Willis, Virginia

The Virginia Triple Crown is a combination of three of the most spectacular and popular hikes in the region. It combines the Dragon’s Tooth, McAfee’s Knob, and Tinker Cliffs hikes into one long multi-day hike along the Appalachian Trail. It makes for an excellent 2 day backpacking trip, with many...

From I-81: Exit 140 and take Highway 311 north for 11 miles towards New Castle. Dragon’s Tooth parking lot is on the left, just past Catawba Grocery. LAT 37.3787 LONG -80.1563 Ready to tackle the Dragon? This 4.6 mile, out and back, trail provides one with a true hiking experience. The hike wil...

I didn't have any issues putting "Comers Rock Recreation Area" into my phone's GPS (Waze) and arriving exactly where I was supposed to. When you turn off US 21 (aka the Grayson Turnpike/Elk Creek Parkway) to Jefferson National Forest Road 57, you'll see a sign a parking lot that says "road not su...

This is a strenuous 4.5 mile hike beginning from the Lower Parking Lot in Stone Mountain State Park (for a 5.2 mile hike, begin at the Upper Parking Lot). From the lot, take the trail by the bathroom. Keep right at the first trail intersection, then left at the second trail intersection to stay ...

This easy 3.0 mile hike begins at the Lower Trailhead Parking Lot at Stone Mountain State Park and includes a 400' ascent to two granite outcrops with nice views. This hike can be combined with the Stone Mountain Loop hike for a 6.5 mile strenuous hike.From the parking lot, walk towards the strea...

Starting at a great spot to picnic, fish, or put in a kayak, this casual hike meanders along the Roanoke River. Along the trail you can enjoy views of some small river rapids and the beautiful trees surrounding along the river.The trail begins at a parking lot at the end of Rutrough Road.  There ...

Intro McAfee Knob is one of the most photographed and picturesque locations along the Appalachian Trail. Once you reach McAfee Knob, you'll have almost 270 degree views of the the Roanoke Valley to the East, Catawba Valley and North Mountain to the West, and Tinker Cliffs to the North. Due to t...

Carvins Cove draws attention from all over the mountain biking community, and has so much to offer both the beginner and expert alike. The best place to access the trails is from the Bennet Springs parking lot on Carvins Cove Road...the pin on the map will take you right there. There is a $2 dail...

Before you head out, check the status of the Blue Ridge Parkway (it periodically closes during the winter).  The entire Bluff Mountain Trail is a 7.1 mile trail that traverses the Doughton Park Area along the Blue Ridge Parkway.  To do this particular hike, park at the bathrooms in the Doughton P...

Part of the attraction to the Cove is that you can literally leave work at 5pm and be in the water paddling in plenty of time to catch the sunset. Catching a sunrise is slightly more difficult just because the boat landing doesn't open until 6:30am. However, it's still possible to paddle out and ...

A treasure in North Carolina that doesn't get as much attention as it should, Doughton Park has some of the best trails around. It is the largest park operated by the Blue Ridge Parkway and has over 30 miles of trails available.  The parking area for the Basin Creek Trail is small, but rarely cro...

Located on Limestone Hill Road north of  Waiteville, WV at about 3800 feet above sea level is an old Fire watch tower. The tower, built in 1956 was abandoned in 1972. In 1983 the US Forest Department acquired this area as part of the Jefferson National Forest. Since then the Tower has become know...