Being from Upstate New York, I've always loved the fall! The leaves changing, hearing the crunching of leaves, and the nice brisk air while the sun is still shining. Here are a few hikes we have done and really enjoyed this fall in Virginia.
Dripping Rock South Via Appalachian Trail:
Located in the Blue Ridge Parkway. You can see a few pictures of us here with Aaron's parents in my blog post dedicated to them. Prior to them coming, Aaron and I checked out the hike and really enjoyed it. There are two look out spots and its an easy trail that is only 2.5 miles round trip. Great for a quick hike and we heard it's great for sunsets too.
Little Stony Man (Shenandoah National Park):
One day I decided to take a trip in Shenandoah and cross off some hikes on my list! This being one of them. It's pretty far North in the park, but totally worth it! It is 3.4 miles and I would rate it as moderate. It does have a few quick elevation climbs that will get your heart rate up, but it does level out. I made a loop, but you can also make it an out and back! All the trails are marked well and since your at a higher elevation your All Trails app (or whatever app you use to hike) works great!
Hawksbill Trailhead (Shenandoah National Park):
Next I headed over to this beautiful hike. I took the Lower Hawksbill trail which is 1.7 miles round trip. I was surprised at how quickly you climb elevation during this hike, which I guess you could say I should have read about it before, but it is a great hike and workout! The compass shown below marks the peaks you can see from there.
Dark Hallow Falls (Shenandoah National Park):
This is a popular 1.4 mile hike. You start at the parking lot and have to hike down to the falls, so the hike back is all up hill. It does get muddy near the falls, so watch your feet!
Bearfence Trailhead (Shenandoah National Park):
I truthfully didn't have a plan when I went that day so I just found short hikes on the All Trails app that sounded fun. It might sound crazy that I did multiple hikes in one day, but I can assure you, there were a lot of people doing the same thing! This was my last hike of the day. There are two options, a 1 mile scramble and a 1.1 mile trail that is much less intense. I did the scramble up and did the easier hike down, which I'd recommend for experienced hikers.
McAfee Knob (Blue Ridge Parkway):
This hike is known to so many people. It took me awhile to figure out the name, but once I did I had to do it! The picture of this hike is on a lot of pictures and even some Virginia license plates. Its a moderate 8 mile hike which you follow the Appalachian trail for most of. It took me about 4 hours with hanging out at the top for 1 hour!
There are a ton of hikes in the area that I'm sure are beautiful as well, but here's a few we enjoyed!
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