Bluff Mountain

From Lexington or Buena Vista, Virginia, take Rt. 60 east for several miles. As soon as you pass under the Blue Ridge Parkway, look for a gravel road on your right marked Panther Falls Road. This is a fairly bumpy gravel road, so take it easy. Follow Panther Falls Road down the mountain for just over 3 miles and park at the small parking lot on the left. The parking lot has an information kiosk...

Starting at the James River Footbridge, which is the longest foot traffic only bridge on the entire Appalachian Trail. Head north on the Appalachian Trail.  You will quickly cross over Rt. 501. After a mile of hiking through the woods skirting the Rocky Row Run stream, you will cross over Forest Road 812. There is an intersection with the spur trail to John's Hollow Shelter 1.8 miles into the h...

To view this waterfall, hiking is not necessarily involved since the top of it is next to a small parking area along CR-633. If you feel like scrambling and bushwhacking, it’s possible to make your way down either side to small pools and cascades with a total drop of about 100 feet. The terrain is steep; you’ll want to carefully consider your route. I wouldn’t recommend children going any furth...

The large open meadow at the summit of Cole Mountain is a unique and breathtaking experience that is worth the 5.8 mile hike. Cole Mountain is frequently referred to as Cold Mountain, but the official name listed by the United States Geological Survey is the former. This hike is in the George Washington National Forest and starts a few miles north of Route 60 in Central Virginia. The parking...

From the Mount Pleasant Parking Area, take the blue blazed Pompey Mountain Trail that is just beyond the horse gate. As it's a loop, you can start at either entrance, but I prefer heading left to get the longer leg of the hike before the summit (always better to have an easy journey down in the am). At mile 2.5, you will intersect with the Henry Lanum Memorial Trail and there is a sign for the ...

Arnold Valley Pool might be a couple hundred feet from the road but most people don’t even notice when they pass by. This swimming hole is located on the same road as Devil’s Marbleyard and is the perfect place to cool off after the intense hike at the Marbleyard or on any hot summer day. The swimming hole is spring fed so the water is always cold! There are three massive boulders that encompas...