Hike Rock Castle Gorge Loop Trail - 11 miles - STRENUOUS!
Details
This is a classic spring hike that used to be an annual tradition of the Sierra Club Foothills Group. Rock Castle Gorge is in the Rocky Knob Recreation area of the Blue Ridge Parkway between Stuart and Floyd, VA. The trail is an 11-mile loop trail with about 2,700' of total elevation gain along the way.
We start this loop trail at the bottom of the gorge along Rock Castle Creek and climb unrelentingly and seemingly endlessly (actually about 2.5 miles) up to the Blue Ridge Parkway at the crest. The trail includes beautiful rock-strewn meadows, lots of wildflowers, cows, cattle guard ladder crossings, rhododendron tunnels, and mountainside traverses, ending with a 4-mile descent along the gorgeous Rock Castle Creek.
This will be a long day. It's a 1.5-hour drive to the trailhead, then about 7 hours of hiking to complete the loop. We will be starving by then, so bring some $$ for a stop at Stuart, VA's finest Mexican food restaurant before heading back home.
This hike is not for the faint of heart or weak of leg or lung. Wear sturdy, comfortable hiking boots/shoes, bring rain gear regardless of the forecast, and plenty of food and water. Trekking poles are also highly recommended.