One of the things I like most about hiking in the Blue Ridge, as opposed to many of the Allegheny ridges farther to the west, is the up-and-down nature of the range. With the caveat of the Blue Ridge Plateau, the peaks in the former are generally more distinct, with few of the long, relatively level ridgelines common in the latter. There is also a tendency toward a lot of local relief and prominence, with the mountains rising abruptly above the neighboring lowlands of the Piedmont to the east and the Great Valley to the west. Indeed, the most prominent peak in Virginia is here. Though far lower than the state highpoint of Mount Rogers (the second most prominent), 4,225' Apple Orchard Mountain rises nearly 3,000' above the saddle connecting it to its higher line parent of Salt Pond Mountain. And it towers even more above the 600' elevations of the nearby James River and Piedmont. Another common trait is being steep and rocky. This all adds up to make a rugged landscape with frequent good views.
One of the great hikes in this area is up to and over the cliffs of Little Rocky Row and Big Rocky Row. I did this hike again recently with my good buddy Tommy Bell. We started out on the Appalachian Trail near its lowest point in Virginia which is where it crosses the James River at Snowden. It climbs pretty directly up to the dramatic cliffs of Little Rocky Row in 2 1/2 miles, and from there are dramatic views south into the ever-increasing flatness of the Piedmont, as well as west to the aforementioned scene of Apple Orchard Mountain high above the gorge of the James River through the Blue Ridge.
Tommy Bell near Big Rocky Row with the James River and Apple Orchard Mountain in the distance. |
The actual cliffs that Big Rocky Row is named for don't reach to the top of the mountain but, rather, are a couple hundred feet below on the southeast slopes and on the opposite side of the mountain from the trail. Tommy and I had hoped to make our way to them on this hike but overshot the end of them by farther than we cared to backtrack off-trail on the steep sidehill terrain. But I knew there was another great spot ahead that my friend Dave Socky and I had found on a previous hike here when we bagged Silas Knob.
The namesake cliffs of Big Rocky Row. |
This panorama from the outcrop above Saddle Gap includes Big and Little House Mountains (left), Big Butt, and Jump Rock in the distance, as well as Peak 2310, Pinnacle, and Entoto Knob in the foreground. See larger photo here. |
The route of this hike. To see a larger map go here.
Hike Stats:
12 miles
2,700' cumulative elevation gain
More pictures from this hike
Pictures from other hikes to Rocky Row:
July 2011
May 2009
September 2007
Resources and Contacts:
Glenwood-Pedlar Ranger District
27 Ranger Lane
Natural Bridge Station, VA 24579
540-291-2188
-
27 Ranger Lane
Natural Bridge Station, VA 24579
540-291-2188
-
gpx file and topo maps
Trailhead Coordinates:
37.60485,-79.38825
Google map for trailhead:
http://qrs.ly/2l2n75p
37.60485,-79.38825
Google map for trailhead:
http://qrs.ly/2l2n75p
Scan QR code to navigate to trailhead with Google maps on your smartphone:
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