After a day at Douthat State Park and an evening relaxing on the porch of the cottage, we were eager to start the day with an easy hike. We headed south toward Covington to try out part of the Jackson River Trail. It seemed that no matter what road we took, there was always a view of the mountains on the way to our destination.
A flat trail built on an old railroad bed next to the Jackson River, this easy trail stretches 14 miles. With four different entrance points, it’s simple to walk only a bit of it and then return another day to explore a different part of the trail. The Jackson River Trail provided some shade from the warm summer sun and peeks at the river. We started at the Intervale trailhead and walked to Petticoat Junction and back. We passed many people enjoying the trail on bikes, walking their dogs, or running. At the Intervale trailhead, there was a spot to fill up your water bottles and bathrooms. I don’t think that every entrance has these.
Alleghany Outdoors, located at the Intervale trailhead, offers bike rentals, kayak, and river tubing. They even have a shuttle service so you don’t have to carry your equipment. That’s a win in my book. We probably could have kept walking more, but we were worried that littlest Jones would not be the most pleasant on the return trip.
Our stomachs were rumbling by this point, so we headed over to Clifton Forge to try out Jack Mason’s Tavern and Brewery. Because it was Sunday, there were not a lot of restaurants (other than fast food) open in the small towns we were near. I would suggest doing some research and planning if you are looking for a place to eat on a Sunday. Luckily, Jack Mason’s did not disappoint. The wait wasn’t any longer than the one at an Olive Garden on Friday night, and the food was delicious. We enjoyed the air conditioning and rest.
After lunch we set out on our favorite hike of the trip. Roaring Run Recreational Area gave us a beautiful hike along a stream to a waterfall. With bridges, stairs, and a path next to the water, this 1.5 mile hike was picturesque. We spent some time appreciating the waterfall before heading back using the Woodland Trail where there is a scenic overlook and an iron furnace. Just a word of advice, our google directions did not bring us to the entrance of the park. It did, however, lead us to the road, so we just continued on the road until we found the parking lot entrance.
Online this hike is considered easy; and yes, if you compare it to hiking Old Rag, it is. However, the stairs and uneven rocks near the fall may make it more challenging for people who find steps challenging. There were also a few places on the trail where you had to climb over a fallen log or duck under one. I think the easy label may catch some people off guard. If stairs aren’t your thing you could always take the woodland trail to the waterfall.
There were a few brave souls cooling off in the water, but they even admitted that it was chilly. The littlest Jones enjoyed sitting on a rock and dipping her feet in for a few minutes. We all agreed that we would do this hike again! We’ve got one more stop on road tripping with the Jones before our fun vacation came to an end.
