Archive for the ‘Appalachian Trail’ Category
Delaplane Strawberry Festival Recap
Posted by Chris | Filed under Appalachian Trail, Pictures, State Parks
This past weekend Courtney and I headed down to Sky Meadows State Park for the Delaplane Strawberry Festival. It turned out to be an absolutely beautiful day out and a perfect day to eat some strawberries!
The festival featured the National Strawberry Eating Contest, lots of food vendors, all sorts of craft vendors and tents set up with goods for sale, games for kids, and more. Below are some pictures and a short (~15 second) video of the bagpipe band from Winchester that was there.
Even though it went to a good cause (Emmanuel Church) I still feel like $20 per car was a bit pricey to charge as entrance, especially for those of us who just came with two people (like us). If it was a family of 5 or bigger group, then the flat rate was worth it. I’d like to see a per person charge up to a certain number of people. I think that would even attract more people being more affordable. But, still, the parking “lot” was packed with tons of cars – so congrats on a great success for the 16th annual festival.
Virginia State Park Locations
Posted by Chris | Filed under Appalachian Trail, Blue Ridge Parkway, Central Virginia, Eastern Virginia, Northern Virginia, Roanoke/New River Valley, Shenandoah Valley, Southwest Virginia, State Parks, Trail Information, Western Virginia
If you’re looking for a listing of all the state parks in Virginia, then look no further. Below is a list of all the Virginia State Parks and links to their individual pages within the Virginia State Parks website.
Bear Creek Lake (BC)
Belle Isle (BI)
Breaks Interstate (BR)
Caledon Natural Area (CA)
Chippokes Plantation (CP)
Claytor Lake (CL)
Douthat (DO)
False Cape (FC)
Fairy Stone (FS)
First Landing (FL)
Grayson Highlands (GH)
High Bridge Trail (HB)
Holliday Lake (HL)
Hungry Mother (HM)
James River (JR)
Kiptopeke (KP)
Lake Anna (LA)
Leesylvania (LE)
Mason Neck (MN)
Natural Tunnel (NT)
New River Trail (NR)
Occoneechee (OC)
Pocahontas (PO)
Sailor’s Creek Battlefield Historic (SC)
Shenandoah River Raymond R. “Andy” Guest Jr. (SH)
Shot Tower (ST)
Sky Meadows (SK)
Smith Mountain Lake (SM)
Southwest Virginia Museum Historical (SW)
Staunton River (SR)
Staunton River Battlefield (SB)
Tabb Monument
Twin Lakes (TL)
Westmoreland (WE)
Wilderness Road (WR)
York River (YR)
Enjoy all the beautiful areas that Virginia has to offer!
Virginia Section of the Appalachian Trail
Posted by Chris | Filed under Appalachian Trail, Trail Information
A fourth of the Appalachian Trail runs through Virginia. It varies from easy hiking to very difficult rock scrambling, from busy national parks to isolated wilderness areas. The Virginia section of the AT has a little bit of everything for all skill levels and close by any area along the western portion of the state.
The trail section within Virginia spans 550 miles and can go from elevations of 265 feet to over 5,000 feet! This will give you a vary wide range of weather conditions depending on the section of trail and time of year that you are hiking.
Where and When To Go:
Northern Virginia: April through early June, September through early November. Summer heat and humidity can be oppressive
Shenandoah: April—June, September, October. July and August are bearable except during a heat wave.
Central Virginia: April—June and September—October. July and August are bearable except during a heat wave.
Southwest Virginia: May—October.
Image from SherpaGuides.com.
The following comes from the ATC website for the Virginia section of trail:
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Sky Meadows State Park – Delaplane, VA
Posted by Chris | Filed under Appalachian Trail, Northern Virginia, State Parks, Trail Information
Sky Meadows State Park in Delaplane, VA
Just an hour’s drive from Washington, D.C., Sky Meadows State Park in Clarke and Fauquier counties, offers a peaceful getaway on the eastern side of the Blue Ridge Mountains. With rolling pastures and woodlands, the park boasts beautiful vistas of the foothills and access to the Appalachian Trail. Its rich history is shaped by the development of agriculture and the impact of the Civil War. Activities include hiking, fishing, picnicking, horseback riding, primitive camping, and nature and history programs.
