I've lived in Charlottesville my whole life and had never rafted down the Rivanna river until…read moretoday. In the beginning it was truly peaceful floating down but near the end got extremely rocky. Our floats got stuck multiple times due several underwater rocks, and one of us had to get out to get us moving again. I feel like kayaking would be a lot more fun on this river as it's easier avoid obstacles. Once you reach the end it is brutal getting out, there are several sharp and slippery rocks that caused two of us to fall and get hurt. But you cannot change nature, it does what it wants. If you want to go I'd probably wait until it rains so the water is deeper and you can have less problems with rocks in the water, otherwise go kayaking instead.

I wanted to go kayaking and explore what Cville had to offer on the riverfront. I launched from…read moreDarden Park and went down the river all the way to I64. The water level was low (as I expected. We are on a drought warning). Made the rocky river a little more interesting. Got down to the bend just north of Riverview park and I was thinking...no problem getting back up the river on my kayak, I am gonna keep going. Then I turned the corner and went down the biggest section of rocky water drop and got wedged in between to rocks. My fault. Got loose and continued on thinking well I can carry my kayak around that coming back. Well the water runs a little harder in the south direction after that. (of not: my kayak is an inflatable). Some beautiful views along the river and some old smokestacks made for an interesting trip down to I64. This is where things got tricky and scarey for me: I should have embanked at Riverview park and walked back from there. Instead I kept going and had no where to get out and having no knowledge of what lied further on and the sun beginning to set I went and wedged myself next to a down tree and an area that would have normally been under water and then climbed up the embankment-it was a comical endeavor with me trying to get my dog and kayak up, as well as, me in flip flops. Walking the Rivanna Trail and then the Old west trail back to my car was very nice! Would be a great trail for some mountain biking and trail runs. Marked with mile markers and well kept.

This is a substantial preserve that is free to enter. Some facilities without running water are…read moreavailable at the entrance. The topography varies, and the meadow near the parking lot is markedly distinct from the valley in which the actual creek lies. One suspension bridge crosses the creek and it was in quite good condition, but it could also be crossed on foot, or on hoof as this is a horse area. There were several miles of trails and I was worn out enough that I did only a fraction of them, but they were quite pleasant. Various signage suggested this parking lot was a spot for thieves despite the rural location; I suppose it is a highbrow crowd that would be parking here. It also suggests that anytime your shoe leaves a mark the trail is too wet to walk, which if taken literally is kind of ridiculous. Fortunately, if you lock your car and make your own decisions about mud, you can have a good experiences.

This is a great park we happen to find in the area. After spending the previous day at the winery,…read morewe needed to do a small hike. Unfortunately, it was extremely cold and windy and we didn't have bug spray, so we didn't get didn't get too adventurous. For these reasons, we tried the easiest trail--the Meadow Loop Trail. It was an easy loop around a grassy area, took maybe less than 10 minutes. There was a very detailed map at the entrance of the trails. This included all the available trails, the level of difficulty for each trail, basic etiquette, friendly reminders, etc. There was also a reminder that everyone needs to watch out for each other --hikers, bikers and horse riders. We didn't see any horses, but we did try to dodge the "presents" they left behind. We did see some bikers returning from the trail. There was a large parking lot, which most likely fills up when the weather is nicer. Cameras are watching the parking lot, but it's always best to lock cars and hide valuables :). There were bathrooms available, but not the type with running water....if you get what I mean! Would I return? Can't say for sure since it's pretty far.

I had been to Monticello a few years ago but had no idea this trail even existed and better yet…read moreit's free and you don't have to pay Monticello admission to check it out. I believe it's about 4 miles there and back and much of it is on boardwalks but parts could get muddy if it rained. Luckily, it was sunny when we checked it out. It's not too strenuous and very well marked as long as you stay on the main trail. Parking was tough but we found a spot at the overflow lot just down the road from the trail lot and this way you get a little bit of bonus hiking to get your step count up. The trail itself wasn't too crowded and I assume 99% of Monticello tourists don't even know about it. It's worth checking out though if you're in the area.

