I love this hike! This is one of the closer beautiful mountain view hikes to Richmond (about 1h30m…read moredrive). You can enjoy it as a loop or an out-and-back depending on how long you'd like the hike to be/difficulty level. 0.8 miles of it is very steep and you can decide if you want to go up and down that or if you want to take the long way down. Both are great options. It's great for all seasons, but if you're looking for green I'd suggest May. If you want fall colors, usually October. This is a beautiful hike with stunning views. It can get crowded on weekends, but not in an annoying way. There is a parking lot right at the trailhead. There is overflow parking not too far away with restrooms. They also have some picnic benches. I recommend hiking up to the rocks and having lunch there. While it is a steeper hike, do know that it doesn't last too long.

What a great hike. We parked by the restrooms and walked over giving us more steps/mileage. That…read moreway you don't have to fight for a spot in the overly crowded parking lot. The hike is straight up. I love a good climb. However, the descent is straight down. The old knees hate that. Overall a fabulous hike that is seriously overcrowded. We passed 100s of people and dogs.

My daughter and I had a great time hiking Humpback Rocks. Others give the directions so I will not…read more The Visitors Center has restrooms and more. The parking for the trailhead is across from the Visitors Center. Wear sturdy shoes, no flip flops or sandals. Take water you will need it, especially on hot days. Only attempt if in good health. Some will bring a good camera, if you have bring it. Obviously take your phone for photos, but keep in mind of weak reception at the top. My recommendation is to start out early AM, but after day break as the trail is too difficult in my opinion to navigate while dark. The trail is around a mile and a half and can take over an hour with breaks. Many can reach the top in 35-45. The view is 100% worth the effort. Be careful up there, it's no joke. Elevation is over 3000 feet.

Humpback Rocks is the first Visitor Center you'll encounter if you're heading south on the BRP from…read morethe north entrance. It's a small, but good little visitor center, with a small shop and a small exhibit inside. There are also bathrooms here, with are of decent quality. You will be most rewarded if you actually get out of your car for more than a few minutes and take a short walk through the living museum on the Mountain Farm Trail. I think it's about 3/4 of a mile round trip, through a living museum of authentic farm buildings, showing what life was like for people who lived in the area in the late 1800s, and there are interpreters to explain the farmhouse. So absolutely worth the visit if you're on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

This was a nice family walk. It was not steep and fairly flat. A nice boardwalk meandered through…read moreon one side with small gravel on the other side of the lake.

Beautiful area to walk and take the dog. However I was a bit disappointed. It must have been a long…read moretime since any upkeep was done here. Water was low everywhere but we have had a dry summer. There was no water in the beaver pond at all. The main large pond in the middle did have water, but it is so overgrown that you can only catch a glimpse of it through the brush. No way to get to it. Really sad to see something so beautiful be let go like this. It would be nice if they could extend a boardwalk just to the ponds edge so you could have a look from a platform or something. I drove almost 3 hours to get there, doubt I will go back.

Sorry for the 1-star (you may change my "review" to 5-star when this is fixed). Often referred to…read moreas "Afton Mountain," Rockfish Gap is not in Bedford, VA. This is the intersection of the Appalachian Trail (abt mp 863.5), Blue Ridge Parkway, Skyline Drive, I-64 exit 99 (I think), and US Rt 250. To the west is Waynesboro, Stuarts Draft, and Staunton. To the east is Afton, Crozet, and Charlottesville. How do I know? The gap is about 2 miles out my back window. Not much commerce at rhe gap itself, except the wonderful old-time "King's Gourmet Popcorn" stand which has much more than popcorn. There is a motel and a couple of B&Bs a mile or so West on Rt. 250 near the Western edit of the famous Blue Ridge Tunnel (check it out on YouTube), which then pops you out in the village of Afton on the east side of the Blue Ridge. A longer walk back to the Gap, but adequate parking is at either terminus. Afton is in an area rich with wineries, distilleries, and breweries. Blee BleesRockfishRetreat.com

I've been hiking the AT, section by section, for the past 20 years. I'm currently in the process of…read moremoving Stuarts Draft, just 20 minutes form Rockfish Gap. A great section with The Priest not far south of this road crossing

Great recreation area. Nice campgrounds, lots of shade, clean restrooms, small lake and a store,…read more We'll be back.

