This is a great waterfall hike. It's one of the bigger waterfalls that I've seen on East Coast and…read moreit's great because we're situated. It feeds into a small recreational swimming hole area. Highly suggest changing into a bathing suit and doing the approximate 2 mile hike to the falls. On the way, you'll see a lot of smaller falls and some spots where you can go and splash your feet in the water. I came after a spotty storm and the trail was a little bit wet so it'd be good to bring some grippy shoes. There are a couple of stones and rocks and roots to wander through. It's definitely worth a trip and the three dollar parking fee charge since it's a national car unless you have a national park pass that you can leave on your dash the national Park pass is roughly 60 or $70 per year unless you're military or have a disability and you can get it for free. There are a couple of bathrooms at the start of the trail and nowhere near the Falls to change

Tony Vanoy and I went hiking today at Cascade Falls in Pembroke, VA. Started out really great, we…read morethought it was 1.5 or 2 mile loop hike but OMG it turned out to be 5.57 miles roundtrip!! It cost a $3 per car to park and if you have America the Beautiful Card its free!! It was a beautiful day, but it was so long and so many stairs!! Over 1,000 stairs!!

While vacationing in Pembroke, VA we discovered an unusual creek that I simply had to yelp about…read more What makes a simple ordinary creek yelp worthy you ask? Well, it disappears! At the time of our visit, we had no idea of this phenomenon. As we drove to our Air B&B location, we simply thought the creek along the way had dried up from lack of rainfall and didn't give it another thought. Later, after exploring the area we learned that the two covered bridges we visited were actually on the SAME RIVER as the dried up one near our accommodations. How could that be? The dried creek bed is located approx. 5 miles downstream from the covered bridges, and less than a mile from where it reappears and actually flows into the larger New River. ~ CONFUSED? We were too until we discovered this area of Virginia is rich in what is called KARST TOPOGRAPHY. To avoid complicated scientific terms, just simply picture one of those multi-level bridges you see in cities like New York, San Francisco, Philadelphia and even Portland. Imagine an opening in the top layer causing all the traffic to flow to the lower level. However, when the bottom layer is full, the excess traffic is forced back up to the upper layer (hypothetically speaking). When there is sufficient water flow, you would never know the water is actually leeching underground to a cave-like drainage system. The water would fill the underground system to the point where all of the excess water stays above ground in the rivers basin. But when the water flow is lower and there is not enough water to fill the cavity, the water disappears underground (not visible on the surface) only to reappear as if from a spring near New River into which it flows. ~~~ Most people would probably find this sort of information nerdy and underwhelming, but I found it to be absolutely fascinating. I only wish I had taken pictures of the dried creek bed, but at the time of our visit, I had no idea of what was actually occurring. Our host home told us the creek was full just two weeks prior from heavy rainfall. Not to mention we saw with our own eyes a significant amount of water in the creek below the bridges just a few miles away. I swear, you are never too old to learn something new. 2020 / 32

Great trail to hike while visiting Roanoke! A little strenuous because of its length but mostly…read moreshaded and a great overall trail. Well kept and part of the AT so you'll see a variety of people. Amenity wise, there are port a potties at the main lotbut no trash bins. The main lot is pretty small but there's a shuttle that will carry you for a different parking lot since the main lot only has about 20 spots and can fill up pretty quick. I came on a Saturday in mid July at 8AM and it only had about 5 spots left. As I was leaving, a group was celebrating someone finishing their leg of the AT, so seems also like a good meet point. Trail was great but a little strenuous because length, but the incline actually wasn't horrible. The heat is real in July, so pack your water and some snacks for energy so you can make it back to the parking lot.

Yes its beautiful definitely highly recommend beautiful weather yes people there's bugs bring bug…read morespray worth it though

Don't let all my NJ posts fool you. I was born and raised in southwest Virginia and most of my…read morefamily still lives there. Although I am forever grateful that my parents moved us out of the area when we were younger - especially when I get a peek at the local electoral maps - my heart remains in the mountains. Can't say my brains remain here though because it took until today to realize Claytor Lake was 1) a state park and 2) gorgeous and amazing. All these years I just thought it was nowhere special that my cousins would go fishing. And to think I road trip all the way to NH and Maine every year and could have just driven 7 miles from my grandmother's for an equally rewarding experience. I had cabin fever today at my granny's and caught the local Outdoors magazine write up about Claytor Lake. There's camping?? Swimming?? Trails?? I watched a few videos on YouTube then got in the car to see for myself. Need to know: -There's a booth at the entrance - closed after 4pm. $7 parking fee for most paid by the honor system with cash or check or by card through the QR code during after hours. There are 4 campgrounds - I only saw Campground D open and it was overwhelmingly being used by those with RVs, teardrops, and campers. These are NOT wooded lots, rather gravel pull-ins and you'll likely be very close to your neighbor. A lil too close for me but I can see it not being a huge deal since everyone had campers to sleep in. I took a drive through this campground to see if I would feel comfortable and I didn't see any displays that would make me think I wouldn't (you picking up what I'm putting down?) Trails and paved paths galore. I saw one trail today but didn't get to explore much. Apparently the only shoes I packed for this trip were Crocs. Paved paths snake through the park and are accessible for those with mobility devices. The "lake" was created by damming the river. The water is clear by the shore. We love clean river water! Tons of shelters, grills, benches. There is something for everyone! Not sure if shelters are first come first serve or if you need to book them in high season - check the website. There's a gift shop but it was closed. I was bummed because you know I love stickers! I am counting down the days until I can return in the warmer weather. I would not be opposed to camping here or swimming once they reopen the beach for the season. I also look forward to exploring the trails. Fantastic solo outing. What a gem in my little country corner of the world.