Location: The park is less than two miles south of Paris, Va., via U.S. Route 50 to Route 17 South; or seven miles north of I-66, Exit 23 on Route 17 North. The park entrance is on State Route 710.
Drive Time: Northern Virginia, 45 minutes to one hour; D.C., over one hour; Richmond, two hours; Tidewater/ Norfolk/ Virginia Beach, three hours; Roanoke, two and a half hours
Mount Rogers National Recreation Area
Posted by Chris | Filed under Appalachian Trail, Southwest Virginia, Trail Information
The Mount Rogers National Recreation Area consists of three distinct regions:
West End
The West End of the Mount Rogers NRA includes the famous Virginia Creeper Trail, outstanding trout fishing in Whitetop Laurel, and picturesque Beartree Lake. The NRA’s largest campground, Beartree, is a great family campground and close to all west end activities. Damascus, the friendliest town on the Appalachian Trail, is a trail hub as four major trails go through the town: Virginia Creeper, Appalachian Trail, Iron Mountain, and Daniel Boone Heritage Trail.
East End
Are you looking for solitude? The family campgrounds at Comers Rock and Raven Cliff are lightly used and have several nice trails nearby. The Comers Rock Overlook has outstanding views and the Raven Cliff Furnace Trail takes you to a fascinating iron ore furnace from the early 1800’s. Looking for something more developed? Two rental cabins with outstanding views are located on the East End. The East End also has several horse trails and horse camps for the equestrian. Hussy Mountain and Collins Cove Horse Camps provide camping areas close to the famous Virginia Highlands Horse Trail.
High Country
The heart of the NRA, the high country contains over 25,000 acres of the highest lands in Virginia. The Mount Rogers NRA manages approximately 20,000 acres of the high country and 5,000 acres are managed by Grayson Highlands State Park. The high country consists of the following areas:
Lewis Fork Wilderness & Little Wilson Creek Wilderness
Combined, these two federally designated wildernesses total about 10,000 acres of primitive backcountry. These two areas are forested in northern hardwoods with red spruce and Fraser Fir at the highest elevations.
Crest Zone
The open areas on Brier Ridge, Cabin Ridge, Wilburn Ridge, Stone Mountain, and Pine Mountain are commonly called the Crest Zone and total about 2,000 acres. Views are spectacular, with rocky ridges and grassy areas. The area was once heavily forested, but over logging by private companies during the early 1900’s, and wildfire created the balds. Grazing by domestic livestock kept them open. The US Forest Service acquired the property during the 1960’s. Today the balds are kept open through prescribed burning and regulated cattle grazing by private farmers who lease grazing rights. Ponies- Two herds of free-roaming ponies make their home in the high country. A private association manages them. One herd is in Grayson Highlands State Park, and the other lives within the Crest Zone of the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. Enjoy the ponies, but do not feed them or harass them. In the fall, some of the ponies are auctioned at the Grayson Highlands State Park Fall Festival to manage the population.
Photo from High Nocturnal Style
Trails
There are over 400 miles of designated trails on the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. Trails range from primitive single-track to old logging roads and railroad grades. Some are for foot only, others allow horse and/or bicycle use. Plan your trip carefully if you are looking for solitude. Trails in the high country as well as the Virginia Creeper and Appalachian Trail are popular destinations, particularly on weekends. Please be sure you use only those trails open to your particular type of travel. Please note that trails within wildernesses are always primitive with few or no signs or blazes and may be difficult to follow in places. Before heading into wilderness, you should be competent with both map and compass. Any type of motorized or wheeled vehicles (including bicycles and any type of wheeled cart) is prohibited in wilderness, but horses are allowed on designated trails.
