Trail Map: The Hike: This easy hike has some fantastic views. Located in the Shawvers Run Wildness in Jefferson National Forest, this hike is a hidden gem. It’s popular with locals but not well known to most hikers. Part of the reason could be the 3-mile drive on the forest road leading to the trailhead. […]
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Trail Map: The Hike: This easy hike on the Appalachian Trail has some nice views. The only drawback is it shares a parking area with McAfee Knob, one of the most popular hikes on the AT. The parking area holds 40-50 vehicles so either arrive early in the morning or plan to take the McAfee
Trail Map: The Hike: Molly’s Knob is a Virginia classic. This hike turns the climb up Molly’s Knob into a loop around the lake. The 3.4 mile Molly’s Knob Trail is a shorter, direct out and back to the summit. Hungary Mother State Park is one of our favorites. It was one of the original
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The Hike: This easy hike passes beside Roaring Run much of the way. We hiked following heavy rains and the stream was full and the falls were spectacular. This loop trail combines the Woodland Trail and the Streamside Trail. Both trails begin near the trail kiosk by the restrooms. We began the loop by following
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The Hike: Full disclosure 1: Pete’s Cave isn’t named after Hoppy Hiker Pete, despite his claims to the contrary. Full disclosure 2: There really isn’t a cave, just a large jumble of boulders. Despite the poetic license of “cave”, this is a great hike. Getting to the trailhead is a bit of an adventure. State
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The Hike: We often receive requests from our readers for more urban hikes. On a recent visit to Blacksburg, we discovered the Huckleberry Trail. The Huckleberry is a 15-mile paved trail which connects Blacksburg and Christiansburg. This paved, multi-use trail is popular with pedestrians and bicyclists. The trail is well marked and well maintained. We
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The Hike: This short hike has some great views with minimal hiking effort. Located in the Potts Creek Wildlife Management Area in West Virginia, this hike climbs up Peters Mountain on the Eastern Continental Divide to a raptor observatory. The hike travels along the Allegheny Trail a 311-mile long trail stretching from Pennsylvania to West
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The Hike: Shenandoah River State Park is located just across US 340 from its national park cousin. The park has 5 miles of Shenandoah River South Fork shoreline and over 25 miles of hiking trails. We visited on a rainy day in late March when the Virginia bluebells were at their peak. This loop hike
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The Hike: The trailhead for this family-friendly hike is to the right of the CCC Museum. Follow signs to the blue-blazed Beaver Lake Trail. Numerous trails connect with the Beaver Lake Trail so make sure to follow the blue blazes to stay on the trail. In a few hundred yards, the connector trail from the
The Hike: We hiked to Apple Orchard Falls in the dry summer of 2021. The water level in the falls that year was just a trickle—but it was still a great hike. We wanted to go back when the water level was higher to see the 200’ falls in all of its glory. Kathy is
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