Hike the Aqueduct Trail - November FSO

You’re invited to a mid-autumn hike with the Dan River Basin Association (DRBA) along the Aqueduct Trail near Meadows of Dan in Patrick County, Virginia. For its November 7, First Saturday Outing, DRBA will host a leisurely 1-mile, out and back, hike on the scenic Aqueduct Trail below Townes Lake near the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Meeting by 9:00 a.m. at Meadows of Dan Baptist Church, 77 Baptist Lane, Meadows of Dan, Virginia (GPS 36.7354, -80.4091), participants will carpool to the trail head near the Lower Dam. DRBA has obtained special permission to use the limited parking lot at the lake.
Coordinator for the hike is Wayne Kirkpatrick, a DRBA volunteer and avid hiker.
Located in the wild Dan River Gorge south of Meadows of Dan, the trail parallels the large pipeline that delivers water to the Pinnacles Power Plant at the head of Kibler Valley. The trail offers views of the iconic Pinnacles of the Dan, twin conical mountain peaks rising from the gorge.
At over 2200 feet of elevation, you will be treated to spectacular scenery. Lush summer foliage hides the “bones” of the mountains and provides shelter for birds and other wildlife while autumn blazes with color and opens the views as leaves fall. Access is gated and restricted, assuring a quiet, and undisturbed setting for hikers. Coordinator Kirkpatrick adds, “The scenery of this mountain trail is spectacular, the feeling of seclusion is immediate from the time you start hiking.”
Water from Townes Reservoir is piped to the power plant through a six-foot-diameter aqueduct, dropping over 700 feet in elevation over its long course. Originally built of tongue-and-groove Douglas fir, the aqueduct, now a steel pipe, is maintained via a trail accessed by a long wooden stairway (195 steps) below the dam. For a half mile the trail alongside the pipe provides a nearly-level path overlooking the gorge. Near the entrance to the reservoir is a section of the original wooden aqueduct, providing a close-up look at its ingenious construction.
Participants in the outing are asked to meet by 9:00 a.m. at the Meadows of Dan Baptist Church. Please bring water and lunch. Dress for the weather and be prepared for wind or rain. All participants will be asked to sign a waiver prior to the hike.

Directions: Take US 58 (Jeb Stuart Highway) to Meadows of Dan. Continue on Jeb Stuart Highway, US 58 Business, toward the Blue Ridge Parkway for 0.8 mile. Meadows of Dan Baptist Church is on the right.
Outings and meetings of the Dan River Basin Association are open to the public without charge.
For more information about the trip, contact trip coordinator Wayne Kirkpatrick, 540.570.3511 or [wynbtyk@embarqmail.com](mailto:wynbtyk@embarqmail.com)