Apple Orchard Falls: Botetourt County, Va.

Apple Orchard Falls is a spectacular 200' waterfall.

Shadow takes a well-deserved break at the base of the falls.

Apple Orchard Falls is among the most impressive and easily accessible waterfalls in Virginia.  Only a 1.5-mile hike from the Sunset Fields parking area of Blue Ridge Parkway, the falls are a popular destination.

Looking for more of a challenge, Shadow the Dog and I took the Cornelius Creek loop.  We began at Sunset Fields, traveled downhill heading northwest alongside Cornelius Creek to North Creek, and finished by regaining the elevation to reach Apple Orchard Falls.  Our route, along with a .gpx file can be found here.

All in all the loop is 7.3 miles with approximately 2,500' of total climbing.

Nearly all of that distance is close by deep, crystal clear creeks with their own small waterfalls. They're so clear, in fact, that Shadow the Dog badly misjudged the depth of one crossing and sank down to her ears.

The trails are well marked and well maintained, and the area around Apple Orchard Falls is quite developed with wooden stairs and a massive viewing platform at the base of the falls.
 

Needle ice covers the ground when the weather is right.

One of the interesting things about this area is how quickly the weather can change and how different it often is from the valley below.  Apple Orchard Mountain is the most topographically prominent mountain in Virginia, rising from the banks of the James River at 650' to a height of 4,224'.

On this day, much of the trail was covered in needle ice, which is formed by capillary action when the ground is warmer than freezing and the air is below freezing.

Cornelius Creek features several nice opportunities
 for a quick swim.

Parts of this trail are excellent mountain biking routes.  The Cornelius Creek Trail is great intermediate mountain biking consisting of mixed singletrack and doubletrack trails.  It's a good area for exploring on the bike, and I plan to explore it thoroughly this spring. Many of the trails in this area are multi-use and mountain bikes are permitted to use them as long as they yield to horses and hikers.  Also there are two wilderness areas in which bikes are not permitted: Thunder Ridge and James River Face.

A thick coating of ice forms on rocks and branches nearby the stream.

Cascade Falls: Giles County, Va.

Cascade Falls freezes each winter, creating a small mountain of icicles rising from what is in summertime a deep pool.  

Icicles line the 2 mile route to the falls during the winter months.

An impressive sight at any time of year, the 69-foot cascade falls is located in Giles County, Va.

Located 20 miles west of Blacksburg, the falls are a worthwhile side-trip for anyone visiting Virginia Tech or traveling on Interstate 81.
It's a two mile uphill hike to reach the falls.  There's about 800' of total elevation gain from the parking area to the falls.  The trail is generally well-kept and follows the trout-filled Little Stony Creek. 

Located away from major population centers, the area is rich in wildlife.  Deer often browse alongside the trail and owls hunt along the stream in the evening hours.  Black bears are also a common sight in the area; in fact, Blacksburg is home to the Black Bear Research Center.

Swimming in the pool at the base of the falls in warmer weather is great fun, and the water is quite cold all year round.

Viewing platforms constructed alongside the falls provide an easily accessible way to view Cascade Falls from multiple angles.

Parking is $3.00 so be sure you have some cash before driving out to the trail head.

The sun sinks below the horizon early here; much of the trail is shaded by the surrounding mountains.