Virginia Hiker » Roanoke/New River Valley

Dismal Falls Trail in Giles County – Bland, VA

Chris — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 15:55:12 +0000

The Dismal Creek area is located in the Jefferson National Forest in the Pembroke/Blank, VA area. The best time to view the falls is winter to early summer. Peaceful, pretty, and easily accessed is the 15 ft. Dismal Falls.

Dismal Falls

Description: A short, easy hike along the Appalachian Trail that takes you to a small waterfall nestled between Brushy and Flat Top mountain. The hike in is nothing special except for the fact that you follow one of the new sections of the AT.

Dismal Falls is a side trail of about 0.2 miles off the AT and is a welcome sight on a hot day. Dismal Falls is roughly 15 feet high and with the muddy bottom it is perfect for jumping off. If your looking for a quick hike and a place to relax then this hike is designed for you. However, do not expect to be alone at this water fall.

There is an access road only 20 yards from the falls. In the heat of the summer the falls seems to be a local pool, but atleast it’s clean.

Directions: There are two access points for the Falls. One off the Appalachian Trail and a much shorter trail. Here are directions to both.

Appalachian Trail route: From Pulaski: Take route 11 North to route 100. Take 100 North till 42. There is a little roadside stand with fresh fruit. Take 42 West for about 8 miles. You will pass through White Gate and route 606 will be on the right. The AT junction is only 2/10 of a mile. Take the AT North and your only 2 miles from the falls.

Short walk from road: Take exit 98 from I-81 going north on VA-100. Go 11.6 miles and turn left on VA-42. After 10.1 miles turn right on SR-606. After 1 mile, turn right on SR-671 which becomes unpaved after .4 miles. .5 miles after the pavement ends, there is a sign for the falls and a small pull-off on the right of the road.

Contact Information:
Blacksburg Ranger Station
5162 Valleypointe Parkway
Roanoke, Virginia 24019
(888) 265-0019

Bald Knob Summit Trail at Mountain Lake Resort – Pembroke, VA

Chris — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 20:43:19 +0000

The Bald Knob road and Bald Knob Trail lead to a thrilling overlook of the surrounding valleys and lake. With this destination, you have two approaches to get to the top of Bald Knob – the road and the hiking trail. The road provides a gradual climb approximately 0.7 miles long while the trail is steep and rocky providing a more challenging hike.

Directions: Starting from Blacksburg, VA drive west on 460W towards Giles County for about 7 miles. Turn right onto Mt. Lake Rd. and follow it to the top to the Mt. Lake Hotel. Year-round parking for hikers is now available at the new Trail Access parking lot, 9/10ths of a mile past the Mountain Lake Hotel entrance on your right. There you will find a kiosk with a trail map and other information.

Bald Knob Trail Sign

Trail Distance: ~2 miles round trip

Fees: $3.00 per vehicle for day use/$20.00 for a yearly Trail Access pass

A trail map and trail details can be found on the Mountain Lake Conservancy website. Besides the Bald Knob trail, there are also many others in the Mountain Lake area that you can check out.

Bald Knob in Winter (Picture from Mountain Lake Conservancy)

Cascade Falls in the Jefferson National forest – Pemrboke, VA

Chris — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 19:12:01 +0000

While living in Southwest Virginia for 4 years, one of my favorite hikes was the short trip the Cascade Falls in Pembroke, outside of Blacksburg, VA. The park is just a short drive from Radford, Christiansburg, and Blacksburg. The hike, at a length of 4 miles round trip is fairly easy going but can get steep in parts, and the view of the Fall’s is good at any time of the year. Here are the full details on the trip.

Location: Pembroke, VA – Jefferson National Forest/Cascades Recreation Area

Driving Directions: Take exit 118 on I-81 north on US-460, making sure to use the bypasses around Christiansburg and Blacksburg. After 26.6 miles turn right on Cascade Dr (SR-T623) in Pembroke. The entrance is in 3.3 miles.

Finding the Trail: Find the trailhead at the upper end of the parking lot. The Cascades National Scenic Trail follows Big Stoney Creek upstream, eventually forking into an upper and lower trail. If the lower trail is open, take it because it is definitely the more beautiful of the two. The upper trail ascends the gorge, continuing to follow the stream, albeit at a distance. It eventually descends again to the stream to meet the lower trail. The lower trail follows the stream closely past beautiful cascades and pools. After the trails rejoin, they snake their way through the narrow gorge between high cliff walls. After passing an old stone building, the falls come into view.

Trail Distance: Total hike is 4.0 miles round trip over sometimes steep terrain on a sometimes rough and often muddy path.

More details about the trail and hike can be found at the Giles County website – http://gilescounty.org/cascades.html

Park Fee: $3.00 per vehicle

For More Information call:
540-552-4641
Jefferson National Forest

Cascade Falls - Pembroke, VA

Cascade Falls - Pembroke, VA during Winter

Now – just a side note – the above picture is not mine and I do not know the person in it. However, it captures the beauty of the falls in the winter so I went with it. If it is yours, email me and I’ll gladly give you credit.

In the winter when the falls have frozen or are close to freezing was my favorite time to hit this trail.