Trail Map: The Hike: This short, easy hike has an excellent rewards to effort ratio. The overlook is 3,000 feet above the Blackwater Canyon with expansive views. In early July, flowering mountain laurel and rhododendron line the trail. This is a popular spot for sunrise and sunset. Hike Photos: Beer Pairing: Blackwater Lodge is just […]
Trail Map: The Backstory: Chimney Top is a popular hiking destination in West Virginia with amazing views and awesome rock formations. We hiked to Chimney Top from the northern terminus of the North Fork Mountain trail in 2023 and it was one of our top hikes that year. We heard great things about an alternate
Chimney Top via Landis and North Fork Mountain Trails Read More »
Trail Map: The Hike: This short hike has some incredible views. The drive to the trailhead is more of a challenge than the hike itself. For most standard vehicles, the best route to the trailhead is from route 32 three miles south of Davis WV. The Canaan Loop Road starts out as a paved road
Trail Map: The Hike: This hike checks all the boxes: waterfall, great views, rocky summit, historic homestead, wildflowers. If you only have time for one hike, make it this one. Yes, there are a lot of steps. We didn’t count them, but there are several hundred steps. We hiked the loop clockwise visiting the water
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The Appalachian Trail passes through 105 miles of Shenandoah National Park. The park offers a variety of lodging options clustered within 35 miles. With a little advance planning it is possible to hike this 35 mile section of the AT, sleep in a warm bed each night, and enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner throughout the
Inn to Inn Hike in Shenandoah NP Read More »
Trail Map: The Hike: The first day of our inn to inn hike on the AT in Shenandoah National Park begins at Swift Run Gap and US Route 33. See the logistics post for details on shuttle services and vehicle parking. The AT crosses US 33 on Skyline Drive and then veers into the forest
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Trail Map: The Hike: Day 2 of our inn to inn hike on the AT in Shenandoah National Park begins at Lewis Mountain Cabins. The connector trail to the AT is just past the campground. Turn left and follow the white blazes north on the AT. This section of the AT had the most wildflowers.
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Trail Map: The Hike: Day 3 of our inn to inn hike on the AT in Shenandoah National Park begins at Big Meadows. We arrived at Big Meadows the day before in clouds, rain, and fog and the views from Blackrock were non-existent. We decided to start day 3 with a great view. We followed
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Trail Map: The Hike: This hike to Buzzard Rock has some of the best views in the Roanoke area. Read Mountain is the long, undeveloped ridge looming above the Roanoke Valley. The park lands, protected by a conservation easement, were donated to Roanoke County and the hiking trails were built by volunteers. The 243-acre park
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Trail Map: The Hike: Our friends Jim and Betsy are big fans of Lost River State Park. Located near Mathias WV, this park is a bit off the beaten path but is well worth a visit. Cranny Crow is the most popular hiking destination in the park. The trails are well marked and well maintained.
Cranny Crow Overlook Read More »
