By Travis Lott
With summer coming up, everyone wants to spend more time outside and go on hikes. Now, I’m not the biggest fan of hiking, but I have friends who are, which is why I reached out to them and asked about their favorite hikes.
This is a list of 5 hikes that my avid hiking buddies love and that are pretty close to Buena Vista.
1. Crozet Tunnel
This one comes from my friend Brynne. It’s about a 50 minute drive from Buena Vista and is near Charlottesville. Round trip, the hike is 5 miles long.
“You will have to bring a flashlight and I would definitely recommend having some friends go with you as well!” advises Brynne.
This isn’t a difficult hike as it is nearly all just a flat paved road, so if you’ve got a few hours to kill and have access to a car, head over to the Crozet Tunnel.
2. Reservoir Hollow
This hike comes from my friend Jonathan. He says, “The one I do most often is Reservoir Hollow, the one right in BV. It’s pretty and not too difficult and really easy to get to. I just walk to the trailhead, people living closer to campus probably should drive but it’s only 5 minutes from campus.”
“Along the way there is an old reservoir with wild blackberries around it, and you can follow the trail all the way to the parkway if you want. There’s a decent view from the top, but I mostly like it because it’s one I do often to get away for a quick hike.”
3. Cole Mountain
This hike comes from my friend Kate.
She suggests, “This is the best for a picnic, a sunset, star-gazing and some easy camping!!! The hike is easy and so worth it!!”
This hike is a round trip of 5.9 miles and normally takes around 3 hours to finish if you are hiking it straight through.
4. St. Mary’s Falls
This hike is another one from my friend Jonathan. He explains, “It’s about an hour drive to the trailhead. The hike is mostly flat and you cross the creek/river a few times. It’s very pretty, and the waterfall at the end of the hike is fun to jump into.”
“The best time to hike it would probably be late spring when it’s warm enough to enjoy the water but wet enough for the water to be high enough. There are also lots of flowers and wildlife on the trail, though sometimes it can get busy on the weekends.”
5. Devils Marbleyard
This one comes from my friend Kate as well. This hike involves some basic bouldering and rock climbing.
If you just want to play around on the boulders, the hike is a round trip of 2.2 miles.
If you want to go on the full hike you have 2 longer options, one is 8.3 miles the other is 11.3 miles.
5 Hikes You Should Try This Summer was originally published in The Herald on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
