Virginia Off-Road Trails

Stretching nearly 20 miles from the town of Covington, Dolly Anne travels through the George Washington National Forest and is part of one of the longer backcountry discovery routes. Towards the middle, the route briefly shares the paved Sulphur Springs Road, but it is gravel with no obstacles for almost all of it. There are several campsites scattered throughout the length of the trail.

Big Piney is a well-maintained gravel road that follows alongside the Childress Branch and South Fork Piney River. From where it crosses the Appalachian Trail, the eastern portion of the road is scenic as it follows the moss-covered waterways. This section includes roughly ten dispersed campsites, well spread out in the distance and each sizeable for two vehicles and two tents.

Vepco Road is a well-packed gravel road that provides quick access to Long Run Road. Driving up Vepco Forest Road and down the east side of Long Run Road is an easy way to view the majesty of this section of the George Washinton National Forest without needing a four-wheel drive vehicle. As long as you don't mind powerlines, the views are spectacular.

Crabtree Meadows, also called Crabtree Falls, leads to the hiking trailhead parking lot for Crabtree Falls and joins the partially open Shoe Creek trail. At the parking lot, there is a vault toilet. The hike to the fall is 2.9 miles one-way. The road is entirely maintained gravel except where runoff occurs, where larger golf-ball to baseball-sized rocks can be present. With foliage, the views are minimal, but the trail does have five well-hidden campsites from the road, with a few more directly roadside that you can walk into. It is suitable for any high-clearance vehicle.

Patterson Creek is a gravel road running alongside its namesake. It has roughly a dozen well-spaced dispersed campsites large enough for a few vehicles each. The road is entirely under a tree canopy and provides cooler temperatures in the summer. There are several creek crossings, mostly under one foot in depth, and a hard bottom during dry weather, but they can be much deeper during heavy rain events.

A sign at the start of the trail informs visitors that Shoe Creek is being evaluated for closure to protect headwater trout water, unique habitats, adjacent Wilderness character, the Appalachian Scenic Trail, and newly found Federally Endangered Species. The Forest Service's own maps depict the road traveling straight through and much further. However, a gate makes this a short out-and-back trail. It does cross the Appalachian Trail and has one campsite. The road is rough with ledges and basketball-sized rocks, requiring clearance and four-wheel drive.

Hog camp is a wide gravel road that crosses the Appalachian Trail and connects to several other roads in the area. With foliage, the views are limited. When traveling west to east, the road turns from a wide, well-maintained gravel road to a narrower, rougher road shortly after it crosses the AT, but it is still suitable for any high clearance vehicle. The short spur, FR 51, leads to additional hiking routes. Over its span, there are only a few dispersed campsites.

Cow Camp starts at a picnic table area at the Lexington Turnpike and is directly next to the Appalachian Trail. The road can be traveled in either direction, but traveling uphill is preferred. The road is rougher than its neighboring trails, starting as hardpacked native soil mixed with rocks and getting rockier and more eroded as you climb in elevation. It is mostly one vehicle width wide with little passing. Anticipate pinstriping. While the road is non-technical, drivers may wish to use four-wheel drive with low gearing on the steeper grades. No dispersed camping is found along the trail.

Sugar Tree is an exceptionally wide road compared to other roads in the area. The width provides a nice break through the trees to view the mountain range you are driving in. There are no obstacles, and the road is suitable for any high-clearance vehicle. While there are a few dispersed camping sites, most are directly on the side of the road, providing little privacy.

Limekiln is a straight-through, mild gravel road that is suitable for any high-clearance vehicle. There is plenty of clear-cutting evidence that does provide for views as you drive it. There is also evidence of either prescribed burns or forest fires. There is one small dispersed campsite.

Kelly Hollow is a quick out-and-back jaunt that leads to a dead end. At the beginning, there is a parking setup where bicyclists and hikers can use the road. Drive with care and share the road. There is one minor creek crossing at which one dispersed campsite exists.

At the northern end, an old stone chimney greets you at the start of the trail. The road winds its way along the lower portions of Big Piney Mountain, Black Rock, and Middle Knob. It is mostly gravel, and the rocks can become baseball to softball-sized, where it crosses any runoff. The road is suitable for any high-clearance vehicle. It dead ends at private property, but you can take Hester on its southern end to return to the pavement. A handful of dispersed camping sites can be found along the trail, and they are large enough to accommodate one to two vehicles.

Greasy Springs is an out-and-back trail that crosses the Appalachian Trail and ends at a clearing. Most of the road is hard-packed gravel, with a few spots of protruding rock. It is suitable for any high-clearance vehicle. A limited number of predisturbed campsites exist on the route but are very difficult to find.