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 […]
Stone Mountain Loop Read More »
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
Buzzard Rock at Read Mountain Read More »
Trail Map: The Hike: This is our third visit to Dolly Sods Wilderness. The unique ecosystem of Dolly Sods consists of rocky plains, upland bogs, heaths, and sweeping vistas. This area seems more like Canada than West Virginia. Dolly Sods is famous for great views, mud, and rocks. The trails are unmarked and downloading a trail
Dolly Sods: Lion’s Head Rocks Read More »
Trail Map: The Hike: On our recent trip to Spain, we had an opportunity to visit Gibraltar and we jumped at the chance to hike “the Rock”. The classic view of the Rock is the sheer rock face of the northern end of this monolithic limestone mountain. The northern tip is too steep for a
Rock of Gibraltar-Mediterranean Steps Read More »
Trail Map: The Hike: This was our first visit to Hanging Rock State Park and we are already planning to return. We hiked on a cloudy day and some of the views were partially covered with clouds. Hanging Rock is famous for waterfalls and amazing views. The park has five vistas and this hike visits
Hanging Rock, Wolf Rock, and Cook’s Wall Loop Read More »
Trail Map: The Hike: We are working our way through the AT—one state at a a time. This loop hike has almost 4 AT miles, passes by the traditional half-way point on the AT, has a half-mile rock scramble, and finishes with some history and ice cream at the state park. The trailhead in Pine
Sunset Rocks & Appalachian Trail Read More »
Trail Map: The Hike: This is one of the most popular hikes in Maryland. It has two great views: Annapolis Rocks and Black Rock Cliffs. We were joined on this hike by Pete’s sister Nan and our niece Hannah. They had hiked this section of the AT before and were excited for a repeat. The
Annapolis Rocks & Black Rock Cliffs Read More »
Trail Map: The Hike: The popular trails in Shenandoah National Park get crowded on summer weekends. This hike is a hidden gem. It has some solitude, lots of stream crossings, and great views from the summit of Turk Mountain. A cement post near Skyline Drive marks the trailhead. Pass through the yellow posts and chain
Jarman Gap-Turk Mt. Loop Read More »
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: This easy, short hike is great for kids of all ages. Flat Rock has great views of the Linville Valley and Grandfather Mountain. Interpretive signs tell the story of the plants, trees, animals, and geological features of the forest. Hike Photos: Click on an image below for an enlarged view. Beer
