Tony and I went to Roaring Run Furnace In the Jefferson National Forest. This is a stone Built Pig…read moreIron Furnace built in 1830. This 192 yr old construction is still standing and looks like they could just start using it again today The park was easy to find with GPS. It is free to enjoy. Plenty of parking and restrooms. Well marked trails. The Furnace is located about 500 feet from the parking lot and bathrooms. There is plenty of picnic tables and a creek for fishing and cooling off in warmer weather. There is also a waterfall to hike to!! Nice park and highly recommend especially for the historic value! Great day trip or field trip for home schooling!!

The waterfall was gorgeous and listening to the water flow was so tranquil. I could've spent all…read moreday there just relaxing by the water. The hike was short and easy.

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.

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!!

This is a gorgeous park for camping. The view is stunning, there are many lake front sites if you…read morereserve long enough in advance as we did. We discovered it last year by chance taking up a canceled spot with friends on Labor day, and returned this year the week before Memorial day. There is a significant difference between the place when in full capacity - obviously noise, crowd, and jet ski traffic on the lake. Also seems to be in transition from privately operated to state owned - when we visited this year none of the Marina services were operating which forces you to drive back to the nearest WV store for necessities such as ice etc. The facilities (shower, restrooms) were relatively clean (if you don't mind the crawlers, occasional mouse running across) but this was mainly for a lightly occupied camp, as mentioned above and indeed during the labor day weekend they were in much worst condition. So if you are geared for self sufficiency and pick an off time this is one of the most beautiful sites in VA, with an unbeatable cost/benefit ratio for a tranquil and relaxing vacation.

A great outdoor area for the camping novice…read more Bolar Recreation area is right next to Lake Moomaw and a few hiking areas. There are about five camp grounds here with each one allowing enough space for ten camping sites. There are camp sites both on and off the water and each site has a fire pit/cooking area. The exterior sites on the water are amazing! You have an incredible view, your own beach area and a lot of privacy. The interior sites are larger close to the bathroom/showers, but don't offer much of a view or privacy, but like I said, they are very spacious. This could have been a five-star review, but the person who runs this camp area was super rude to us one of the nights. Sooo, you're supposed to turn off your generator by 10pm, but ours was still going by 10:30pm and she let us have it! This was our first offense and we didn't know about the curfew. Take it easy Zelda! I would definitely be into another camping trip here possibly in the fall. I think I like camping now?!

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!

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.

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.

This place is great, we called last minute and the staff (Mark especially) was kind enough to…read moresqueeze the 2 of us in for a zip lining (p.s. when I say kind enough, I mean incredible!! The staff had a lot going on guiding and checking in groups to their resort and getting ready for their Oktoberfest party they were hosting, they absolutely had all justification to turn us away but they didn't! They gave us a time frame to show up and they totally delivered and that's what earned them 5 stars). They were already guiding a group through so we just tagged along at the back end. The whole experience is pretty entertaining, they had the group working together (some were helping catch the person zipping, some helping un-harness, some helping move a platform used to get folks off the line), it was a pretty clever system and it helped move things along quickly and keep people involved. Anyways, my husband and I were debating all week wondering if it would be worth it ($25 for one ride) and the answer is... YES! 900 feet long, you end up going about 45 mph, and it's not a gradual 45. Once you step off the platform you drop pretty quick! People weighing 60-250lbs can ride and the guides are great about safety but flexibility. It doesn't take an incredibly long time (we got done in an hour and only because we waited for the group to finish) but it may be different for others. Overall, I was so happy we went and that the staff let us come. The staff was awesome, the line was fun, the pricing fair.

What an awesome experience zip lining through the trees! The staff members were wonderful. They…read morewere informative and professional each step of the way and I felt assured that I would have a great experience. The equipment provided was in excellent condition and we easily established a team spirit among the zip liners. If you are up for the experience, be fit enough to hike up to the top of the platform while carrying your substantial harness that weighs about 10 pounds (at least that's what it felt like). There are also many other activities available beyond hiking. I highly recommend this facility and am anxious to return for another zip line adventure!

One of the best views in Virginia and one of the easier places to get too. Would definitely go againread more

Amazing view for sunrise or sunset to enjoy. With breathtaking view recommend to visit.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.