Our family came for a day visit so I can't vouch for the campsites. The lake itself, though, is…read moreincredibly gorgeous. I love the beach area where our kids happily played and dug streams and tunnels for hours. A little island that you can walk to or paddle out to on a float. Lots of space to spread out with a picnic or a bbq. Small park entrance fee (per vehicle) that is totally worth it.

James River State Park is my 34th park and a great one, but let me tell you, you do not camp on…read moreriverside. Some of the pictures one the website look like the are on the water or have a view of the water. They don't. That turned out OK for me. Probably saving lives by having campgrounds far from the actual River. Access can be reached by hiking to it or driving .5 miles to a landing. - When seeing the river on my hike, it looked so relieving! I was a hot, sweaty and stinky mess. I wanted to jump right in. The water was swiftly moving and I loved hearing the rapids AND the Osprey, overhead! What a great sight!, but that's not all! A turkey also walked out on the trail to say hello the turned around and walked away! That's what I'm here for! The adventure of Nature and wildlife. Speaking of the adventure for wildlife...remember the fish I boxed up from Ruby Tuesday's lunch? Ants got in it on the picnic table in mere seconds! So I tied the bag to the top of the water pump. Not too high but it wasnt on the ground or the table. In the middle of the night I heard clawing and snarling.. I unzipped my tent window and beamed my flashlight on a skunk! Oh..I'm in trouble..he must not have liked the flashlight because he started walking right at me to the tent! I was a little scared at 1am! I zipped up tight and shook my key chain, thought it was gone but he was back over there now fighting with a squirrel! The were screaming and hissing. A small stinch of the skunk was sprayed as a warning and I was frozen in my tent. Lol. In the morning I took it down and put it in the dumpster. Second night I slept in the car. About 3am I drove the campsite to the bathrooms and as soon as I pull out of my site, he crossed the road, right in front of me! I had to laugh. But be aware of skunks! They are vicious!! - Here, I used my iron skillet to make a bacon (canadian) and egg sandwich fire toasted sourdough. Delicious!

Cabins are clean, comfortable, and well maintained. Trails galore and a stargazing area! We will…read morereturn! Quiet. Beautiful. Close to historic areas for a day trip.

Caverns were beautiful - a lot smaller than some we've been to but totally worth the long tour…read more This was an add-on to a visit to Natural Bridge and I feel like the two complimented one another perfectly for a nice long afternoon in the area. Friendly tour guide and we weren't rushed. Easy to walk in, as well, if you have a harder time walking, compared to some of the larger cavern tours in VA.

This was just about half a mile from Natural Bridge State Park. The cavern tour was interesting,…read morefilled with facts about the caverns and history of people who owned the caverns in the past. It was a little dark but for the most part, we could see everything well. Some people were talking about slippery areas and difficult stairs. I would say as long as you don't have major pain or injuries that prevent you from climbing stairs, anyone with a minimal fitness level can do them as long as you are wearing shoes with a good grip and hold on to the railings provided as you descend/ascend. There is also a very nice 3 mile hiking loop shaded with trees on the property. You can hike in the morning, bring a picnic, and cool off in the cave in the afternoon.

My friend and I used Maury River Smallmouth for a spring float trip on the Maury River. Jamie is a…read moregreat guy. He's very nice, accommodating, and knows his stuff both smallmouth bass fishing in general and about the Maury River. I highly recommend him as a guide. If you need to rent kayaks he has very nice sit-on-top fishing kayaks available. Thank you for a great day on the water Jamie/MRS!