The Appalachian Trail and the Virginia Creeper Trail both run through the Mt. Rogers area. On top of these well known trails, there is also a large number of independent trails that run through out the recreation area. They include Beartree Lake Trail, Comers Creek Falls Trail, Hale Lake Trail, Crawfish Trail System, and Seven Sisters Trail.
For more information about Mt. Rogers, check the US Forest Service website for the latest updates and news: http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj/mr/index.shtml
Virginia Creeper Trail Information
Posted by Chris | Filed under Appalachian Trail, Southwest Virginia, Trail Information
The Virginia Creeper Trail Region, which covers the small picturesque communities of Damascus, Abingdon, Whitetop, Konnarock, Green Green Cove StationCove, Taylors Valley, and Alvarado, has many wonderful attractions to offer and has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the East. The area, settled over 200 years ago by very adventurous folks, is still the perfect playground for anyone with an adventurous spirit.
Today’s visitors will find the most modern of amenities and the Waterfallbarest of necessities. Use the Virginia Creeper Trail Info as a guide to help you experience the “heart” of the Creeper. Whether its biking the the Virginia Creeper Trail, hiking Virginia’s highest peaks, fishing the best trout streams in the East, exploring the same path Daniel Boone once traveled, or watching a performance at the world famous Barter Theater, the Virginia Creeper Trail Region is a fabulous recreational destination. Your copy of Creeper Trail Info will serve as a valuable tool in locating the area’s best dining, shopping and lodging establishments, the finest in arts and entertainment, and the best in family recreation all located within minutes of the Virginia Creeper Trail.
Websites with more information:
Virginia Creeper Trail Guide
Creeper Trail Info
Virginia.org
The Trail Boss Trail
Posted by Chris | Filed under Appalachian Trail, Roanoke/New River Valley, Southwest Virginia, Trail Information
Description: The Trail Boss Trail and a section of the Appalachian Trail combine to form a loop. A short road walk on Rt 615 will return hikers to their starting point. Vegetation on the trail varies. A portion of the trail includes a bridge crossing and a walk along a free flowing boulder strewn stream. The trail continues through the hardwood vegetation of Brushy Mountain’s upper dry ridges. The A. T. section of the trail is blazed in white and the Trail Boss section is blazed in blue.
Total Distance: 3 miles
Location/Directions: From I-77 in Bland: Take Rt. 52 west for 3.25 miles to Rt. 615. Take Rt. 615 north for 2.75 miles to parking lot on left (near road bridge). Trail is on the east side of Rt. 615 a short distance from parking lot. Total travel distance: 6 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation: 2400 to 3100 feet
High Water Trail Loop
Posted by Chris | Filed under Appalachian Trail, Roanoke/New River Valley, Southwest Virginia, Trail Information
Description:
Total Distance: 6.75 miles
Location/Directions: From I-77 in Bland: Take Rt. 52 west for 3.25 miles to Rt. 615. Take Rt. 615 north for 2.75 miles to parking lot on left (near road bridge). Take A. T. to west across Laurel Creek on log bridge. Total travel distance: 6 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation: online karela 2400 to 3100 feet
Rice Fields Trail
Posted by Chris | Filed under Appalachian Trail, Roanoke/New River Valley, Southwest Virginia, Trail Information
Description: The Appalachian Trail ascends Peters Mountain and follows the ridge line. The crest of the Peters Mountain ridge is the West Virginia-Virginia state line. The ascent to the ridge is steep and rocky. Once on the ridge the trail crosses many saddles and peaks featuring sweeping westward views. The Rice Fields are extensive open pastures with rock outcroppings and are located on the southern end of Peters Mountain.
Total Distance: 5 miles one way
Location/Directions: Access: From Blacksburg, follow Rt 460 west. Cross the New River on Senator Shumate Bridge near the Celanese industrial site. Turn right on Rt 641 (Stillhouse Branch Road). There is a small parking lot within one half mile, where the Appalachian Trail crosses Rt 641. total travel distance: 23 miles.
Difficulty: Very Steep
Elevation: 1700-3400 feet
