Hidden Gem Hikes In and Around Hunt Country: Novice or Expert, Nature Beckons

Written by Diane Helentjaris | Photos by Callie Broaddus

Jody Brady blossomed into a full-fledged outdoorswoman after moving to western Loudoun. A Girl Scout growing up, she “always hiked.” Today she directs the Appalachian Trail Festival in the Gap, leads hikes for the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, and is a Virginia Master Naturalist. A talk with Brady will make most anyone’s feet itch for the woodland path, the mountain overlook, or the meadow trail.

“My big deal is, if we all get outside, get ourselves on the trail, and in nature,” Brady says, “we’re more likely to care about the future. Hiking can turn people into activists. It’s hard to walk down a trail and not get all sorts of mental health benefits … and it’s just plain fun!”

Glen Gillis, an avid hiker with 40 years’ experience as an outdoor guide, helped create many trails, including those at Gilbert’s Corner Regional Park and Oatlands Historic House and Gardens. Gillis notes, “The trail system is built by volunteers. Come out and give a hand!”

Hikers may already be familiar with nearby world-class pathways such as the Appalachian Trail, Sky Meadow State Park, the C&O Canal, and the W&OD Trail. But for those looking for new paths to explore or innovative activities, here’s our list of Hunt Country’s hidden gems:

Blandy Experimental Farm, the Virginia State Arboretum

Blandy Experimental Farm, a University of Virginia 712-acre site in Clarke County, is dedicated to research. The Virginia State Arboretum occupies Blandy’s 172-acre center. 

Walkers and hikers have several options. The Nancy Larrick Crosby Native Plant Trail is a half-mile gravel path through a woodland, a 24-acre meadow, and a wetlands boardwalk. Flowers, trees, and grasses native to Virginia are highlighted and home to diverse birds and wildlife. Walkers can download a free app to their cell phone and follow a self-guided audio trail with 11 stops to learn about the history, flora, and fauna of Blandy. A three-mile geocaching loop trail with 11 stops can also be downloaded to a cell phone and followed. A kiosk with maps and a picnic area are adjacent to the parking lot. Free. Open daily from dawn to dusk.

400 Blandy Farm Lane
Boyce, Virginia 22620
Telephone: (540) 837-1758
Email: blandy@virginia.edu
blandy.virginia.edu

Gilbert’s Corner Regional Park

People have been traipsing through the crossroads of Gilbert’s Corner, the junction of today’s Route 15 and Route 50, for millennia. Native Americans, pioneers, and Civil War soldiers all used this pathway to travel between the Carolinas and Pennsylvania and from the Tidewater west to Kentucky. Today, remnants of history remain. Just off Route 50, the 156-acre Gilbert’s Corner Regional Park is located across from Mount Zion Historic Park. Gilbert’s Corner Regional Park features the Eliza Davis Bluebird Trail, named for a woman who lived on the land and wrote of her eyewitness experiences during the Civil War. The American Chestnut Foundation, a group dedicated to reviving the chestnut trees which once covered over 200 million acres of the Eastern Woodlands region before succumbing to a lethal blight, has planted a grove of chestnut trees. Mowed trails go through meadows, woods, and pass by wetlands. The Loudoun County Public Library maintains a StoryWalk activity for children and adults on one of the small trails. Pages from a children’s picture book are posted along the trail to encourage the love of reading. Sunset over the Bull Run Mountains is a peaceful view from the parking lot. Free. Open daily from dawn to dusk.

23557 Watson Road 
Leesburg, Virginia 20175
Telephone: (703) 327-9777
Email: gilbertscorner@nvrpa.org
novaparks.com/parks/gilberts-corner-regional-park

Hollow Brook Trail on Mount Weather 

Just 29 minutes from Middleburg’s main street, the Hollow Brook Trail on Mount Weather is little known but much loved by those who have visited the spot. The trail is part of the Appalachian Trail, marked by white blazes, and a short way up hikers will find a lovely waterfall, Pua Falls. The out-and-back route to the waterfall is an easy two miles, and the entire trail is nearly four miles. The extended loop includes two scenic overlooks and multiple campsites for hikers planning to make a weekend of it. Hollow Brook insiders note that there is a parking area off Morgan Mill Road that offers quick access to the trail. 

Appalachian Trail Access
Morgans Mill Road Parking Area
1953 State Rte 605
Bluemont, Virginia 20135

Oatlands Historic House and Gardens

Well-known for weddings or afternoon tea, Oatlands is a 400-acre, 200-year-old former plantation that also offers eight miles of equestrian and hiking trails. The trails meander through open meadowlands and woods and feature a couple of creeks. Hikers and riders are encouraged to rest and enjoy a picnic at the Oak Grove or the Picnic Grove’s wooden tables. Tracy Drash, operations manager for Oatlands, says this “wonderful plot of land is open to anyone to come and enjoy. People can come any day — the trails are always open, dawn to dusk.” Maps are online. Day passes ($10) or an Oatlands membership is required to use the trails. These are available for purchase online or at the Gift Shop on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Open daily from dawn to dusk.

20850 Oatlands Plantation Lane 
Leesburg, Virginia 20175
Telephone: (703) 727-0670
oatlands.org

Rolling Ridge Conservancy 

Few can resist the lure of a short hike to a hidden waterfall, the most popular sight on this 1,400-acre privately held wilderness preserve. Nestled between the Blue Ridge and the Shenandoah River, and less than an hour from Middleburg, over seven miles of hiking trails are open to the public. The Appalachian Trail is accessible from Rolling Ridge Conservancy’s trails. A $5 donation per visit is suggested. Open dawn to dusk except when closed during deer hunting season.

Just south of the Rolling Ridge Conservancy preserve is Virginia and Shenandoah University’s Campus at Cool Spring Battlefield. This 195-acre property, site of the 1864 Civil War Battle of Cool Spring, was formerly a golf course. With its transition to an outdoor classroom for university students and the public, the golf cart paths were repurposed into hiking and biking trails. One of two trails is flat enough to be accessible for strollers, wheelchairs, walkers, and bicycles. Ronnie Ross of Middleburg loves the campus because it “provides hikes for a wide range of abilities” and offers “a little something for every type of family.” The nearby Shenandoah River and ponds foster a rich bird watching experience. Herons, cormorants, and eagles are common. Native plants and trees flourish, including Virginia bluebells and the rare (in the region) bur oak tree. On clear days, the vista opens up across the Shenandoah Valley all the way to West Virginia’s Allegheny Mountains. Free. Open daily from dawn to dusk.

Rolling Ridge Conservancy 
671 FLOC Way
Harpers Ferry, West Virginia 25425
Telephone: (301) 789-9097
Email: info@rollingridgesconservancy.org
rollingridgeconservancy.org

Shenandoah University Cool Spring Battlefield
1400 Parker Lane
Bluemont, Virginia 20135
su.edu/cool-spring

Sweet Run State Park

This brand new 884-acre state park opened this May in Loudoun County’s northwest corner. Eleven miles of hiking trails and nine miles of equestrian trails cover creeks, forests, meadows, and mountainside terrain. Hikers can explore the ruins of a 19th-century farming community and enjoy views of the Blue Ridge mountains. Children have a nature play area to burn off energy. Free. Open 8 a.m. to dusk. ML

11661 Harpers Ferry Road 
Hillsboro, Virginia 20132
Email: sweetrun@dcr.virginia.gov
dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/sweet-run

Published in the July 2023 issue of Middleburg Life.