This past weekend, my friend and I spent a few days in the quiet town of Staunton, Virginia where we explored local gems including a few different nature spots! We spent one morning hiking up Crabtree Falls Trail in Tyro, VA to see the gorgeous views of the Blue Ridge mountains. We were hesitant to hike with the recent heatwave on the East Coast, but the trees and elevation kept the entire trail shaded and cool.
The Important Deets:
Length: ~4 miles round trip
Level of difficulty: medium difficultly, slightly rocky
Duration: 2-3 hours
Getting There: We got there around 8am and the parking lot was almost empty. There were about 3 cars total and we figured that people had either done the hike for sunrise and left or the majority of the crowd was to come later. I would recommend getting there as early as you can because on the way down we were met with several groups hiking up and the parking lot was full. Parking was $3, paid by cash at the dropbox when starting the trail. There were public restrooms available at the entrance.
On The Trail: We began from the parking lot and the first quarter mile followed an asphalt path, accessible for almost anyone. The path ended at the bottom of the falls where people could hang out. After that, the trail was well marked the entire way with mile post markers at every 0.1 miles. The trail was a bit rocky, but also had many wooden stairs to help go over the rocks. As always, I would recommend hiking shoes for the trail, but it was totally doable with a regular pair of athletic sneakers.
There were only a few groups on the trail as we were heading up so when we got to the top, we had the whole overlook to ourselves. On the way back down, we did cross many groups – lots of children and dogs making their way to the top.
The entire trail was well shaded with tall trees so the air was cool and shaded for most of the hike. We really only started to feel the heat on the way back down when the sun was peaking in the sky.
At the top: The sights of the mountains from the top were beautiful. The greenery from the trees went on forever and I bet it would look even more beautiful during sunrise or sunset. Also, I imagine the view would look stunning during fall colors. We spent quite a bit of time at the top taking selfies, enjoying snacks, and just soaking in the views. We only headed back when more people began to gather at the top!
Recommendations:
1) wear athletic shoes. Most of the hike is manageable with regular athletic shoes so I wouldn’t worry if you can’t find hiking boots in time (though they would be the better choice).
2) bring snacks. There are many spots to take a quick break on the side of the trail, perfect if you want to go slow and munch on the way up.
3) hike early in the day. Definitely start the hike earlier in the day rather than for sunset as we did see read online that some people saw snakes that would’ve been difficult to spot in the dark.
