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.

Beautiful outdoor natural waterfall and swimming hole. My only regret is that I didn't bring my…read moreswimming suit! I can't wait to go back. The hike is easy compared to others in the area. It's about a mile to the swimming hole. Be sure to bring, all the outdoors stuff: bug stray, sun block, etc. Also, you are in nature so, be on the look out for snacks - we came into contact with a black snack, it was harmless but definitely pay attention. Wear shoes unless rocks don't bother you. It's honestly a beautiful place! Here's an article that provides more info: https://gohikevirginia.com/sugar-hollow-reservoir/. I almost forgot. There's no cell phone service. No bars baby.

Directions are past the third goat ridge on the right (open maps) and it's a 40 min walk but you…read morecan get there quicker if you speed walk/run.

Blackwater Creek Trail & the surrounding downtown Lynchburg city hold a special place in my heart!…read more I spent my college years roaming the sights figuring out who I was & what I believed. This trail takes you on a journey through it all, it walks along side the downtown river & loops you through the woods & through caves! You've gotta take a stroll over the bridge or add a lock to the bridge with your love when in Lynchburg!

Super clean park, they even had a little free book area and found me a book I've always wanted to…read moreread to compare it to the movie. The LOVE sign is super cute. The over look you are able to see the mountains. Very quiet area and easy parking. I believe this was in downtown area since we had to go through it to get to the park.

Tony and I went to Roaring Run Furnace In the Jefferson National Forest. This is a stone Built Pig…read moreIron Furnace built in 1830. This 192 yr old construction is still standing and looks like they could just start using it again today The park was easy to find with GPS. It is free to enjoy. Plenty of parking and restrooms. Well marked trails. The Furnace is located about 500 feet from the parking lot and bathrooms. There is plenty of picnic tables and a creek for fishing and cooling off in warmer weather. There is also a waterfall to hike to!! Nice park and highly recommend especially for the historic value! Great day trip or field trip for home schooling!!

The waterfall was gorgeous and listening to the water flow was so tranquil. I could've spent all…read moreday there just relaxing by the water. The hike was short and easy.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the US, noted for its scenic…read morebeauty. The parkway, which is America's longest linear park, runs for 469 miles through 29 Virginia and North Carolina counties. It runs mostly along the Blue Ridge, a major mountain chain that is part of the Appalachian Mountains. *The Parkway is free to drive, with a posted (and honored) speed limit of 45 MPH. It is enjoyed by people in automobiles, on motorcycles, bicycles, and some walkers. The road is curvy, goes up and down mountains, and often does not have guardrails along areas with steep drop-offs. *There are no service stations on the Parkway, so make sure your vehicle has gas and you've had it serviced. There are some towns off the Parkway, but this IS a rural area. *the National Park Service maintains 8 campgrounds along the Parkway. Most do not have showers. There are also some Visitor Centers, with park rangers who can provide information on local hikes and other activities. *Be wildlife aware. We just spent 3 nights camping and hiking, and only saw geese, but there are black bears, snakes, and other critters in the park. *Autumn is absolutely gorgeous with the colorful leaves, but weekends get crowded.

Ok, my name is Jennifer and I'm a Ridge addict. My family and I have driven the Blue Ridge since I…read morewas a baby....so over 50 years. Since moving to NC it had become my goto for something to do on a Saturday. No...really. I drive out to Stuart, hop on the Blue Ridge and the toughest decision is North or South. If I want to go to Chateau Morrisette for lunch or hike around the lake at Peaks of Otter I head North. If I want to drive out to Pisgah its South. Either direction will take me aling one of the most beautiful roads I know. At each turn you are awarded with magnificent views of the Blue Ridge mountains (part of the Appalachia). You can see some stunning floral displays when the mountain laurel is in bloom and watch a variety of critters out for a nosh. The speed limit varies from 35 to 45 so holding a steady 40 is perfect for catching a chipmunk racing across the road or having plenty of time to stop for a herd of whitetail deer. Yesterday I had my first emergency in 50 years. We got a double flat right around milestone 107. We barely had coverage to dial AAA and were then at the mercy of fortune. As we were unable to pull out of the road, I chose to be the one to direct people around the car. I could have cried for joy as these wonderful folk restored my faith in humanity. So many stopped to make sure we were ok. I have to give a very vocal shout out to ine of the parks service rangers. Her name is Tabitha and she turned into our Guardian angel. She called in the accident to her dispatch and kept an eye on us till the tow came. If you find yourself wanting to just do something...especially during this Covid period when there arent a lot of options..take a drive. Decide for yourself... North or South. Either direction will lead you on adventure. Make sure to stop at one of the main areas to pick up a Blue Ridge book...this will become your Blue Ridge ' bible' as it will give you a milemarker by milemarker guide. Stop by the Music center near the Va/NC border or see what I mean by Peaks of Otter. Go see the highest mountain on the East coast (Mt Mitchell) or check out the arts and crafts center. Be aware of your season. It gets cold in the mountains earlier than the valley. If you head towards Pisgah in late October..the road may be closed due to snow/ice. Same actually near Peaks. The Blue Ridge is usually very busy in Summer with folks headed to Asheville, Boone or the Smokies Just remember the rules: take nothing...leave nothing. Rediscover Nature or just unwind for an afternoon. I promise you WON'T regret it.

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.

This place is kind of hidden, but accessible by road without any special caveats. The trails…read morebasically form a ring around a privately owned farm; the hay bales look cool, but numerous signs say to stay off the farm and stick to the trails. Many interesting fall sights awaited. I underestimated the degree of difficulty and even taking the easier of two trail options took somewhere close to three hours. But it was free, and the trails were in reasonably good condition with some boardwalks over damp areas. We all need to spend more time outdoors.

Beautiful hike!! Summit scenery is gorgeous! It was about 6 miles long, but with very steep, long…read moreinclines. It was difficult for me and took awhile. I went with 5 of my friends who were very in shape, and they also found it challenging. Definitely manageable overall though. I have very little hiking experience and I'm not very well in shape, but I made it all the way through with the motivation of my friends! Hikers of all levels will find something to enjoy here. Totally worth it for the views regardless.

Oct, 2025. The Stony Man summit (elevation 4,003') is accessible via multiple hiking routes in…read moreShenandoah National Park. My husband and I parked at the lot at mile marker 41.7 on Skyline Drive; the trailhead and an informational sign are easy to access, just off the parking lot. This is a lollipop trail that is rated moderate in AllTrails. My watch recorded a total of 1.8 miles total with an elevation gain of 338'. This is a well-maintained, uphill-climbing trail that leads to overviews with beautiful views. Some quick, random notes: *Once you reach the circular part of the lollipop, the trail to the right is rocky; the path to the left is smoother. You can elect to take one up, and the other down. *We visited in mid-October during leaf-peeping season. The parking lot and the trails near Stony Man were very crowded mid-day. *As you approach the summit, most hikers go to the rocky overview on the right, where there are sweeping views of the valley below. Note, however, that there is another very nice, and smoother rock, overview just five minutes back, just off the main trail. *Shenandoah National Park charges an admission fee.

Amazing trail. We started off at the Stony Man trailhead and up to the summit. Early April so it…read morewas not buggy. The trails were pretty rocky so it could classify as a easy hike but for some it could be moderate. Know your limits. Take breaks. On our descent it was rainy and the rocks became slippery. We took the horse trail back to the parking lot and that was less rocky and slippery. The views from the summit were incredible. Definitely worth the climb!