Hiking Fallingwater Cascades in Bedford, VA

Fallingwater Cascades, located off of the Blue Ridge Parkway in Bedford County, is located just a few miles north of the popular Peaks of Otter area. This trail is 1.0 miles in total length (down and back) and runs along the cascades with pretty views of the cascades themselves and small pools of mountain water. The trail is entirely a descent to the base of the cascades followed by an ascent back up with the total elevation change of about 365 feet. This area is particularly pretty in the spring and fall.

Virginia, United States, Southeast US, Adventures in Travel, Series: Roanoke VALindseyNovember 16, 2024hiking in roanoke, day trips from Roanoke VA, winter hiking near Roanoke VA, forested hikes in Roanoke Virginia, hiking near RoanokeComment

Hiking Abbott Lake in Bedford, VA

Abbott Lake Trail is located about 50 minutes north of Roanoke, VA, in Bedford in the heart of the area known as Peaks of Otter, and is located right off of the Blue Ridge Parkway. For more information on the 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway, which travels through Virginia and North Carolina.

Virginia, United States, Southeast US, Adventures in Travel, Series: Roanoke VALindseyNovember 3, 2024hiking in roanoke, day trips from Roanoke VA, winter hiking near Roanoke VA, forested hikes in Roanoke Virginia, hiking near RoanokeComment

Hiking Sharp Top Mountain in Bedford, VA

Sharp Top Mountain Trail is labelled - appropriately - as strenuous. The trail does flatten out a little bit at points along the way but it is a steep upward climb, gaining over 1300 feet in elevation in 1.5 miles. Large segments are basically carved rock stairs. One way to think about this in a different scale: this is basically like climbing 130 flights of stairs over a 1.5 mile distance.

Virginia, United States, Southeast US, Adventures in Travel, Series: Roanoke VALindseyOctober 26, 2024hiking in roanoke, day trips from Roanoke VA, winter hiking near Roanoke VA, Horsepen Trail at Carvins Cove in Roanoke Virginia, forested hikes in Roanoke Virginia, hiking near RoanokeComment

Hiking Horsepen Trail at Carvins Cove in Roanoke, VA

Horsepen Trail is part of the large Carvins Cove Natural Reserve in Roanoke, Virginia. The cove is comprised of over 12,000 acres and includes a 630-acre reservoir. It is nestled in the Roanoke Valley near Tinker Mountain and has pretty mountain and water views, depending on your exact spot. The Reserve is half in Roanoke County, half in neighboring Botetourt County (pronounced bot-uh-tot).

Virginia, United States, Southeast US, Adventures in Travel, Series: Roanoke VALindseyJanuary 16, 2023hiking in roanoke, day trips from Roanoke VA, winter hiking near Roanoke VA, Carvins Cove hiking in Roanoke Virginia, Horsepen Trail at Carvins Cove in Roanoke Virginia, hiking Horsepen Trail at Carvins Cove in Roanoke Virginia, what is the Horsepen Trail like at Carvins Cove, forested hikes in Roanoke Virginia, less popular hikes in Roanoke VirginiaComment

Booker T. Washington National Monument - A Winter Visit

Booker T. Washington was born in Bedford County, Virginia, in 1856, into the so-called Peculiar Institution of American slavery. At the tender age of 9, Booker and other slaves on the Burroughs family plantation were freed, and Booker began a journey that would make him a well-known and important figure during the Reconstruction Era.

Virginia, United States, Southeast US, Adventures in Travel, Series: Roanoke VALindseyDecember 31, 2022Booker T. Washington National Monument, where is Booker T. Washington National Monument located, Who was Booker T. Washington, what to do at Booker T. Washington National Monument, what to see at Booker T. Washington National Monument, hiking trail at Booker T. Washington park, Cemetery at Booker T. Washington National Monument, what to expect at Booker T. Washington National Monument, hiking trail at Booker T. Washington National Monument, visiting Booker T Washington National Monument in the winter, animals at Booker T Washington National Monument, places to see farm animals near Roanoke VA, places to see farm animals near Smith Mountain Lake, day trips from Roanoke VA, day trips from Lynchburg VA, day trips from Smith Mountain Lake, historical hiking locations, historical hiking locations in Virginia, Virginia historical homes, national monuments in virginiaComment

Hiking Apple Orchard Falls in Southwestern Virginia

Apple Orchard Falls is located in the Buchanan area of Botetourt County, Virginia, about an hour-long drive from downtown Roanoke along the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway. Based on our reading, it appears the waterfalls are accessible from two locations: uphill and downhill from the falls. We personally accessed the trail from the higher elevation entry point along the Blue Ridge Parkway. That trailhead is easily visible from a scenic overlook spot, about 7 miles north from Peaks of Otter, a well-known spot in the area.

