Short Hike on a Long Trail - New River Trail State Park, Virginia

 As mentioned in my previous post, The New River Trail State Park is a linear park some 57 miles long running the course of an abandoned railroad right of way.

The photo at the top of this post was taken with my phone camera using the panorama setting. On the right is the beginning of the trail. Yesterday, the missus and I hiked 2.6 miles north up the trail, starting at the southernmost point.

This is a close-up of the Fries Mill that operated from 1903 until 1989. The town grew up around the mill. The dam that powered the mill is out of the picture to the left.

A short way down the trail, these cliffs come into sight across the river. The New River is considered the second oldest river in the world and has spent eons eroding its path through these mountains. Geologists estimate the river "may have been in its present course for at least 65 million years."^[1]

The terrain on the near side of the river is relatively flat and, while tempting to build or farm on, is subject to flooding.

The New River Trail is open to hikers, bicyclers, and horseback riders. eBikes are also allowed, and we saw many folks utilizing them on the trail. 

Signs like the one above are posted at major entrances to the trail to remind everyone of the proper etiquette when overcoming or meeting fellow trail users. Hikers yield to horseback riders, and bicyclers yield to both hikers and riders. 

While we did see some hoof prints on the trail, the missus and I encountered no horses.

Near the point we planned to turn around and head back to camp, the missus and I discovered the ruins of an old farm. Exploring it more closely would have been interesting, but Private Property signs made it clear such investigation would not be tolerated.

This final panoramic view was taken looking across the river from the bench that marked the farthest point we reached along the trail.

There are several houses standing on what appear to be large lots. As near as we could tell, they are probably vacation homes for folks who like to escape the heat of the city by spending weekends in the mountains along the river.

After a hydration break and a light snack, we headed back south on the trail toward our campground. Our total distance hiked was 5.2 miles according to my Fitbit GPS. Not too bad for a short hike on a long trail between breakfast and lunch, eh?