Really beautiful set of trails all very well maintained with a variety of distance/challenge loops…read more Easy and ample parking and Was able to manage with baby in carrier + dog and got some great views!

Large park with lots of hiking trails of varying levels, none of which were crowded when we were…read morethere on a weekday afternoon. The Fire Trail was a nice hike over the mountain without being too strenuous and had views of the valley at different points along the way. I could see it being muddy though if it rained recently so be careful. They weren't charging admission when we were there on a weekday afternoon and there was plenty of parking. It looks like they have fishing as well and maybe swimming when the weather is warmer. This place isn't far at all from Crozet so we went for a hike then had dinner in town.

Swung by for some fishing. The park is clean and well maintained on the paths, but the grassy…read moreareas, especially near the pond, are not. It was covered in dog feces and lacked many available places to dispose of it. I'll be back, but would like to see more signage reminding folks to clean up after their pets and more places to dispose of trash.

This is a sweet and relaxing little park near to Monticello. It is 89 acres and comes complete with…read morea nice hiking trail complex, a pond, some great paved and wooden walkways, an arboretum, a woodland theater, and even a "secluded farm." Walk off all the fried chicken at Michie's Tavern by coming here. It will totally make your visit to Charlottesville greener, healthier, and more refreshing. Also, you will meet lots of locals, their kids, and their dogs. This place has a lot to offer those who just need to stretch their legs, fill up the memory cards on their cameras, or really pound out the miles on the trails. Highly recommended to tourists and longer-term residents alike!

Park here and walk multiple trails up the mountain for lookouts or over a boardwalk to Monticello…read more(you can reach the new visitors center / gift shop and restrooms without an admission ticket). Beautiful area. Nice for running, although it was absolutely freezing the day we went. Monticello stop was a nice warm up before heading back to Kemper.

Very big, clean park! My husband and I were in town with our dogs to go hiking and stopped in here…read moreone morning after grabbing coffee to walk the nature trail.

Disappointing nature trail. We made it barely over a mile before we had to turnaround due to downed…read moretree, and there were several downed trees along the trail that made the trail difficult to navigate. Didn't find it well maintained either way.

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

The Blue Ridge Parkway begins where Skyline Drive ends in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. It…read moreruns 217 miles from Anton to the border with North Carolina near Roanoke, before continuing farther to the southwest into the Smoky Mountains in far western Carolina; 469 miles in all. It is very similar to Skyline Drive, but offers somewhat higher peaks and and more astounding long vistas of blue tinged valleys from overlooks along the route. Still, if you love this part of the Appalachians, you really owed it to yourself to continue the excursion at least partially down the twisting crest hugging blacktop for as long as you wish. We were able to do more rock scrambling there than farther north, and the adventure quotient was that much more challenging. Too, we had a decent map of the secondary roads, and turned off the Parkway to return via unpaved single lane gravel tracks that took us deeper into the vales and hollows where the locals live and work the land. I imaged hearing banjo and bluegrass as we passed crystal flowing streams and cascading boulder diverted waterfalls. Perfect soundtrack to our personal travelogue. Those fifty miles were the most exciting. At first a little nervous being somewhere we might not be found, we gradually found some confidence as our car trekked the forest road well, and the one pickup we met along the way courteously pulled out of our way to let us pass, with a smile and wave. Pennsylvania has the Allegheny Mountains, the northern continuation of the Blue Ridge. They are rugged and beautiful in their own right, but lack the focus demanded from a challenging drive on mountain roads dedicated to letting travelers discover their intense magnetism. Spend enough time under their spell and you will swear you underwent a near religious experience.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is one of the most visited National Parks, 469 miles of twisty road from…read moreWaynesboro, VA to Cherokee, NC. It's a gorgeous drive or bicycle ride, with a lot of elevation changes and tons of pretty vistas. There are numerous visitor centers along the way to stop and rest, and if you like this type of drive, you will be rewarded with an interesting drive. It's also a springboard to many hiking opportunities, with numerous trail heads along the road. It's beautiful at any time of the year, from the colorful autumn colors to the burst of wildflowers in spring, to the icy beauty in the winter, and the cooler temperatures in the summer. An awesome drive!