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Trail News

Trail conditions, hostel updates, and hiking tips from the heart of the Virginia Highlands.

Open highland meadow above Massie Gap, with the balds running out toward the ridgeline

Where to Camp Near Grayson Highlands While the Creeper Trail Is Rebuilt

The upper Virginia Creeper Trail is closed until March 2027, but everything else here is open. A practical rundown of where to camp near Grayson Highlands and Whitetop in the meantime.

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Cabin Creek running clear through the forest at Jeff Davises Hostel

Trout Fishing Cabin Creek: Rainbow, Brown and Brook Trout at the Bottom of the Field

There's a hundred yards of trout water running through the property. What's in it, when it fishes well, what you need to fish it legally, and why it's the most underrated thing we've got.

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Ponies grazing beside the gate at Elk Garden on the Appalachian Trail near Mount Rogers

AT Shelters Near Mount Rogers: Thomas Knob, Wise, Old Orchard, Trimpi and Lost Mountain

The Appalachian Trail shelters around Mount Rogers and Grayson Highlands, what each one is good for, and how to plan a section that doesn't leave you walking after dark.

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Goldenrod in the foreground with clouds sitting below the ridgelines in the Grayson Highlands

Bouldering at Grayson Highlands: A First-Timer's Guide to the Boulder Fields

Grayson Highlands is one of the best bouldering destinations in the Southeast. Where the main areas are, how short the approaches really are, and what to sort out before you drive up.

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Layered blue ridges and forested slopes seen from the high country near Whitetop, Virginia

Riding the Virginia Creeper Trail: What's Open, What's Closed, and When It All Comes Back

The upper Creeper Trail from Whitetop to Damascus is still closed after Helene and reopens in spring 2027. Here's what you can ride right now, and what to do with the rest of the day.

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Bunks made up and ready in the bunkhouse at Jeff Davises Hostel

Fall in the Grayson Highlands: Leaf Season, SOBO Hikers, and Cold Nights

Autumn is the best and busiest season on this stretch of the Appalachian Trail. When the color peaks, when the southbound thru-hikers come through, and what changes once the nights turn.

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Rocky outcrop and open ridge on the approach to Mount Rogers, Virginia

Hiking Mount Rogers: Virginia's Highest Peak

What to expect on the way up Mount Rogers — the approach from Elk Garden, the spruce-fir summit, the view situation nobody warns you about, and how to plan the day.

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Free-roaming ponies grazing on an open meadow in Grayson Highlands

Where to See the Grayson Highlands Wild Ponies

A practical guide to finding the free-roaming ponies of Grayson Highlands — where they graze, when to go, how to behave around them, and the shortest walk in.

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Open grassy balds along the Appalachian Trail near Mount Rogers, Virginia

Appalachian Trail Shuttles Near Mount Rogers: Elk Garden, Massey Gap & Dickey Gap

How shuttles work in the Mount Rogers area — which trailheads we serve, how to plan a one-way section hike, and what to sort out before you call.

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