This was a nice family walk. It was not steep and fairly flat. A nice boardwalk meandered through…read moreon one side with small gravel on the other side of the lake.

Beautiful area to walk and take the dog. However I was a bit disappointed. It must have been a long…read moretime since any upkeep was done here. Water was low everywhere but we have had a dry summer. There was no water in the beaver pond at all. The main large pond in the middle did have water, but it is so overgrown that you can only catch a glimpse of it through the brush. No way to get to it. Really sad to see something so beautiful be let go like this. It would be nice if they could extend a boardwalk just to the ponds edge so you could have a look from a platform or something. I drove almost 3 hours to get there, doubt I will go back.

My daughter and I had a great time hiking Humpback Rocks. Others give the directions so I will not…read more The Visitors Center has restrooms and more. The parking for the trailhead is across from the Visitors Center. Wear sturdy shoes, no flip flops or sandals. Take water you will need it, especially on hot days. Only attempt if in good health. Some will bring a good camera, if you have bring it. Obviously take your phone for photos, but keep in mind of weak reception at the top. My recommendation is to start out early AM, but after day break as the trail is too difficult in my opinion to navigate while dark. The trail is around a mile and a half and can take over an hour with breaks. Many can reach the top in 35-45. The view is 100% worth the effort. Be careful up there, it's no joke. Elevation is over 3000 feet.

Lyndhurst, VA (Milepost 5.8 on the Blue Ridge Parkway)--Road Trip #2…read more The next spot on the trip was Humpback Rocks Visitor Center and Farm Museum (HRVC). Since I had done my research, I knew the visitor center would be closed at this time of year. Actually, a lot of Skyline Drive was closed during the winter because of the harsh weather this year. However, when I arrived that day, it was beautiful--sunny, 70s, and gorgeous! Since I couldn't go inside the visitor center, I walked around the grounds and the farm museum. There was no staff that day, but usually they have costumed interpreters to explain about life back in the late nineteenth century. I was still able to look around--they have a single-room log cabin; many outbuildings that represents the regional architecture; and nearly 3,000 acres of forested lands surrounding the museum. Amenities: --Restrooms (Not during the winter season though--you're out luck if you show up like I did. Not even a port-a-pottie. Make sure you go to the bathroom before you visit!) --Exhibits and programs (During the season, roughly May - October, the hours are Thursday - Tuesday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.) Some of the demonstrations include weaving, basket making, and gardening. --Picnic Area (Milepost 8.5--If you leave HRVC and turn right, you will see the picnic area on the left. This is called Humpback Gap Overlook, and this is where you will find the trail to Humpback Rocks.) --Visitor Center, information, restrooms, and exhibits are wheelchair accessible. Interpretive programs are accessible with assistance. I am hoping to get back to the area this summer and, if time permits, I will check out the visitor center and take pictures. I have a feeling that HRVC could be one of the best visitor centers around when it is fully staffed. Still, walk around the grounds, have a picnic, and, if you're brave, climb Humpback Rocks. Just driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway is a treat!

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

Great place to go for a walk, run, or bike ride! I like to come here with my dog because the path…read morefollows the river so he can always go down for some water. It's a perfect distance too and there's plenty of things to do along the way such as a park, workout stations, and historic signs to read.

Great area to walk, jog or bike on the Greenway located in the downtown area with parking options…read more The greenway goes along the South River - there is one parking area, near the YMCA near Arch Avenue, and another is further along the South River around Constitution Park. Limited street and parking lot near the YMCA with larger lots near Constitution Park. It's a little over a mile with a future extension being built that will connect to North Park. On the greenway are a few workout stations also and benches along the way. Fun to go all year long. Also there's the LOVE sign near Constitution park. Many fly fisherman access the South river at different points on the Greenway. At Constitution Park, there's areas for kayakers, SUPs, etc to get in the South River and float down. Many use the greenway so relatively safe, though near the Shiloh Baptist Church parking lot area, I've seen a few homeless folks now and then hanging around the covered section. I don't recall any portajohns so plan accordingly.