Southeast US, United States, Virginia, Adventures in Travel, Series: Roanoke VALindseySeptember 10, 2022hiking near roanoke, hiking in roanoke, hiking in Southwestern Virginia, waterfalls in virginia, waterfall hikes in Virginia, waterfall hikes near Roanoke VA, hiking in Botetourt County VA, Hiking Apple Orchard Falls in Buchanan VA, Hilly hikes near RoanokeComment

Hiking Read Mountain Preserve in Southwestern Virginia - 4.6 Mile Loop Hike

Read Mountain Preserve is a 243-acre forested area of land placed in a conservation easement to be enjoyed by the public. On our first visit, we hiked a 3.5 mile loop trail up to Buzzards Rock. On our return trip described in this post, we hiked a 4.6 mile loop. We've now hiked nearly all the paths in this park, except the green trail, which is a cutover between a couple of others.

Hiking Read Mountain Preserve in Southwestern Virginia - 3.5 Mile Loop Hike to Buzzards Rock

Read Mountain Preserve is a 243-acre forested area of land placed in a conservation easement to be enjoyed by the public. The Preserve is surprisingly tucked away in a subdivision in Roanoke, Virginia. Literally between two houses is a small county park sign with a paved road that looks little different from the neighboring driveways.

A Compendium of Hikes in and near Roanoke, Virginia

We are lucky to live in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountain city of Roanoke, Virginia, a valley with endless outdoor activities and amazing vistas. In this post, we capture many of the area hikes and waterfalls we have explored more in depth.

Virginia, United States, Southeast US, Adventures in Travel, Series: Roanoke VALindseyJuly 8, 2022waterfall hikes near Roanoke VA, winter hiking near Roanoke VA, old iron furnace hike near Roanoke, best secret hikes near Roanoke, hikes near Roanoke VA, hiking Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve in Roanoke VA, mountain hikes in Roanoke VA, Hiking in Virginia, hiking in roanoke, hiking near roanoke, hikes near Salem VA, hikes near roanoke vaComment

A Visit to Booker T. Washington National Monument in Virginia

Born Booker Taliaferro in 1856, the infant’s lot in life was pre-determined: Booker was born to an enslaved mother on the farm of James Burroughs in Virginia’s Piedmont region. From an early age, Booker, along with all enslaved children, was put to work on and near the 200-acre farm.

Virginia, United States, Southeast US, Adventures in Travel, Series: Roanoke VALindseyDecember 1, 2020Who was Booker T. Washington, Booker T. Washington National Monument, what to see at Booker T. Washington National Monument, what to expect at Booker T. Washington National Monument, what to do at Booker T. Washington National Monument, where is Booker T. Washington National Monument located, hiking trail at Booker T. Washington park, hiking trail at Booker T. Washington National Monument, Cemetery at Booker T. Washington National Monument, Where was Booker T. Washington bornComment

Hiking Roaring Run Furnace and Waterfall in Southwestern Virginia

Roaring Run Furnace is the site of a former iron furnace that operated in and around the 1840s, and this site is the only spot within the massive George Washington and Jefferson National Forest’s jurisdiction that is registered as a historical place, making it unique and an interesting spot to visit!

