My husband and I like to hike so on our recent visit to Roanoke we started exploring options. We…read morelearned that McAfees Knob is the most photographed spot on Appalachian trail. We were a bit nervous about an 8 mile hike, but decided we were going to take it on. That hike was no joke, it kicked my butt. However, I did it and I am not someone in amazing shape by any means. There were some very steep/uphill parts and some stretches that were mostly flat. Trail was well marked. I was happy for the variation and we stopped as needed. It is doable, its just long. They say it takes you about 4 hours, which was accurate for us as we arrived around 10am, finished about 2pm. We did the AT trial up and decided to go for the fire road (runs basically parallel but isn't as strenuous) back as we were already tried. I highly recommend this if you not a serious hiker. Most everything I read kept saying you need to get their early as it gets so busy. That wasn't our experience, but it was an unseasonably colder, windy day so that probably deterred people. We also went on a Thursday to help reduce crowd as recommended. Note there are no bathrooms near parking. We found an outhouse near one of the camping sites about 2/3 way up, which we were grateful for. I am not sure it is being maintained regularly, so bring your own TP and hand sanitizer. Now, the view once you get to the top is absolutely beautiful. You can see out so far while you sit/stand on the rocky overlook. I even slowly inched my way out to the very tip of the rock to get the full 360 view. Breathtaking! We brought some snacks to eat up there to replenish (do this) and enjoy the views. We didn't stay up there as long as I would have liked as it was quite cold with the wind when we no longer had the tree cover. Dress appropriately! After we finished the hike, we took a long nap at our Airb&B. I am not sure I would choose to do it again, but I feel very accomplished that we completed this trail and enjoyed the views and our picutres very much.

What an awesome hike. Our new Thanksgiving tradition has been to go on a hike and this was our pick…read morethis year. We got there around 10am since it's a 3 hour drive from Charlotte. I thought it would be empty on Thanksgiving, but it was pretty crowded. We got a parking spot just fine, but the lot was fairly full. The hike is rated as strenuous, but I thought it was moderate. It's about 4 miles to Mcafee Knob from the parking lot making it 8 miles round trip. We took the Appalachian Trail on the way there and the fire road on the way back. The fire road is flatter and wider--an easier hike overall. Parts of the AT were covered in leaves making it a bit hard to hike. Everyone says the last mile is hard. It's uphill but I didn't find it to be too steep. The views at the end are gorgeous. Luckily it wasn't too crowded and we didn't have to wait to get our picture. We didn't stay at the top long because it was incredibly windy which made it pretty cold even though the rest of the hike was comfortable. The whole hike with stops took us just under 4 hours. With views and difficulty combined, we thought it was a great hike!

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!!

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.

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.

This trail starts on the grounds of The Homestead. From the valet entrance take a left on a side…read moreroad that winds behind the kid's pool and water slides. Runs left by the golf course and across the grounds of The Homestead then crosses Sam Sneed Parkway into the woods behind the town. See my pics from Sunset Overlook.

Good trail to run or walk. Terrain is reasonableread more

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 moderate level hike, 3.6 miles UP and Back. Elevation 1,135 ft. Some very steep inclines…read more So steep the path is switch back trails. Absolute great hike but challenging. Kid friendly, dogs on leash, and some paved walk ways BUT I don't think it would be for wheelchairs or strollers because it's such a steep incline. VIEWS-Waterfalls, forest, mountain, mushrooms, wildflowers, and berries. Such a busy trail that you really don't see to much wildlife or birds. Lots and Lots of stairs. This trail has been kept in great condition. There is a bit of scrambling and if there has been rain or snow it can be a bit slippery. Rocks and moss. So beautiful. This trail is part of George Washington and Jefferson National Forest. Absolutely beautiful at the top for me. It has an area that opens up at he top and benches so you can sit and admire the surrounding mountains. The first waterfall you come to is the easiest paved area to get to . Also the best waterfall view. It also has benches. This is from the parking lot and there is a fee. It is was 3 dollars so bring cash. There is no running water so bring your own water, Pack a smart backpack. Keep all areas clean and don't leave garbage behind. They have a bathroom area but with no running water. It is a dry toilet. Bring some hand sanitizer is my best advice.

This is a really good hike worth the incline on the way up to see the views! Definitely high…read moreincline on the way up, but there's benches and rocks along the way to take a break. The falls are really pretty, but be careful not to get too close. There's lots of signs to stay on the path which I recommend! It can get muddy after rain so wear good hiking boots for sure. It's dog friendly, I went when it wasn't too crowded and with the narrow pathways I had her off the leash but would put her back on the leash when I saw people ahead. About halfway up, there's an area of body of water that's safe for dogs to get water and to take a break at which is nice. It took about 3hrs total (up and down), 1.7 mi up and down.

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.

This trail, not quite finished as of this writing, has highs and lows. A rail to trail that runs…read morealong a small river, it does deliver some fantastic views and is a flat and wide path that is amenable to biking and walking. It is free and has multiple entry points. On the downside, Covington is dominated by a cardboard manufacturer. I just moved from another place that had a similar factory, but for those without such experience, something involved in this industry smells strongly of wet dog, and the smell spreads widely. So at least on part of this trail, you've got that to contend with as well as a surprising number of flying insects for being up in the mountains. And while the trail runs by the river, everywhere you look there are signs saying that if you step off the trail, including trying to get closer to the river, it's private property and you can't. I don't begrudge whoever actually owns the land for owning it, but I wish some arrangement could have been worked out that involved more access and less passive-aggressive hostility. So I have a mix of nice pictures from a wonderful fall evening as well as a sense that some things could be better.

We were headed to spend a weekend night in Hot Springs and decided to stop in Covington to take a…read morehike, so we stopped at the Jackson River Trail... Wish we would have done more research on this place before stopping here to know that it's really not a "hike" and more of a walk. It's an old railroad bed, which is nice, but nothing fun and exciting about a truly "off-road" hike to this place. Also, the first ¾ of a mile is nasty and it's through houses, etc and nothing exciting. But after that, really from just before the Petticoat Junction to the north is beautiful and we were happy to finally come upon this area. The Jackson River is closer to the trail in this area and a beautiful stream to walk along. The banks of the trail in the first part, from the parking area in Covington to the Petticoat area are nasty and loaded with trash and pollution, the town of Covington or some volunteers really should clean it up and force the local residents to "police" their back yards better! Overall, we did it... won't waste time with it again.

An amazing set of Falls. See the Lower falls if you can…read more This is one of the best sights along the entire drive. There are 3 different sights to see at this stop. There are upper, middle and lower falls. Let's start at the beginning. There is a parking lot for about 30 cars directly off the road. There is a set of restrooms in the parking lot across from the trailhead. The trailhead has a solid pathway of switchbacks that leads to an observation point to the upper falls viewpoint. For people that want to shortcut the windy path, there is a straighter trail that goes directly down the hill to the first viewpoint. From there, there is a boardwalk with lots of steps that leads down the a bridge that crosses the river. Then more boardwalk and a steel set of stair to two platforms to view the middle falls. More boardwalk along the river and a large wooden stair platform leads to the lower falls. If you get a chance, you should see all three as each is unique and all are beautiful as much as the walk is enjoyable. Just remember, walking down is easy and you have to walk back up to return to the parking lot. Well worth the walk. Enjoy.

This was an unexpected find on my trip to WV. The trail was nice, if a little strenuous for this…read morefatman, and the water falls (plural) were lovely. It is a well developed trail with lots of stairs, including an actual stairwell to get you to the bottom of the falls. If you are mobile and in the area you should visit, just give yourself some time on the hike back if your a big person like myself.