First time fly fisher person, here, and boy was I surprised how much I enjoyed fly fishing…read more Setting is perfect, the Lodge along Knapps Creek, is spacious and comfortable. Excellent morning coffee! Anne took me out and taught me some basics and before long, I was in waders and in Knapps Creek fishing. Caught my very first trout! Highly recommended excursion. You will be welcome and well-cared for.

Second time this year spending the day fishing with Ann and Mark. I have learned so much from both…read moreof them this year. Unfortunately the water was very low and the fish were very spooky ( well it was Halloween weekend after all). But we still hooked a few and saw lots of other wildlife including several adult Eagles in the area. All ready planning another couple of trips for next year!

Great place to trout fish, owners are great people very knowledgeable. Hospitality is great, fish…read moreis great grilled or smoked. Lodgings are wonderful. A must see if in the area

From the owner: Lodging and Fishingread more

How beautiful! You really can't find hidden gems like this anymore. Just nature, no cell signal, no…read moreemails, just for real peace and quiet. I stayed in Cabin 12, a two bedroom cabin on a little hill. It was far enough away from the other cabins to feel private, but within sight enough to feel safe. There were trails to hike or bike all over, strolled a few, but the frigid weather kept it 3 miles or less, so glad there were plenty of loop options. As we (the dog came along as usual) were there in winter, a lot was shut down for the season, but there was a restaurant, camp store, marina, and swim beach that I bet are pretty busy come summer! The lake is beautiful against the rolling mountains. Town is close by for groceries, and the Falling Spring Falls are a must see! Hit up Covington and Clifton Forge for supplies and other random things to do if you are interested in a low-key vacay!

We had seen signs for this state park while occasionally traveling along I-64 in western Virginia…read more While pressed a bit for time, we decided to check it out with an eye towards deciding whether it would be worth a future camping trip. Yes, it would be! The state park (4,545 acres) is nestled in the Allegheny Mountains. It had been a traditional family park since 1936, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for the role its design played in development of parks nationwide. The park features mountain scenery, stream fishing, a 50-acre stocked lake, sandy swimming beach, cabins and campsites (including some lake-side), and 43 miles of hiking. There's also a well-stocked camp store and small grill. We were pleasantly surprised by the prices. One tip: when you reach the state park, there is a parking area on the right along the stream, with signage. The MAIN entrance, near the lake, is an additional four miles up the road.

My friend and I used Maury River Smallmouth for a spring float trip on the Maury River. Jamie is a…read moregreat guy. He's very nice, accommodating, and knows his stuff both smallmouth bass fishing in general and about the Maury River. I highly recommend him as a guide. If you need to rent kayaks he has very nice sit-on-top fishing kayaks available. Thank you for a great day on the water Jamie/MRS!

Beautiful small park by the river with nice fish pond, and Bicycle parking. Cute benches and table…read morewith embed chess board.

Close to a college town, this rail to trail is long, relatively unimpeded, and offers river views…read more There were multiple parking lots at what is currently the south end of the trail, as well as signage indicating that some of the railway had been sold to buyers who were not part of the trail, so it kind of starts midway along the rail line. Regardless, it is a longer trail than I had time for and the part I completed was easily worthwhile.

Southern end -…read more Good surface. RR wide. Some restrooms Only problem is trail maps are mis-leading. Caldwell is beginning but is MP 3, not 1 Easy access - well signed Few road crossings

Easy hike. Hiker, dog, children and biker friendly. They have bike shops to rent bikes right by the…read moretrail. Hiking is so wonderful we defininatly wanted to enjoy the easy hike. Taking in all the interesting scenery. This runs right by the James River. You will see trees, waterway, flowers, birds, wildlife and don't forget the awesome bridges. There are porta potties at the entrance of the trail. Use them because this is the only chance you will get for a while. The trail is mostly going through the trees but it is paved so you have wonderful shade and an awesome well maintained path. It is really beautiful and peaceful. We even saw a deer. She kept up with us for about a quarter of a mile. I love bridges and this trail has 2. I think this is such a great trail lots to see. We stopped at a lot of places and took pictures. I pet a few dogs. The dogs really looked happy. There are more trails off of this one . So make sure you know where you are going. If not just walk for a while and then turn around and walk back. SIMPLE SIMPLE SIMPLE. such a great trail. If you do any of the trails in this area. PLEASE make sure this is one of them.

The downtown of Lynchburg offers this island. A bridge which looks like a repurposed rail bridge…read morehas been quite nicely redone, and the paved path apparently continues the length of what is a fairly long and skinny island before crossing another bridge to the other side of the river. I did not go that far. Some bits of faded industry remain on the island, but a modern railroad is still carrying cargo by the riverside. The river gorge surrounding the island seems to have the effect of funneling the sounds of the most obnoxious drivers from overhead, so you'll never really get the feeling of being in the wild, but as far as repurposed urban infrastructure goes, this is probably about the best the city could have done with what it has, and there were plenty of people making use of this island.

Large park with lots of hiking trails of varying levels, none of which were crowded when we were…read morethere on a weekday afternoon. The Fire Trail was a nice hike over the mountain without being too strenuous and had views of the valley at different points along the way. I could see it being muddy though if it rained recently so be careful. They weren't charging admission when we were there on a weekday afternoon and there was plenty of parking. It looks like they have fishing as well and maybe swimming when the weather is warmer. This place isn't far at all from Crozet so we went for a hike then had dinner in town.

Nice little county park. Lots of room for kids to play and some decent trails for relatively easy…read morehikes.

There are not enough stars to share how we feel about our experience with Justin and Middle River…read moreOutfitters. From start to finish - it was top notch, well-organized and well-communicated. Two fishermen: one a complete novice and, the other an early enthusiast. Justine was part teacher, part coach and part trout whisperer - and 100% focused on our experience. He has the gift of knowing his craft and reading the room. He was by our side when we needed him - yet gave us all the space we needed to try out what he taught us....which was considerable, yet never felt overwhelming. His instructive pacing is impressive. Each point was easy to understand and built up. By the end of the day we felt like we had learned so much. Could not have asked for a better time on the water. It was everything you could ever want. The result? Justin deepened the resolve for one of us and created a new fly fishing fan in the other. Thank you!!

From the owner: Our business specializes in guided fly fishing tours in Shenandoah Valley, Virginia.read more