Fun spots to drive and hike?

blink9cd

Member 2024
Blue Ribbon Coalition
VA4WDA
What are some good OHV spots that combine driving/hiking potential? Not looking for anything super technical for this trip, more like 4WD preferred/required kind of places you wouldn't love taking a sedan. It explicitly can't be just a driving trail though; I eventually wanna get out and explore on foot. Also camping really isn't what I'm looking for either.

I've been to Flagpole and Peter's Mill before, but driving with the club only and I couldn't tell if there was more than that for hiking. Rapidian Wildlife Managment area looks like it has potential, but not sure what hiking trails are actually there:
https://dwr.virginia.gov/wma/rapidan/
https://www.alltrails.com/.../rapidan-wildlife-management...

Maybe to sum it up, instead of a spot where you pull off the highway, park on some asphalt, and then take a trail to a cool spot, I wanna get off the highway, drive off the pavement for a while, and then take a trail from there.
 
What are some good OHV spots that combine driving/hiking potential? Not looking for anything super technical for this trip, more like 4WD preferred/required kind of places you wouldn't love taking a sedan. It explicitly can't be just a driving trail though; I eventually wanna get out and explore on foot. Also camping really isn't what I'm looking for either.

I've been to Flagpole and Peter's Mill before, but driving with the club only and I couldn't tell if there was more than that for hiking. Rapidian Wildlife Managment area looks like it has potential, but not sure what hiking trails are actually there:
https://dwr.virginia.gov/wma/rapidan/
https://www.alltrails.com/.../rapidan-wildlife-management...

Maybe to sum it up, instead of a spot where you pull off the highway, park on some asphalt, and then take a trail to a cool spot, I wanna get off the highway, drive off the pavement for a while, and then take a trail from there.

Crabtree Falls and the top half of Shoe Creek would fit the bill nicely!


 
Bald mountain is an awesome 4wd trail you can do solo. If you start on coal road and head up you end on the blue ridge parkway. There are dozens of trails to hike there. I would suggest AllTrails it helps find spots and also guide you if needed with gps.


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Bald mountain is an awesome 4wd trail you can do solo. If you start on coal road and head up you end on the blue ridge parkway. There are dozens of trails to hike there. I would suggest AllTrails it helps find spots and also guide you if needed with gps.


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Just getting used to AllTrails. Think I found this spot: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/bald-mountain-off-roading

Found this site map on google which might explain it, were you talking about going from "Big Levels 4x4 Midpoint" (Coal Rd) to "Big Levels 4x4 Southern Trailhead" (BRP)? https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/v....392273&mid=1UhCBlG1iXpJ8nVZ8LOTb_uU40_Q&z=12
 
Big Levels to the Blue Ridge OHV Route on AllTrails

Coal road is a pretty relaxing and cool place to explore. You can pull over anywhere on the road and just start walking into the woods. Lots of creeks and a decent water hole. The reservoir is also on the coal road and accessible to hiking.
Climbing bald mountain does take about 4-5 hours.


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I live less than 30 minutes from the trail. I am off Tuesday-Fridays. Let me know if you want company it’s a beautiful spot to ride if you don’t mind pin stripes. We have had lots of rain so the holes up top should be deep.


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I like to run up flagpole and camp at brandywine rec area just over the WV border. There's a great hike from the campground up to high knob fire tower (very steep from brandywine, not so steep if you start the hike from the parking lot on 33). Brandywine has vault toilets, water, trash cans, a little lake with swimming beach and right across the street is a free national forest outdoor range. The town of brandywine WV is only another 5 mins beyond the campground for supplies. I usually go up Union springs (the 4x4 section of flagpole) and down via switzer lake road, which puts you about 10 minutes from the brandywine campground via 33.
 
It may be....I have not been this year. Admittedly, I am not much a hiker, but it is an easier trail with a lot of spots branching off.
Cool I'll try to look into this more, be a shame if it was closed
 
I live less than 30 minutes from the trail. I am off Tuesday-Fridays. Let me know if you want company it’s a beautiful spot to ride if you don’t mind pin stripes. We have had lots of rain so the holes up top should be deep.


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Sorry which trail was this? Managing so many in my head right now haha. Would definitely be great to take you up on that and find a day to explore
 
Big Levels to the Blue Ridge OHV Route on AllTrails

Coal road is a pretty relaxing and cool place to explore. You can pull over anywhere on the road and just start walking into the woods. Lots of creeks and a decent water hole. The reservoir is also on the coal road and accessible to hiking.
Climbing bald mountain does take about 4-5 hours.


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Gotcha, now I see, the spot on Coal Road is farther to the right on the map...so the full path is "Big Levels 4x4 North TrailHead" to "Big Levels 4x4 Midpoint" (all Coal road), then you take 162 all the way to "Big Levels 4x4 South Trailhead" (Blue Ridge). The link you posted said almost 8 hours? Is it coal road is the faster, then 162 is slower going, or are both about half and half? Or is their estimate too long, and the whole North to South is 4-5 hours? If it's actually 8, sounds like it'd be a great club ride.

I see Kennedy Ridge trail head along there Coal Road, and Coles Run Reservoir. Just confirming that's about the right spot you were talking about right?
 
