Waterfalls, wild ponies and endless trails: Virginia’s forests do it all

It’s the East’s biggest backyard

Two national forests spread across nearly 1.8 million acres of Virginia’s Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains, with small pieces reaching into West Virginia and Kentucky.

Together, the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests form one of the largest blocks of public land in the eastern United States.

About a million acres stay remote and undeveloped, and roughly 139,000 acres carry wilderness protection where permanent roads and most new structures don’t go.

You could hike here every weekend for years and never run out of trail. The wildest parts are still waiting.

Two presidents gave these forests their names

George Washington National Forest started life in 1918 as the Shenandoah National Forest before taking the first president’s name in 1932. Jefferson National Forest came together four years later from older forest lands.

For decades, the two ran separately. Then in 1995, the Forest Service joined them into one managed area that now stretches across dozens of counties in three states.

Both names honor Virginians who made it to the White House, and the land they protect still feels as big as the legacy.

325 miles of the Appalachian Trail run right through here

About 325 miles of the Appalachian Trail cut through these forests, and the terrain covers everything from river bottoms to high ridges.

You start near 650 feet at the James River crossing and climb to about 5,500 feet in Virginia’s high country.

White paint blazes on the trees keep you on track through windswept summits, quiet mountain coves and long green tunnels of hardwoods.

Hikers call this stretch one of the most scenic sections on the entire 2,200-mile trail, and once you’re on it, you’ll see why.

McAfee Knob’s rock ledge drops 1,600 feet to the valley

A flat slab of rock juts out over open air at 3,197 feet like a giant diving board. That’s McAfee Knob, and it’s often called the most photographed spot on the whole Appalachian Trail.

Stand on the ledge and you get a 270-degree sweep of the Catawba Valley with rows of blue mountains stacking up behind it. The valley floor sits roughly 1,600 feet below your feet.

Early risers catch the sunrise from up here, and the light turns those ridgelines gold.

Three peaks near Roanoke form Virginia’s Triple Crown

McAfee Knob, Tinker Cliffs and Dragon’s Tooth sit close together near Roanoke, and hikers call them the Triple Crown.

Tinker Cliffs gives you a mile-long wall of rock with wide valley views and fewer people than the Knob. Dragon’s Tooth is a different animal.

You scramble up jagged quartzite spires using your hands and feet to reach the top. Some hikers link all three into one long loop for a full day out, and your legs will remember it for a week.

Crabtree Falls tumbles 1,200 feet down the mountainside

Crabtree Falls holds the title of the highest cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi.

Water drops down five major cascades spread across roughly 1,200 feet of mountainside, with the tallest single drop running about 400 feet.

A paved path near the parking area gets you to the first overlook without much effort, so you don’t need trail legs to see it.

A steeper trail continues past several more overlooks, each one framing the falls from a new angle. The whole thing sits near the Blue Ridge Parkway in Nelson County.

A 66-foot waterfall crashes into a cliff-ringed pool

Near Pembroke, Cascade Falls drops 66 feet into a clear pool with tall cliffs rising on all sides.

A roughly four-mile loop follows Little Stony Creek past footbridges, stone steps and small cascades that keep you company the whole way.

The lower trail hugs the creek close enough to feel the spray, while the upper trail gives you a smoother walk back. Come in deep winter and the falls can freeze into thick walls of ice.

It’s one of the most popular waterfall hikes in the state for good reason.

Wild ponies graze the ridges at 5,729 feet

Mount Rogers tops out at 5,729 feet, the highest point in Virginia.

The landscape up here feels almost alpine, with stunted trees, open meadows and boulders covered in lichen.

More than 100 wild ponies roam the surrounding recreation area, grazing along the open ridges where you can photograph them from a respectful distance. Don’t feed them or walk up close.

In spring, acres of wild rhododendron bloom across the highlands, and the whole mountaintop turns pink and white against the gray rock.

Truck-sized boulders fill an eight-acre mountainside

Deep in the James River Face Wilderness, the forest opens up and a mountainside turns into a massive field of rock. Devil’s Marbleyard covers about eight acres, and some of the boulders are as big as a truck.

A blue-blazed trail leads you in before the path disappears and you scramble up and over the stones. The whole slope formed when rock broke off a cliff near the ridge crest and tumbled downhill.

Visit in late spring and you’ll find purple rhododendron blooms scattered across the gray stone.

Drive to the top of Virginia’s second-highest peak

Whitetop Mountain rises about 5,525 feet, making it the second-highest peak in Virginia.

Open grassy balds near the summit give you some of the widest views in the state, and the cool breeze up here feels nothing like the valleys below.

You can actually drive close to the top, which makes Whitetop one of the few high peaks in Virginia that doesn’t demand a long hike.

The mountain and nearby Buzzard Knob look out over the South Holston River near Damascus, and on a clear day the ridgelines just keep going.

The Virginia Creeper Trail crosses dozens of wooden trestles

The Virginia Creeper Trail runs 34 miles along an old railroad bed between Abingdon, Damascus and Whitetop Station.

You cross dozens of wooden trestles high above creeks and rivers, with views of farmland, Christmas tree farms and rushing mountain streams below.

The mostly gentle grade makes long stretches easy for families on bikes or on foot. Forests close in around you, then open up to meadows, then close in again.

Check trail conditions before you go, because sections remain closed after 2024 storm damage, with a full reopening planned for March 31, 2027.

A Civil War-era iron furnace hides along Roaring Run

The Roaring Run day-use area packs a waterfall, a shaded creek walk and a piece of history into an easy 1.5-mile loop.

The trail follows a tumbling mountain creek to a waterfall, with cool picnic spots tucked along the way. Partway through, you’ll pass the Roaring Run Furnace, a preserved iron furnace built before the Civil War.

The gentle path and short distance make this one a solid pick for families and anyone who wants a peaceful stop away from the busier trails in the forest.

Explore George Washington and Jefferson National Forests in Virginia

You can reach these forests from western Virginia, with forest headquarters in Roanoke. The land spans seven ranger districts and includes the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area.

Some popular spots like the Cascades and Crabtree Falls day-use areas charge a small per-vehicle parking fee. Steep, rocky terrain near waterfalls and cliffs gets slippery, so stay on marked trails and behind guardrails.

Spring brings wildflowers and fall brings foliage, but the high country looks good year-round. Check the Forest Service site for current conditions before you head out.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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