Douthat is my 35th Virginia State park visit. Saturday I hiked 13 miles, just under 30,000 steps! I…read moreended up on trails that still had fog coverage! I started at Stony run and linked some trails together so I would circle back to the car. The trail started with ground rock, and after 7 creek crossings and some elevation, it turned into rocks and roots. Once I got up higher to the switchbacks, I'd been hiking two hours. It just kept going! At some places (Tuscarora point and Blue Suck) the path is on the edge of the mountain. If you trip, you're gone! I was happy to see each Route Marker Helped me to know my plan was working. Im going the right way. At one junction I asked Gemini the elevation I've claimed from Stony run trail head to the sign Im at right now. The answer was 1,740 feet. They had 2 waterfalls. I saw one on my way up and another on my way down. It was a tricke of water but it helped notate where I was on the map. From there, it was only were big large rocks to navigate for a good mile. Takes your energy away. I was so happy to see my car at the end! What an adventure. I did drive through the park before hiking and stopped at the camp store for a t-shirt for my grandson. I walked in shouted good morning. No response. Maybe she didn't hear me. I looked around and her younger, co worker came in. This woman started massive gossip about the girl who finally just quit. She dogged this girl the whole time I was there. Checked me out when buying my shirt and never said a word. I asked the younger girl if there was still a restaurant here and she was answering to say yes but its take out but that other woman snapped, "Its closed!" She needs to find happiness. Clearly she's not a happy person, at least, at work. I thanked the young girl and left. Super awesome park! I loved it!

Well-maintained and updated campgrounds! The friendliest and most helpful rangers! Simple…read moreamenities, yet so many options to relax and use the park Do not leave without watching Ranger Shelly perform her tricks!

Joined the trail by crossing into "downtown" hot springs to the left of the Spa. Look for the…read morestairs to the right of the corner restaurant caddy corner to the Homestead property. We walked up a short but steep path to a sign for "sunset overlook". Another short walk brought us to a a few benches in a clearing with a beautiful overlook of the Homestead. Overall, a nice relaxed 20 minute roundtrip walk for a great vista.

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.

Such a beautiful place! My husband and I camped here for a few days on our way to visit relatives…read morein PA. There are a variety of trails from beginners to more advanced hikers. The river is absolutely beautiful and great for fishing. This park is well maintained and monitored. We were stopped by a ranger who checked our fishing licenses so we were glad the natural resources are being protected. When visiting, hiking up to the Woodstock Tower is a must. The terrain is moderate but it is definately worth going to the top. The view is breathtaking at 2000 feet elavation. Great place to take a break from the hustle and bustle of city life!

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.

I save the word "magical" for places that truly deserve it. Tantivy Farm is one of those places…read more This magical place is one where you can walk through lavender fields, eat lavender ice cream, shop for lavender products, and meet some farm animals. It's a family-owned farm run by super nice people, and it's a great place to visit when you're in the Lexington area. You can explore more than a thousand lavender plants of 20 different varieties here. I visited during the off season, when the lavender bushes were spent and dormant, but there were a few sprigs here and there, and even so, the rest of the garden was lush and beautiful. If you want to experience the lavender fields in full bloom, you'll want to visit in late spring through summer. Around the end of May to the end of June is when they do U-pick lavender, where you can pick your own lavender bouquets. The owners also produce and sell lavender products, dried and fresh wreaths, lavender food (including lavender ice cream!). Friendly farm animals also live on the farm, and you might be able to meet and greet them. These are the most content and happy animals I've encountered maybe ever. Could it be because they live on a lavender farm and they're absorbing the calming vibes of this medicinal plant? Most likely it's because the owners are super awesome and treat the animals like family. It's great to see. The farm is open May to December.

Very friendly. Great views. Wonderful ice cream. More lavender than I have ever seen.read more

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.

Great business andthe service there is awesome. I would love to see them open their kitchen back up…read morefor business because the food was amazing.

A group of us came here for a weekend of fly fishing the Jackson River... This Inn sits on an 18…read morehole golf course, right on the banks of the Jackson River, so river access was easy, just a short walk from the Inn. The Inn offers all the amenities of a rental home (fully stocked kitchen with two fridges and two dishwashers, dishes, etc), large dining room table, plenty of seating and a couple of quiet rooms to relax. The bedrooms were large, there were at least 9 of them and each had their own full bath. Comfortable temperatures from their HVAC throughout the entire house. Overall, the Inn was a comfortable way to relax after a day of fishing. There was also a grill outside and a fire pit. The location is just about 10 mins from downtown Covington, not far from other fishing areas, like Lake Moomaw and the dam there. There's plenty of parking and they have an amazing restaurant onsite, a quick walk from the Inn that's highly recommended! I look forward to returning!!

I brought my bike in to Greenbrier Bikes today after a day on Marlin Mountain and Thorny Creek…read moreMountain, primarily to fix a problematic flat. They did that, but also fixed everything else on my bike within about 30 minutes. That squeaking that wasn't fixed by cleaning and relubricating the chain? They figured out that the pulleys needed lubricated, and two minutes later the squeaking was gone. The back light that loves to fall off? Now it's securely mounted. The one old tube that's salvageable? Now it's patched and I have a better patch kit than I did before. The rear brake bracket that I hadn't even realized was loose, but definitely was? Not loose anymore. I probably would have had to drop my bike off and pick it up a few days later if I'd scheduled an appointment back home, but at Greenbrier Bikes I got it back up to an A level quick enough that I was still able to see not only the Green Bank Telescope, but also do a 4.5-mile-each-way jaunt up Bald Knob with the bike to test out the fixes and catch a fantastic view. On that not-especially-easy test, it did just fine. Overall it cost something like $46, which is a bargain compared to the city bike shops. While they do offer tune-up packages (also at quite reasonable rates), I really liked that they will also take a, "what needs done? we'll fix it" approach. And they don't try to sell you things you don't need, either. That chain with 1700 miles on it? They checked, still good. The air pump that I haven't been impressed with? They could've sold me a new one, but instead showed me a setting I didn't know it had that should make it more effective. They're community-oriented too. On Thursday they were down in Stillwell for a community event, and the guy who fixed my bike is the same guy who clears the fallen trees from the mountain trails I'd traveled the day before. So if you're passing through Marlinton on the Greenbrier River Town, or are in town for any other reason with your bike, swing on by and have them take a look at whatever issues it has that have been bothering you. If it can be fixed quickly, you'll probably be back on the trail sooner than you thought possible, and you'll be helping a bike shop right by the trail as well.

five star experience on the Greenbrier Trail and this shop makes it possible. I call from a…read morethousand miles away. They are flexible to my dates. suggest rental, offer shuttle, and suggest a nice rental cabin. Even breakfast suggestion was good. Just do it.