I came to this campground after I looked on line to see if I could fish during the night for…read morecatfish. The answer came back that registered campers could but not general public. Park day use areas close down at 10 PM. According to the Internet, they only close these fishing areas at 10 PM for daytime visitors but last registered campers fish all night. At 10PM, we were asked to leave the fishing pier. I mentioned what the Internet said and the ranger seemed baffled and said that it's not true so we had to leave. He did say he would look into it because it was important to him that people had the right info. Problem is, during the summer, in this part of the country, the water gets hot and the fish go deep. Being a bank angler, it's impossible to catch any catfish during the day, they only come shallow at night. The bass fishing is the same. Fishermen and hunters pay for the bulk of what it costs to keep these parks operational yet when we would like to use them, we get the shaft. This quote is from the VA Outdoors Management : A lot of our funding to help conserve wildlife and habitat comes from public spending on things like fishing and hunting licenses, tags, or stamps, boat registrations, and via a federal excise tax on firearms and ammunition. Those sources of financial support have helped us protect hundreds of species and their habitat for over 100 years, but there's always more we can do for Virginia's wildlife. That's where you come in. You too can become a steward of the outdoors by supporting our work or working with us -- whether you hunt, fish, and boat or simply enjoy the outdoors. So, you can see what I'm saying. It is not right or fair that everyone else gets to do what they want but we flip the bill for it. Then our rights keep getting tanked. They put hiking trails and bike trails and beaches for swimming, but keep taking away hunting and fishing rights and they keep raising the prices. Hunters and fishermen are always on the bottom of the list of whom these people cater to. It's not fair or just. At the very least, we should be able to fish when we want especially when that is the only time those fish will bite!!!

Very beautiful falls about 1hour and 30 minutes from Fayetteville, WV. But worth the drive. Decent…read moreparking available. Unless you are planning to do trail or jump in water, enjoying the falls shouldn't take more than 30 mins. A short video to see what kind of falls are those - Sandstone Falls | New River Gorge National Park | waterfall | West Virginia https://youtube.com/shorts/rmWsuQsRkjQ?feature=share

I highly recommend visiting Sandstone Falls if you are in the area. It has a handicapped accessible…read moreboardwalk trail and also an optional trail that while slightly rocky, is doable for most people. It's also pet friendly. Beautiful views of the New River.

A nice little waterfall and hike in the small town of Christiansburg in Virginia just several miles…read moreoff I81. Once you get there the adventure starts when you have to cross a one car very narrow bridge, then cross the railroad tracks, then drive on a one car dirt road to the entrance. There is a small parking lot and information. The hike and waterfall is not very far but it was worth getting off the interstate to see.

Temporarily closed for maintenance and clean up due to people being disrespectful of the site…read more Will post when it reopens.

There is a national forest area gravel parking lot, which gives way to a trail through a…read morerainforest-y ravine, at the top of which one joins the Appalachian Trail. Some of the longer distance hikers were complaining that they thought Virginia was going to be flat, which it most certainly is not in this area. To get from the parking lot to the actual dragon's tooth is about 2.5 miles, and the last 0.5 probably took me as long as the 2, as there is a lot of rock and not a lot of trail. The blazes combined with the twists and turns are somewhat confusing. It's a challenging area, but the reward is some nice views. The first time I tried it, I made it the first two miles and turned around because it was getting dark, which was probably a wise decision.

Incredibly, This is Such a beautiful, majestic and unique…read moretrail located just outside of Roanoke/Blacksburg VA. I accidentally found this place by randomly driving The Virginia byway outside from Blacksburg whilst doing a scenic drive. The Dragon Tooth trail is equipped with Glorious views, Moderate-High Terrain and a trail suitable for Moderate to Advanced Hikers. Strongly recommend! I'm glad I got this Virginia Trail of my bucket list of nature trail Wanders and hope you do too!! The views & Hike are worth it!!

Fred Clifton park is right next to Lovers Leap and actually has a superior view. It has a good…read moreparking lot, picnic tables (with grills, I think), paths through the woods and wooden overlooks. There are signs to beware of bear. There are black bear in this area. Hikers should be aware that there is also a trailhead for a hiking path over by the Lovers Leap parking. Look for a big boulder covered with grafitti.

The bridge was looking a little wind damaged at rickety this morning so we opted not to make the…read moreclimb. However, the view from the ground here is still fantastic looking out at the mountains of Virginia. On a clear day, you can see quite some distance. There is a small gift shop here if you're looking for snacks or mementoes. A shaded picnic area is also nearby. The view is free. The climb up the 100 foot tower is not. It was built in 1947 and is still looking good. [Review 530 of 2025 - 1470 in Virginia - 24091 overall]

This place is the perfect example of how important location is in a business. The Big Walker…read moreLookout is located away from everything else in a gorgeous spot on the side of a mountain. The views are fantastic. I stopped for a drink and a snack before an off-roading trip. The inside of the store is full of souvenirs, knick-knacks, etc. I was able to pickup a drink and a snack and move on. The cashier was friendly. The outside is kind of run-down. There is a bridge from the tower over the parking lot that ends in broken boards and potential serious injury. I wouldn't walk on it. Overall, meh. It's in a great spot, but they could invest in their business a little more.

Very nice little park. Has a pretty lake for fishing. Stuff for kids and mini golf in good…read moreweather. The disc golf course is very nice but could use better signage. There are tennis courts and looks like a new amphitheater

This was a surprise find while I was traveling the area...even more surprising was that the park…read morewas larger than what appeared to be. If you take the narrow road it keeps going and there are many spots on the lake and picnic shelters back beyond initial view.