Went here b/c some of the locals made the recommendation. Had no idea what to expect but figured…read morewhy not? First thing to note: If you have Verizon, the signal gets lost in this area. Do yourself a favor and download the map of the area so you don't freak out like I did and almost get lost coming back to wherever you were staying. The parking here is decent. There's enough spots for about 10-ish or so cars. When you get out, you can kind of explore a little bit. There's some cool seating and a few spots that give you a neat background/foreground experience to take pictures. The picture I supplied is just a snippet of what was happening as we watched the sunset. Hands down a winning spot. Food Taste: bring your own :) Overall Service: it's your own service Value of service to cost: 5 - I did great! Facility: 5 Repeat customer: yes! Dog Friendly: yes - probably don't get all wild on this one though

Shenandoah National Park is beautiful. There is a lot of history here and I recommend doing a bit…read moreof reading before arriving. Or not. You will enjoy it either way. Skyline drive was a CCC project that ran from 1933 - 1941 and it is clear they did an excellent job. All those stone walls, all over the park, are hand crafted by CCC. Besides the 105 miles of paved road and multiple scenic over looks, there are many, many trails leading into the wilderness. Some are easier, others for a more advanced hiker. Cabins, campgrounds, a gas station, gift shops, restaurants, ev charge station and public restrooms are dotted along the road. You can spend a day, or a week, soaking in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Such a beautiful and scenic ride along the stunning mountains!…read more Def coordinating this into all my drives down South!

Allen Creek Nature Preserve is located on the corner of Stoney Creek East and Towhee Court next to…read moreone of the holes of Stoney Creek Golf Course. Parking is limited to 3 vehicles, but I have never seen more than two. The trail is not very long maybe a little more than a mile of easy hiking. This area is a part of a flood plane and can flood easily and can stay muddy for a few days after a heavy rain storm.

This park used to be our neighborhood park. We lived just down the road, so when my husband and I…read morefirst moved to the neighborhood, we would walk down and intersect with the Rivanna River trail which goes through Azalea park. Or we would loop around the garden plots that are down there at the far end of the park and see what folks were growing. Or we would go use the big spread of grass to throw the frisbee around. The playground is pretty cool, too. (Admittedly, around sunset when the kiddies had all gone in for dinner and bath time, we'd utilize the freedom and play on some of the playground equipment--lots of exciting things you can spin on/in!) Kid (and "big kid") approved. Then we had a baby, so I would stroll the babe down to the park and loop around the park's paths and back home, or I would sit on a swing and hold my babe and swing with him for a bit. Ah, the circle of life. Now we've moved and I already kinda miss Azalea Park. (Note: There's also a dog park; just a fairly large gated in area of grass where you can let your dog off the leash.)

Azalea is our preferred dog park in Charlottesville. It has two large fenced-in areas that share a…read morefenced entry pen. We bring our sheepdog Appa here at least once a week when the weather is cool/cold enough for him, less often in the summer (Charlottesville's summer heat is pretty brutal on our fluff monster). In all of our visits we've only run into a few dogs that aren't very well socialized and are aggressive towards other dogs (we've encountered this multiple times at Darden Towe). For the most part all of the owners are very responsible, friendly, and approachable and their dogs follow their example. There are always tennis balls laying around that are up for grabs, several picnic tables for humans (and sometimes for dogs to climb on), poop bags/trash cans, and water bowls (and a pump to fill them). Overall it has just about everything you could need. The one major downside about Azalea's dog park is that it has very little shade. There's a single large tree on the west side that casts some decent shade in the evening during the summer, but for the most part the sun scorches down and there's no hiding from it. It would be fantastic if the town could plant a few more trees here. There's plenty of parking, and trails and a stream nearby. Appa's a better socialized dog thanks to Azalea. We're very glad we found this park.