Trail Map: The Hike: This hike in the George Washington National Forest is a nice walk in the woods with some nice river views. The trail is marked and maintained; however, there are many interconnecting trails and some of the junctions were confusing. We suggest downloading the AllTrails map in advance as cell service in […]
Jackson River Gorge-Hidden Valley Loop Read More »
Trail Map: The Hike: This hike is an easy walk on the Appalachian Trail through mountaintop pastures, with scenic views of surrounding mountains. A half-mile section of the trail is ADA compliant and wheelchair accessible. The AT winds through several pasture areas before entering the forest at just under one mile. We were greeted at
AT: Cross Mountain & Osborne Farm Read More »
Trail Map: This is a nice walk in the woods on the AT with some decent mountain and lake views. The AT crosses over the Watauga Dam which spans the Watauga River Gorge. The AT enters the Shook Branch Recreation Area near the beach. Follow the AT northbound through a hardwood forest with several nice
Watauga Lake & Dam Read More »
Trail Map: The Hike: There are two hikes on the AT to Laurel Fork Falls—this is the shorter one. The other hike is a bit further north and follows the AT southbound for 2.5 miles. This hike follows the AT northbound. We planned three AT hikes on one day, so we got an early start.
Trail Map: The Hike: Last year we hiked to Big Bald on the AT and it was one of our favorite hikes of 2023. This hike on the AT approaches Big Bald from the north. We didn’t have time for the 13 mile out-and-back to Big Bald, so we squeezed in a shorter hike to
Trail Map: The Hike: Dolly Sods is well known for its unique ecosystem and for muddy trails. On our early May hike, we were lucky as the famous mud didn’t materialize due to a few weeks of dry weather. This hike combines three trails: trail 522 Bear Rocks, trail 521 Raven Ridge, and trail 524
Rocky Knob in Dolly Sods Read More »
Trail Map: The Hike: This was one of our favorite rails-to-trails hikes. The trail is a wide, packed gravel path following the route of the railroad used by coal trains. The trail slopes gradually downhill to the Clinch River. The Guest River is partially visible throughout the hike with several nice views. You will hear
Trail Map: The Hike: Devil’s Bathtub has become a popular bucket list hike. Parking has been always been a problem. The trailhead is located at the end of Forest Road 619—a single lane dirt road. To address parking issues, Scott County created a large parking area (with restrooms) on county road 619, about 1 mile
Trail Map: The Hike: This fantastic hike has a little bit of everything: sweeping vistas, wild ponies, free range cattle, rhododendrons, rock scrambles, stream crossings, and dense forests. It’s one of our all-time favorites. The trails are well marked and well maintained. Several trails are combined to form this loop so download the AllTrails map
AT, Wilburn Ridge & Crest Loop Read More »
Trail Map: The Hike: Our friends Ashley and Shelby hiked along Seneca Creek as part of a multi-day backpacking trip and their rave reviews prompted us to add this hike to our list. And we’re glad we did. This hike has a lot to offer: streams, wildflowers, waterfalls, meadows, and mountain views. Located in the
Seneca Creek Trail Read More »
