Ha! I'm a Roanoke native! I just commented on another one of your videos and clicked to see what other videos you've done and saw this one of Virginia hikes! I did McAfee Knob during sunrise just last month. Unfortunately it was pretty cloudy so I didn't get those crisp colors I was hoping for.
I'm a Virginia boy... a 62 year old Virginia "boy", hahaha! I live in the southern Shenandoah Valley, a small country town named Grottoes nestled up against the western slopes of the Blue Ridge. My home is literally about a mile & a half from the Furnace Mountain trailhead & I hike that trail regularly on weekends. Across the street from me is Cave Hill which overtops Grand Caverns & Fountain Cave. Great hiking trail to the top there also with panoramic views of the Blue Ridge just to the east. There's great rockslides along Furnace Mountain trail & also Austin Mountain trail. Trayfoot Mountain has some gorgeous views of Buzzard Rock across the Paine Run valley. Another favorite of mine is the RipRap Trail which starts just east of Crimora. The trailhead entrance is a little dicey at the moment as there's a private landowner who's trying to block the public trailhead entrance. The access is in litigation currently but with a little sneaky side woods hiking you can shortly be within the Shenandoah National Park boundary & safely hike this trail which is beautiful in the Springtime with many wild rhododendrons blooming & some nice waterfalls uptrail along with a spectacular emerald clear waterhole that's absolutely breathtaking. I like the west side access to trailheads along the National Park & the Blue Ridge Parkway as there's nowhere near the foot traffic you'll find coming from the east side. I've hiked Furnace Mountain without seeing a single other soul there. I've done Crabtree Falls & Humpback Rocks & Old Rag Mountain & White Oak Canyon & Falls. All are great but my favorites are where there's few other people. There's many trails along the Parkway which are pretty isolated & still with knockout views. Even short trails like Wigwam Falls are beautiful in their own right. But just a brisk morning hike up Furnace Mountain to the rock outcrop at the summit without anyone else around, watching the misty clouds roll into the little Madison Run valley & blanketing Austin Mountain from the Shenandoah Valley below & my home in Grottoes... it's truly paradise.
@Cas Vyas Where are you at in the Valley? I think this place is the most beautiful place anywhere & the best kept secret too! Absolutely breathtaking & friendly too! When it comes to the Valley, we are all family!
Great video and list. As someone who has lived in Virginia all of my life and has hiked the entire Appalachian trail in that state, I will state two other hikes that should had been on your list. Old Rag and the Grayson Highlands.
Gonna echo a bunch of people and say Old Rag. My Top Ten would also include a The Channels, Devils Bathtub and the White Rocks/Sand Cave combo. The Sand Cave is technically in KY, but the vast majority of the hike is in VA. Any trail through Grayson Highlands is also a winner.
66 yr old Texan made it to the top of humpback rocks. Really tested my fitness and I passed the test. Didn’t make it in time for sunrise, but still an awesome hike.
I've never hiked in Virginia, and you gave a lot of great information. Even the elevation and type of route, which normally I'd have to look up myself. Thanks for the video man.
I'm planning to hike Macafee knob on july 23rd because of the folklore of the scarlet woman. My birthday is the same day !! Looking for her to show herself !! If you believe it!
Looking for some help on hitting the trail in 2 months. Where to park, what permits are needed? If anyone would be willing to help out with some info. I will be solo and intend to set camp each evening.
Your photography is astounding. Your sense of composition and lighting creates such compelling images that draw you in. I suspect this would be just as enjoyable on mute.
@@theidahohuskies it will not disappoint! Just get there early, the crowds get insane in the summer! I usually get to the parking lot around 5 am so I beat the heat as well! Headed up there possibly this wknd!
Old Rag is nice - but I think the best camping/hiking trip ever for me was Grayson Highlands on the AT. Close tie with Roan Mountain. The lack of light pollution makes for an amazing night time.
This is high on my list of dayhikes. Is this trail safe to do alone? I ask because I'm short and idk if a boost or pull may be needed? Only reason I haven't done marbleyard already.
Corrections: 1) what you called the “falling water Cascades”, as your honorable mention, is actually Falling Spring Falls In Allegheny County on the side of US 220. 2) for the 10 millionth time, there is no such thing as the Blue Ridge Mountains. It’s just “the Blue Ridge.” So called because it’s an almost-continuous single ridge separated by a set of broad valleys from the remainder of the Appalachian and Allegheny mountains to the west. There are no Blue Ridge Mountains because it’s only one mountain! Or one ridge. Hence why it is called the Blue Ridge Parkway and not the Blue Ridge Mountains Parkway.
The water for Falling Spring Falls is somewhat warm and it emerges from Warm River Cave, cool surface water having merged with water over 90 degrees F coming up from deep sources in the cave. Search for Warm River Cave on RU-vid and you will find a nice video.
If you haven't, check out Mt Pleasant-it's a blue trail off the appalachian trail and the top of the mountain has a west and east viewpoint, both of which you can easily camp at.
“Foliage” lol. Love Dragons Tooth though. Was my favorite hike while at VT. The summit isn’t as beautiful as McAfee Knob, but really enjoyed the hike itself.
Cool. Thank You for sharing this video with The World on RU-vid. I learned of a few new places I didn't know about I want to see someday. I'm from Richmond, VA.
I stopped at Virginia a couple days and heard about Breaks Interstate Park. We had some time so stopped by to check it out. It’s known as the Grand Canyon of the south and has some awesome views of the canyon with my favorite one being Towers Overlook.
@@theidahohuskies sure thing man! I’ve done those 2 and dragons tooth a ton bc they’re awesome and I live right between the 3. I’m trying to get into making outdoor videos and nature photography but I know nothing about pics and videos so I’m definitely subscribing to your channel/ good videos!
Hi Dylan, if you ever get back to Humpback Rocks, from the parking lot, take the Appalachian Trail straight ahead of you from the parking lot. Follow that down the hill, and make a left onto Dobie Mountain Trail (Jack Albright Loop). At the intersection of the Appalachian Trail stay to the left to complete the hike back to the parking lot. On the way back up the "switch-backs" you'll see a tree tht is bent over in an upside down kind-of "u" shape. Near there is a trail (sometime hard to see), that leads up into the woods to a plane crash from 1962. What's left of the planes remains (in remarkable good condition), are still there). This is a beautiful hike if you include Glass Hollow Overlook (Nice camping spot as well), and clock in right at 4 miles. If you get the chance to do it, there are some beautiful places to get some stunning pictures of "rock city" as you work your way back up the hill going Counterclockwise, or Clockwise. Either way it is a beautiful hike. www.alltrails.com/trail/us/virginia/dobie-mountain-via-appalachian-trail?u=i
