Plan Your Stay in Virginia

Hiking Trails

Along the Blue Ridge Parkway:

• Bee Mountain from Love Gap (MP 16) – The Love Gap access to the Appalachian is lightly trafficked versus the access at Reed’s Gap which is increasingly popular. Bee Mountain is an excellent destination for a shorter hike (4.2 miles). Three Ridges Wilderness Area and Hanging Rock from Love Gap (MP 16). Those who continue past Bee Mountain will be rewarded at Hanging Rock with spectacular Blue Ridge Mountain views overlooking the Rockfish Valley. Large flat rock surfaces for picnicking
• White Rock Trailhead (MM 19) – In three minutes, traveling South on the parkway, you arrive at the White Rock Trailhead (MM 19) which has several hiking options of various lengths. Love Ridge sits between three National Wilderness Areas and the George Washington National Forest. The closest quintessential hike is the ascent to Hanging Rock or the summit of Three Ridges Mtn.
• Humpback Rocks Trail – (MP 4) – North on the parkway, this very steep but short trail leads to a magnificent vantage point with 360-degree panoramic views. Very popular. The nearby
• Dripping Rock South via the Appalachian Trail (MP 9.6) – Great hike if you don’t want to spend a lot of time to be rewarded with great views at Cedar Cliffs about .5 miles into the hike. Very rocky.
• Whetstone Ridge Trail – (MP 29) – this trail is approximately 11.3 miles one way and runs along Whetstone Ridge and South Mountain Ridge along an old tramway access road.
• Yankee Horse Trail – About (MP 34.4) – This is a short 0.2-mile walk to a small waterfall overlooking a reconstructed logging railroad from the early 1900s.

Most hiking is in the George Washington National Forest which spans across three states – Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky – encompassing approximately 1.8 million acres of forest.

There is a great interactive map for day hiking within the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest.

World-Class Biking

Whether you prefer a smooth descent of the Blue Ridge Parkway or the more rugged terrain of Sherando Recreation Area’s Torrey Ridge, there is no better launchpad for your adventure. Love Ridge is along the Trans America 76 bike route and on the classic Blue Ridge Wrangler bikepacking route. Gravel, road, and mountain biking. You can have it all. Complemented with our onsite trails for a warm-up or so the kids can be occupied while you have your post-ride brew in the hot tub.

Road Biking – the best road riding with the least car traffic is to the south along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Mountain Biking – there are TONS of trails. Here are a few close by to get you started.

• Sherando Lake Mountain Biking
• Whetstone Ridge
• Gravel Biking – numerous routes off of the Blue Ridge Parkway that follow the Tye and Piney River valleys, Irish Creek. On the classic Blue Ridge Wrangler gravel/bikepacking route.
• TransAmerican Bike Route/USBR 76 VA
• The Virginia Blue Ridge Railway Trail (Piney River Trail) is a rails to trails 7 mile long crushed gravel trail. Its relative flatness, access only for bicycles, horses, and pedestrians, and views (and swimming holes) along the Piney River make it a great family destination.

Waterfalls and Rivers

• Crabtree Falls are the highest cascades east of the Mississippi. The increasingly steep switchback trail offers a number of viewpoints of the magnificent cascades that drop a total of 1200 feet. The first overlook requires almost no climbing.
• White Rock Falls – South about 2 miles on the Parkway is a moderate loop about five miles long with beautiful falls and some nice wading pools.
• Saint Mary’s Wilderness – A favorite in the summer for its series of swimming holes. The best way to access the waterfall trail is to park in the Vesuvius parking area for St. Mary’s Trail.
• Shamokin Falls – Accessed off the Parkway from MP 10 a 2.2-mile loop to some nice falls on the northern side of Wintergreen Resort

Fishing

The closest fishing areas are at Sherando Lake and Back Creek, both boasting a well-stocked trout population. Back Creek is a popular fly fishing spot for locals. Anglers young and old will enjoy Sherando’s easy access to great fishing with several varieties of trout, bass, bluegill, and catfish. Mossy Creek, among Virginia’s most renowned fly fishing areas, is less than one hour from Love Ridge.