Gotcha, now I see, the spot on Coal Road is farther to the right on the map...so the full path is "Big Levels 4x4 North TrailHead" to "Big Levels 4x4 Midpoint" (all Coal road), then you take 162 all the way to "Big Levels 4x4 South Trailhead" (Blue Ridge). The link you posted said almost 8 hours? Is it coal road is the faster, then 162 is slower going, or are both about half and half? Or is their estimate too long, and the whole North to South is 4-5 hours? If it's actually 8, sounds like it'd be a great club ride.

I see Kennedy Ridge trail head along there Coal Road, and Coles Run Reservoir. Just confirming that's about the right spot you were talking about right?

There are a couple entrances to big levels the one from mt Torrey road starts on coal road/big levels. That entrance is only about 25 minutes from where you turn onto bald mountain. The other end access point is saint marys road that leads you to the coal road. The ride up bald mountain takes about 4 -5 hours once you hit the trail head. Bald mountain trail leads up to the blue ridge parkway. The main trail itself is fairly easy. There are obstacles and harder parts that you can go off the main trail to do. I am not sure why AllTrails says 8 hours it doesn’t take that long. It’s mostly washboard rocky roads, switch backs and some big mud holes near the parkway end. Camping spots are near the parkway end also. I have no more parts left to put on at the moment so I am pretty available Tuesday-Fri. Just let me know and I’ll def go with ya.


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Crabtree Falls and the top half of Shoe Creek would fit the bill nicely!


Checking this out now... it looks very promising and these directions are the ones to follow?

"Alternative way to Access Upper Crabtree Falls Trailhead at Crabtree Meadows:
To explore the “top of the falls” one can take Forest Road 826 off of Rt. 56 (West of the Crabtree Falls Day Use area). This road leads to Crabtree Meadows and the Upper Trail Head. Recommended for four-wheel vehicles only, this road is rough and challenging."



And then while not labeled on the Nelson county site as such, it looks like Shoe Creek trail is the hike starting at the Upper trail head?
 
Checking this out now... it looks very promising and these directions are the ones to follow?

"Alternative way to Access Upper Crabtree Falls Trailhead at Crabtree Meadows:
To explore the “top of the falls” one can take Forest Road 826 off of Rt. 56 (West of the Crabtree Falls Day Use area). This road leads to Crabtree Meadows and the Upper Trail Head. Recommended for four-wheel vehicles only, this road is rough and challenging."



And then while not labeled on the Nelson county site as such, it looks like Shoe Creek trail is the hike starting at the Upper trail head?
Crabtree Falls and the top half of Shoe Creek would fit the bill nicely!



Checking this out now... it looks very promising and these directions are the ones to follow?

"Alternative way to Access Upper Crabtree Falls Trailhead at Crabtree Meadows:
To explore the “top of the falls” one can take Forest Road 826 off of Rt. 56 (West of the Crabtree Falls Day Use area). This road leads to Crabtree Meadows and the Upper Trail Head. Recommended for four-wheel vehicles only, this road is rough and challenging."



And then while not labeled on the Nelson county site as such, it looks like Shoe Creek trail is the hike starting at the Upper trail head?

Wait I think I get it now. The website is referring to the top half of this snapshot, starting at the 4x4 Trailhead and stopping at that parking lot I highlighted to hike. You're saying I could also keep going on Meadows road all the way to Shoe creek:
Screen Shot 2022-06-17 at 5.52.08 PM.png
 
Wait I think I get it now. The website is referring to the top half of this snapshot, starting at the 4x4 Trailhead and stopping at that parking lot I highlighted to hike. You're saying I could also keep going on Meadows road all the way to Shoe creek:
View attachment 4426
Correct, sort of .. what we did before the center of Shoe Creek was gated was go to the south trailhead, then run to the top of Shoe Creek, then im the parking lot there is hiking trailhead to the falls...

I'd go ahead and run the top half of Shoe Creek down and back, and then do the hike, but you could of course do whatever you like .
 
There are a couple entrances to big levels the one from mt Torrey road starts on coal road/big levels. That entrance is only about 25 minutes from where you turn onto bald mountain. The other end access point is saint marys road that leads you to the coal road. The ride up bald mountain takes about 4 -5 hours once you hit the trail head. Bald mountain trail leads up to the blue ridge parkway. The main trail itself is fairly easy. There are obstacles and harder parts that you can go off the main trail to do. I am not sure why AllTrails says 8 hours it doesn’t take that long. It’s mostly washboard rocky roads, switch backs and some big mud holes near the parkway end. Camping spots are near the parkway end also. I have no more parts left to put on at the moment so I am pretty available Tuesday-Fri. Just let me know and I’ll def go with ya.


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Thanks for all the info on Bald Mountain. It sounds great and if I can free up a good weekday for this I'll let you know for sure.
 
Wait I think I get it now. The website is referring to the top half of this snapshot, starting at the 4x4 Trailhead and stopping at that parking lot I highlighted to hike. You're saying I could also keep going on Meadows road all the way to Shoe creek:
View attachment 4426
Thanks for this too. I almost went but it's just far enough away to where we didn't wanna day trip it. But I have Crabtree down as one of my next (if not next) driving/hiking combos to try
 
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