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

This hike was unbelievable. First, to get here, Google maps…read moresent me thru very rural towns. Similar to how I grew up a bit East of Charlottesville. That was 51 years ago. You can imagine. Beautiful landscape. Gorgeous farms at the foothills. I wished I was more of the passenger. I found my mark after a while. The Patricia Ann Byrom Forest Preserve. Even the parking area was beautiful though I wish they left some tree coverage. It was so hot. Leaving my car here for 4 hours, even the window controls could burn you fingers. I started my trek at .041' elevation. Top peak was 2220' elevation. Let me tell you. It's strenuous. I hiked up Blackwells trail. Straight up. No kidding. I'd take a couple steps and rest. Steps. Rest. Dirt avalanche under my feet. Easy to slip. At the top of Little Flat Moutain Loop there a beautiful overlook. It's a small window of a view but just gorgeous. I didnt come for views anyway. I came to award myself with another *"been there; hiked that" heck my list on yelp for Been There Hiked That. Quite extensive. This is another feather in my hat. And what a great and fee free place to be one with nature! On the way down, it was just as strenuous. Prob took even more muscles to go down. Couldn't go fast, you'd slide right off the ledge or into rocks. Small steps..my hike ended. I was exhausted. Beautiful back country land here. Thanks Albemarle County Parks & Rec.

Set out to hike these trails on a beautiful day in March by recommendation of some locals &…read morethoroughly enjoyed the experience. There's several looping trails of various distances; all are open to hiking, biking, horseback & are dog friendly. We decided on the Crooked Tree Trail, descending down Little Flat Mountain Loop to the Blue Ledge Trail. Total distance was 2.76 miles with a peak elevation of 1834', moderate difficulty with stream views/crossing, several benches along the way & a picnic table. The only thing this route is lacking is a lookout point. Park is open year round from 7am until dark, offers ample paved parking, restroom & information post. Be sure to pick up a trail map, the trails are clearly marked along the way, but can get a bit confusing. Wasn't able to pick up cell service, so plan accordingly.

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.

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!

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.

Mount Pleasant was indeed a pleasant hike. We went on a Sunday afternoon in August and only…read moreencountered a handful of other groups. The last 1-2 miles of the path approaching the parking area is essentially off-road driving. The hike was definitely longer than I anticipated (in the 7 mile range), but it was worth it. It has two summits (both accessed from the same fork near the top), and while both are beautiful, the west summit is definitely better than the east. The trail was well marked with blue blazes. The lower down areas were well maintained, but near the top there were areas that were very narrow, overgrown, and rocky. We went through several butterfly hangouts and lots of wildflowers. Almost all of the trail is shaded. There is evidence of previous fire along the trail. The uphill/downhill isn't particularly strenuous (plenty of flat breaks), but it is at least a 3-4hr commitment if not longer.

This is a great trail in Richmond! It's not that easy ! Be…read moreprepared to scoot out of the way for mountain bikers! It's amazing what they're doing up and down twisting around jumping over rocks!! It's primarily shady but also open areas and includes a bridge to cross over into downtown Richmond. Parking is a challenge on busy days and the porta potties need attn!

Nice trail with lots of interesting sights. Popular place! So far my fav Richmond trail!read more