon. The path to the second viewpoint was completely obscured by new growth and we were unable to find it.
Waterfalls/streams -2. A few small, pretty streams.
Wildlife – 2. We saw evidence of recent bear activity, but no actual bears.
Ease to Navigate – 2. The main trail is easy to follow and is blazed yellow. The spur trails to the viewpoints were extremely difficult to find.
Solitude – 4. We didn’t see anyone on the hike at all. There was a family camping along the Forest Road near the terminus of the trail and we saw/heard them.

Directions to trailhead:

From WV Rt. 219, turn onto Forest Service Road 18. After .4 of a mile this will turn into Forest Service Road 717. Follow 717 for about 1.5 miles. You will see a sign for the Canyon Rim trail on the right and a pull-off for parking on the left. The Forest Service Roads are gravel and are quite rough.

Visiting West Virginia

May 20, 2009August 25, 20152 Comments

While we want to focus on Virginia trails on our site, we can’t resist occasionally sharing some of the hikes that West Virginia has to offer. Many of West Virginia’s most beautiful hiking spots are just a couple hours drive away for many Virginians. We’re really excited about having a full week to explore the Canaan Valley/Blackwater Falls area next week. We have lots of hikes and bike rides planned (as long as the area’s notoriously mercurial weather behaves for us.) We’ll probably make side trips to the Seneca Rocks, Dolly Sods and Deep Creek Lake areas while we’re there as well.

The entire area is rugged and pristine, with many waterfalls, high meadows, bogs, rushing streams and mountain views. It’s a paradise for both outdoor activities and photography.

The area is beautiful and (mostly) untouched.

When visiting the area, Canaan Valley makes a great base for all your excursions. There are cabins for rent, lodges at the state parks, a couple motels and loads of camping options. Our family has had a unit at Black Bear Resort for over 20 years now, so we stay there for free. We’ve also camped and stayed in the cabins at Canaan Valley Resort.

When you visit, don’t miss Sirianni’s Pizza (no website), Mountain State Brewing Company and breakfast at the Bright Morning Inn (mmm… banana walnut pancakes).