Compare Hiking the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia by Road Scholar

Day 1
Check-in, Registration, Welcome Dinner, Orientation
W.E. Skelton 4-H Educational Conference Center at Smith Mountain Lake D W. E. Skelton 4-H Educational Conference Center
Activity note: We will enjoy a casual, 30 Minute walking tour of the Center grounds.

Afternoon: Welcome meeting at 5 PM. We will gather at designated location and do a casual tour of the grounds ending at the Central Activities Building (CAB) in time for dinner.

Dinner: 5:30 - 6:15 PM. Your first meal with us will be dinner served at the Central Activities Building (CAB). All meals are served in an "all you can eat" buffet style which has people coming back for seconds - including dessert! We can accommodate low fat, low salt, vegetarian, and low carb diets with advance notice.

Evening: Orientation at 7 PM. Your Guide will begin Orientation/Get acquainted portion of the program promptly at 7 PM. We will also view a 10 minute film which provides a good overview of Smith Mountain Lake itself. After a 10 minute break we'll gather together again for the get acquainted part of the evening. We will finish at approximately 8:30 PM.

Day 2
Read Mountain and Mill Mountain
W.E. Skelton 4-H Educational Conference Center at Smith Mountain Lake B,L,D W. E. Skelton 4-H Educational Conference Center
Activity note: Total of 5.1 miles moderately challenging hike.

Breakfast: Buffet style meal.

Morning: Enjoy a 3.6 mile out and back hike through the Read Mountain Preserve, protected with the help of the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. After a forested hike, crisscrossing tiny streams, we will be rewarded with a tree-framed view of downtown Roanoke. After hiking a bit farther, we will reach the summit of Read Mountain, and take in an outstanding view of the Roanoke valley from Buzzard Rocks.

Lunch: Bag lunch at Read Mountain.

Afternoon: Perched atop Mill Mountain, the Roanoke (or Mill Mountain) Star greets visitors to the Roanoke area. On this 1.7 mile hike along the Star Trail, we'll climb to the top of Mill Mountain and be rewarded with the world's tallest freestanding illuminated man-made star, as well as the best view of the Roanoke valley.

Dinner: Buffet style meal.

Evening: Hear from an Appalachian Trail thru hiker and learn what goes into planning and executing a thru hike on the Appalachian Trail.

Day 3
Poor Mountain hike.
W.E. Skelton 4-H Educational Conference Center at Smith Mountain Lake B,L,D W. E. Skelton 4-H Educational Conference Center
Activity note: Hiking 4 miles, moderately challenging difficulty level.

Breakfast: Buffet style meal.

Morning: Poor Mountain This nature preserve on the southwest rim of the Roanoke Valley is home to the largest population of the rare piratebush, found in only isolated pockets of the Appalachians. After a short walk-in from the trail head, we will descend a mile of steep switchback trails on the Cascade Trail, with occasional views toward the southern Roanoke Valley, into a deep drainage canyon with a tumbling stream and a small waterfall. Then we will ascend 1.7 miles of more gradually climbing switchbacks on the Canyon and Overlook trials through drainage channels amid a mixed forest of pines and hardwoods, reaching a couple more overlook points. The final section of the trial loops gently past some of the rare piratebush shrubs as well as mountain laurel. We conclude the hike returning to the trail-head at 3.8 miles.

Lunch: Bag lunch.

Afternoon: Complete Poor Mountain hike.

Dinner: Buffet style meal.

Evening: Experienced hiker and writer Kevin Myatt will discuss "Recognizing Trail Hazards". This will help us hike smarter, keeping ourselves and the trails we hike on in the best possible condition.

Day 4
Hike Flat Top Mountain. Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
W.E. Skelton 4-H Educational Conference Center at Smith Mountain Lake B,L,D Peaks of Otter Lodge
Activity note: 4.4 miles of strenuous hiking over ungroomed trails and mountainous terrain. Optional additional hike available. Dinner at the Peaks of Otter Lodge.

Breakfast: Buffet style meal.

Morning: Journey to the highest summit of the Peaks of Otter. Even though nearby Sharp Top gets most of the attention, even dating back to the days of Thomas Jefferson, it is Flat Top that is the highest of the three Peaks of Otter, rising to 4,001 feet. The 4.4 mile trail climbs the mountain on a series of switchbacks through stalwart tulip poplars and rugged rock outcroppings. Reaching the summit, the trail flattens out considerably, reaching a series of viewpoints on rock outcroppings, most notably the Pinnacle. Views on a clear day span several Blue Ridge summits to the north and south, the southern Shenandoah Valley and the eastern Alleghenies to the west, and the rolling Piedmont to the east, with some features of Lynchburg even visible. The trail then descends rather steeply back to the Peaks of Otter Lodge.

Lunch: Bag lunch on the trail.

Afternoon: Hikers will have a choice of a shorter (but steep) afternoon hike to Fallingwater Cascades or a downhill trek from Sharp Top after a bus ride to the top. To conclude the day, we will enjoy dinner at the lodge with a view over Abbott Lake.

Dinner: We will enjoy a wonderful meal at the Peaks of Otter Lodge over looking Abbott Lake.

Evening: After dinner we will have a brief presentation from an expert with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

Day 5
Hike Dragons Tooth, Live Entertainment.
W.E. Skelton 4-H Educational Conference Center at Smith Mountain Lake B,L,D W. E. Skelton 4-H Educational Conference Center
Activity note: Strenuous 4.5 mile hike over mountainous trails.

Breakfast: Buffet style meal.

Morning: One of the iconic peaks in Virginia, Dragon's Tooth straddles Roanoke and Craig County and stands 2,800 feet above sea level. We will travel 1.5 miles along the Dragon's Tooth trail, crossing the same creek multiple times. Then we will merge onto the Appalachian Trail, heading southbound 0.7 miles to the junction with the Dragon's Tooth Spur Trail, and finally reaching the summit 0.3 miles later. Great views of the Catawba Valley, Sawtooth Ridge, and Tinker Cliffs abound, as well as interesting rock formations, including the famous Dragon's Tooth. After enjoying the view and taking a break, we will head back down the Appalachian Trail, joining the Boy Scout Trail back to our start point.

Lunch: Our bag Lunch will be along the trail.

Afternoon: We will finish our hike in mid afternoon and travel to a little known gem along our way back to the center, where we will enjoy some homemade fruit ice cream. Flavors include Cantaloupe, Strawberry, Peach and Honeydew, yum! (Sorry not giving out the name!)

Dinner: Buffet style meal.

Evening: Tonight we will have a farewell celebration with live entertainment.

Day 6
Program Concludes.
W.E. Skelton 4-H Educational Conference Center at Smith Mountain Lake B
Activity note: Have a safe trip home!

Breakfast: Buffet style meal.

Morning: Program concludes, safe travels!