Lakes and Rivers

Love Ridge’s Blue Ridge Mountain cabins sit at the headwaters of two major waterways– Back Creek which flows into the Potomac River and the Tye River which flows into the James River. Sherando Lake, a 25-acre gem, sits 5 miles from Love Ridge at the confluence of the North and South forks of Back Creek. Sherando’s beach, shady picnic areas, and excellent swimming, boating, hiking, biking, and fishing options make it an ideal destination for the whole family. There are many swimming holes to discover along the Tye and Piney Rivers in the George Washington National Forest.

Birding and Wildlife

Love Ridge’s Virginia Birding and Wildlife trail lead visitors through a ridgeline eastern hardwood forest where eastern wood-pewee, white-breasted nuthatch, red-eyed vireo, wood thrush, black-and-white, hooded and worm-eating warblers, scarlet tanager, rose-breasted grosbeak, and eastern towhee are regularly seen. From the open area around the cabins migrating raptors can be glimpsed passing south in the fall. Look for sharp-shined, Cooper’s, red-tailed, and broad-winged hawks as well as the occasional peregrine falcon or bald eagle. The wildflowers in the area attract a variety of butterflies including pipevine, black and spicebush swallowtails, great spangled fritillary, red-spotted purple, and eastern tailed blue. Other wildlife includes white-tailed deer, which are numerous, as well as less common species such as red fox, bobcat, and the occasional black bear.

Caverns

We are only about a 45-minute drive away from the Grand Caverns a Natural National Landmark. Luray Caverns is about 1 hour and 30 minutes, and  also has impressive features. Luray Caverns are the largest in the eastern United States.

The Blue Ridge Tunnel

The Blue Ridge Tunnel runs 700 feet beneath the convergence of the Blue Ridge Parkway and Shenandoah National Park. This 2 ¼ mile tunnel originally constructed in 1850 as a route for trains to traverse the rugged Blue Ridge, has recently been converted to a crushed stone path for walking and biking. Visitors can experience cave like conditions (about 50 degrees year round),

Wades Mill

Founded in 1750, Wade’s Mill is the oldest continuously operating commercial grist mill in Virginia. Three floors of historic milling equipment gives visitors a chance to learn about the history and process of stone-ground milling. The historic mill and water wheel operates Saturdays and Sundays 10am-noon. Admission to Wade’s Mill is free. Products from the mill can be purchased in the onsite store. A great place to bring the kids for a picnic.

Geocaching

Geocaching is a fun activity to enjoy while hiking with kids. Participants hunt for the geocaches using GPS. A great way to make hiking fun and teach kids about navigation.

The Blue Ridge Parkway

Love Ridge borders the Blue Ridge Parkway at mile marker 16 (MM 16). The Blue Ridge Parkway is open to the public without any fee for use, in addition to several access points to the Appalachian Trail and many other hiking and biking trails, The Blue Ridge Parkway has some of the most arresting vistas in the Shenandoah Mountains including 20 Minute Cliff (MM 19) overlooking the Tye River Valley and the Priest Wilderness Area or Ravens Roost (MM 11). If you head north, in 16 miles you will arrive at the entrance to the Shenandoah National Park ($30).

Appalachian Trail

Among the most well-known hiking trails in the world, the Appalachian Trail stretches from Maine to Georgia. From Love Ridge, you can hike/drive to the Love Gap trailhead (.5 miles) that connects to the Appalachian Trail and the Three Ridges Wilderness Area.

Wilderness Areas

Saint Mary’s Wilderness
Encompasses 10,000 acres west of the Blue Ridge Parkway. All levels of hiking experiences. The Saint Mary’s Fall Trail is unequivocally gorgeous, commensurately popular, and perfect for summer swimming.

The Priest Wilderness
Approximately 6,000 acres located east of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The 5.7-mile trail has very rugged terrain and contains large rock outcroppings.

Three Ridges Wilderness
Approximately 4,600 acres located east of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The 11 miles of trail are steep and rugged, offering elevations from 1000 to 4000 feet.