Popular Places to Hike in Virginia

Enjoy Vigorous Exercise Along with Breathtaking Scenery

Oct 7, 2008 Denise Oliveri

Virginia has some of the most beautiful hiking spots in the country. Enjoy these popular locations to not only hike, but see some awesome sites along the way.

There are wonderful hiking spots all over Virginia. They all have terrific views, which provide you with breathtaking scenery while you are performing vigorous exercise. Many places vary in terrain, so you are sure to find a trail or two that's just right for you.

Shenandoah National Park

Shenandoah National Park has a wide variety of hiking options. The park has more than 500 miles of trails, including 101 miles of the Appalachian Trails. The trails might follow along a ridge or can lead to higher places with panoramic views, or to waterfalls in canyons. You can come back again and again and see something new each time.

There are overnight trails where you can sleep by a stream, or trails you can walk by day. There’s Bearfence Mountain Trail, one of the few trails that give you a 360-degree view at the summit. Betty's Rock Trail and Crescent Rock Trail are short hikes, that can be just right for beginners or families. Byrd's Nest Summit is a nice hike. It takes you up to a ridge and a day use shelter.

Lewis Spring Falls Trail is a very interesting trail that loops through the Hardwood Forest coming down to an 81-foot waterfall. This trail is rather challenging, and hiker's have been enjoying it for decades.

Big Devils Stairs

The walking is easy on this trail with a great reward at the end. The Bluff Trail is practically level and it takes you to the Big Devils Stairs canyon rim for a great view of the valley below. Of course, you can see miles of mountains in the distance. Along the way is a shelter where you can stop and take a rest at or hunker down for a well-deserved lunch or snack. The trail is 5.4 miles long, and is located in Northern Virginia in Front Royal.

Crabtree Falls

Crabtree Falls is located in Buena Vista. This hike is one of the best waterfall walks in the entire south of the nation. In fact, if you ask almost any avid Virginian hiker where to venture in this state, you can almost bet they will say Crabtree Falls.

If you love waterfalls, you will love this six-mile trail. There are plenty of observation points along the way, making for great photograph shots, as well as a rock formation half way up the trail that resembles a cave. You can go through the rock formation and meet up with the trail on the other side. The trail is not too steep in any one area and has some stairs and handrails along the way. It is a fairly long walk to reach the top, but worth it.

Camp Alta Mons Trail

This is a four-mile trail that travels through a meadow, then along the Purgatory Creek. You cross the creek three times on rocks then go up a valley to Stiles Falls, a beautiful 45-foot high waterfall. The trail is located in Shawsville in Roanoke County.

Blue Ridge Parkway Trails

There are numerous easy, moderate, and strenuous choices of trails here. The Mountain Farm Trail leads to from the Visitors Center to Pioneer Farmstead.

Some "easy" trails include:

James River Trail leading to The Canal Locks
Thunder Ridge Trail showcasing a view of Arnold Valley
Roanoke River Trail

Some "moderate" trails include:

Greenstone Trail, which features an oak hickory forest and greenstone geology formations.
Yankee Horse, which goes to the logging railroad exhibit and a small waterfall.

More adventurous trails that are "challenging" include:

Apple Orchard Falls Trail, which starts at the Sunset Field Overlook to a view of Apple Orchard Falls.
Rock Castle Gorge Trail that is 10 miles long from start to finish. It is a loop that starts from the campground and goes along a ridge over Rocky Knob and into a gorge then circles back to the campground.

(Trails are labeled as easy, moderate, and challenging, as depicted by hiker reviews on Trails.com.)

As you can see, there are many wonderful places to hike in Virginia. Visit Trails.com for a comprehensive list of all trails in the State of Virginia, if you want to find one locally. Whether you are a novice or an experienced hiker, you can find the perfect trail in Virginia.

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The copyright of the article Popular Places to Hike in Virginia in SE U.S. Travel is owned by Denise Oliveri. Permission to republish Popular Places to Hike in Virginia in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.