Hike to the Dam at Moore's Creek State Forest

Directions

The Google directions below are a bit off.  Google tells you to turn onto Moore's Creek Road, but you'll need to continue 5.5 miles past that intersection to get to the access road.

To get to the trailhead from Lexington you'll need to take VA 251 N, Collierstown Road, out of town and turn left onto VA 612, Bluegrass Trail.  You'll reach the access road after 9 miles. The access road is marked with a brown vertical Forest Service sign and is on the right coming from Lexington. From there, it takes you one mile to a closed gate with a small parking area.

Hike past the gate onto the double track trail for about a tenth of a mile, and turn right onto an unmarked, but well defined single track trail. From there, stay on the track.  It's well defined the entire way.  There are green signs to reassure you along the way, but some have been turned in the wrong direction. Just ignore those misleading signs and stay on the established trail.  A map and GPS track are available here.

Hiking to the Reservoir

The hike from the parking area to the dam is about 3 miles and has a slight downhill grade nearly the entire way.  The spot is secluded, I've never seen more than two or three other people at the lake, and usually, you've got the lake to yourself.  The 22-acre lake is perfect for cooling off with a swim after your hike, and there's usually a slight breeze coming off the hills.  Look for the abundant blackberries around the lake in summer.

Swimming

The water is clear and cool.  The reservoir once served as the City of Lexington's source of water and is now maintained as a backup water source. Fish are abundant in the lake, and will definitely nip at your legs in the shallows. For info on fishing permits, visit the Department of Forestry's website.

Photography

I found bringing my camera and tripod well worth the weight. There's a lot to photograph here, especially the views of sunset over the lake.  You might want to bring a long lens to capture some of the critters roaming about the forest too!  Access to the area is limited to between dawn and dusk, so be sure to leave yourself time to get back to the parking area before it gets dark.