Virginia, Southeast US, United States, Adventures in Travel, Series: Roanoke VALindseyNovember 24, 2020best fall drives in the Blue Ridge Mountains, best fall drives in Virginia, best fall drives near Roanoke VA, best fall drives in Craig County BA, best fall drives in Craig County VA, best fall drives in Botetourt VA, undiscovered fall drives in Virginia, secret fall drives in Virginia, best drives in Virginia for fall colors, best drives in Virginia for fall leaves, best autumn drives in Virginia, best autumn drives near Roanoke, where to see fall leaves in Virginia, where to see fall leaves in Southwestern Virginia, Fall drives in Botetourt County VA, waterfall hikes in Virginia, hikes near Salem VA, hikes near Roanoke VA, Fenwick Mines hike, Fenwick Mines Recreation Area in VA, waterfalls in virginia, waterfall hikes near Roanoke VA, trail conditions of Fenwick Mines in Virginia, hiking in Craig County VA, hiking near Covington VA, hiking in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest, short hikes in the Blue Ridge Mountains, hiking in the Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains, Travel Blog, travel blog couple, travel couple, travel blog, travel photography blog, travel photography, travel blog photography, To Make Much of Time, To Make Much of Time travel blog, To Make Much of Time hiking recommendations, best fall hikes in Southwestern Virginia, best secret hikes near Roanoke, best kept secret hikes in Virginia, off the beaten path hikes in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, hiking in Botetourt County VA, Hiking Roaring Run Furnace in Virginia, Where to see old iron furnaces in Virginia, old iron furnace you can visit in Virginia, hiking Roaring Run Furnace in Virginia, old iron furnace hike near Roanoke, Roaring Run River hike, Roaring Run Furnace hike, hike near Eagle Rock, hike near Eagle Rock VirginiaComment

Hiking Fenwick Mines and Waterfall in Southwestern Virginia

The silver lining of this year of Covid is, for us, more incentive to explore our local area besides the standard, well-known spots. Because of the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Roanoke, Virginia, vicinity, there are a lot of very popular hiking spots, particularly during the shoulder seasons and especially for the fall colors. A few weeks ago, we headed to one such spot and ended up simply eating our picnic lunch in the car before heading home. Being on a crowded trail right now? No thank you!

Virginia, Southeast US, United States, Adventures in Travel, Series: Roanoke VALindseyOctober 31, 2020best fall drives in the Blue Ridge Mountains, best fall drives in Virginia, best fall drives near Roanoke VA, best fall drives in Craig County BA, best fall drives in Craig County VA, best fall drives in Botetourt VA, undiscovered fall drives in Virginia, secret fall drives in Virginia, best drives in Virginia for fall colors, best drives in Virginia for fall leaves, best autumn drives in Virginia, best autumn drives near Roanoke, where to see fall leaves in Virginia, where to see fall leaves in Southwestern Virginia, Fall drives in Botetourt County VA, waterfall hikes in Virginia, hikes near Salem VA, hikes near Roanoke VA, Fenwick Mines hike, Fenwick Mines Recreation Area in VA, waterfalls in virginia, waterfall hikes near Roanoke VA, what to expect at Fenwick Mines in Virginia, trail conditions of Fenwick Mines in Virginia, hiking in Craig County VA, hiking near Covington VA, hiking in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest, short hikes in the Blue Ridge Mountains, hiking in the Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains, Travel Blog, travel blog couple, travel couple, travel blog, travel photography blog, travel photography, travel blog photography, To Make Much of Time, To Make Much of Time travel blog, To Make Much of Time hiking recommendations, best fall hikes in Southwestern Virginia, best secret hikes near Roanoke, best kept secret hikes in Virginia, off the beaten path hikes in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia Comments

Beautiful Scenic Fall Drive in Southwestern Virginia - Craig and Botetourt Counties

If you are looking for a beautiful fall drive in the Blue Ridge, absolutely add this one to your list! En route to the hike and then taking an extra long return trip home (No, GPS, we will not make a U-turn!), we found gorgeous rolling hills, golden fields, the protruding tops of mountains, and trees all shades of color from lemon through burnt umber.

Hiking at Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve in Roanoke, VA

When the weather in Southwestern Virginia hits the mid-60s in late December, you don’t ask any questions, you just head outside and get some hiking in while you can!

Below we’ll provide some information about Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve and its location, information on the 4 trails contained within, and some information on what to expect when you visit.

Virginia, Southeast US, United States, Adventures in Travel, Series: Roanoke VALindseyFebruary 18, 2020hiking trails in Virginia mountains, hiking trails in Virginia, hiking trails along Blue Ridge Parkway, hiking trails in the Blue Ridge Mountains, hikes near Salem VA, hikes near Roanoke VA, mountain hikes in Virginia, mountain hikes in Roanoke VA, To Make Much of Time, To Make Much of Time travel blog, Travel Blog, travel blog couple, hiking Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve in Roanoke VA, hiking trails at Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve, winter hiking near Roanoke VA, winter hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, Piratebush Loop Trail, Overlook Trail at Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve, Cascade Trail at Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve, Canyon Trail at Poor Mountain Natural Area PreserveComment