The Hike: We were looking for an easy hike so our daughter Emily could test out her new baby carrier pack. Our friend Diane told us about Grandview Preserve in Hampton VA with its great waterfront views. The hike was great and Emily and Josh liked the new pack. Street parking is available at the […]
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The Hike: Pocahontas State Park is home to over 90 miles of trails. Many of these trails are multi-use. We have nothing against cyclists and horses, but we prefer “hiker-only” trails, such as the Co-op Trail. The trailhead is next to the boat launch area on Swift Creek Lake. Follow the footbridge over the lake
The Hike: Machicomoco is one of Virginia’s newest State Parks. This small park (645 acres) is home to diverse wildlife habitats, from open fields to woodlands and waterfront/marsh areas. The park is still a bit of a work in progress as more trails and facilities are planned. The park currently has three hiking trails. Our
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The Hike: Full disclosure: this “hike” is really a walk. Much of the surface is a paved road. This was our first hike with our grandson Joshua. Josh was six-months old and in a stroller so a paved surface was ideal in our situation. The road does have vehicle traffic with a 15 PMH speed
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Happy New Year! In 2022 we completed 47 “blog worthy” hikes and visited 39 new breweries and beer venues. All of our favorite hikes were in Virginia in 2022. We repeated a few hikes (Old Rag and Humpback Rocks) and we left these perennial favorites off the 2022 list as they were included in previous
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The Hike: Hightop Mountain (3,587’) is the highest peak in Shenandoah’s South District. The summit can be reached either from the south or the north via the Appalachian Trail. The most popular climb to Hightop Summit is a 3-mile out and back hike which scales the northern side of the mountain. From the Hightop Parking
The Hike: From the trailhead on Petites Gap Road, we elected to hike counterclockwise leaving the 2.8 mile section of gravel road for the end. From the parking area, follow the white-blazed Appalachian Trail northbound. The climb begins immediately and the trail gains nearly 700’ in elevation over the first mile. We hiked in early
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The Hike: This short hike has some great payoffs. Trailhead parking is 2 miles on the right after the Broadway Road (route 640) intersection with route 720. Broadway Road is a gravel, narrow, country road that winds through the Big Survey WMA. There are two small parking areas here. The trailhead is at the rear
The Hike: Fairy Stone State Park is one of the original Virginia State Parks from 1936. Stop by the visitor center to pick up a trail map and to learn more about fairy stones. This hike combines several shorter trails so there are numerous junctions. All the trail junctions have signs and the trails are
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The Hike: Most hikers reach the summit of Virginia’s highest peak by way of Grayson Highlands State Park. The hike from Massie Gap to Mount Rogers is very popular and the scenery and wild ponies are not to be missed. This hike from Elk Garden approaches Mount Rogers on the AT from the south and
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