Paint Bank, Virginia

Want to scale the side of a rock face? If you do, I highly suggest adding this adventure to your list. Hiking to the marbleyard and back to the parking lot will have you at a 3 mile journey. How many hours will it take to hike the trail and tackle Antietam Quartzite boulders larger than cars you ...

House Mountain provides two amazing views via two out-and-back hikes, for a combined hike of 8.75 miles. If you’re short on energy and/or time, the 6 miles round trip to Big House Mountain is (in my opinion) the better of the two overlooks. Either way, keep in mind that this hike covers a great...

From the parking lot, the paved handicap-accessible trail switchbacks to a view of the upper falls (20'). The falls are a bit hard to see from the viewpoint, so it's best to continue down the trail.  At the upper falls the trail changes to wooden stairs that descend gradually down. You will cross...

From the parking lot, the boardwalk trail breaks off of the right side of the lot.  The boardwalk loop should be done in a clockwise direction and there are signs to direct you.  The 1/2 mile boardwalk offers great views of the surrounding bog and mountains.  The boardwalk itself is skirted by fe...

To reach High Rocks trailhead, drive about 3.3 miles along West Virginia’s Highland Scenic Highway (HW150) from Cranberry Mountain Nature Center. The parking lot and trailhead will be on the right side of the road. The High Rocks trail is 3.1 miles out and back and is fairly flat as it follows a ...

Starting at the James River Footbridge, which is the longest foot traffic only bridge on the entire Appalachian Trail. Head north on the Appalachian Trail.  You will quickly cross over Rt. 501. After a mile of hiking through the woods skirting the Rocky Row Run stream, you will cross over Forest ...

Explorers in Southwest Virginia run into a common problem: local hikes and waterfalls are often saturated with college students out enjoying a warm day. While it's wonderful to have so many people appreciating the beauty of the Jefferson National Forest, it can be difficult to find a remote, quie...

This is a wonderfully easy hike to White Oak Falls. After visiting Bush Creek Falls, keep walking down the trail. You'll enter the Bush Creek Nature Preserve area. If you visit after heavy rains, please note that your feet will get wet. There are numerous cascades that come down and cross over t...

Brush Creek Falls is a beautiful 25' waterfall that spans across Brush Creek. It is accessed via a short 0.5 mile hike with minimal elevation gain. From the parking area on Brush Creek Falls Road, take the trail to the right of the picnic shelter. This easy and relatively-flat trail through rhod...

The Cranberry Wilderness is lesser known, but if you're looking for a rugged escape, this is it. Be mindful of your water intake, as there are a few stretches upwards of 6-8 miles where there is no access to fresh water. Those areas are well-known in most of the hiking blogs/guides (I'd recommend...

The skyline trail is a 4 mile out and back trail that allows you to start from either end. I prefer to start from the lower trail head near Cabin 5. To get to this trailhead: enter the park, and follow the narrow road the leads to cabins 1-6. Drive down the road until you reach cabin 5, and find ...

To reach the trailhead, park at the main parking area near Glade Creek Grist Mill. Cross the bridge toward the grist mill, and the trailhead is directly behind the mill. Even though the Island in the Sky trail is only a mile long out and back, it is lined almost the whole way with rhododendron bu...

Located in West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest about half way between Snowshoe and the Cranberry Glades makes this campground an ideal place to set up a base camp while you explore the surrounding area. It is located about five miles from Highland Scenic Highway (HW150), which makes it ju...

The parking for the trailhead is down an unmarked gravel/dirt road about 1.5 miles upriver from the Virginia Wayside rest area on Route 39 West. You'll see the swing bridge out across the river and the road will be immediately after this on your right. The road goes back about 200 yards to the pa...

The fly fishing on the Maury River is one of a kind through the Goshen Pass. The Pass is littered with huge boulders, which actually makes it possible to fish without waders, although it's much easier and more enjoyable with waders.From Lexington, VA, take Route 39 towards Goshen for approximatel...

Babcock State Park is one of 36 state parks in West Virginia and is located just Southeast of Fayetteville, WV.  Babcock State Park has over 4,000 acres, making it a great place to camp while you explore the beautiful area.  The campground has 51 campsites for tents and is open from the last week...