Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2014 - 16

H Hiking Travel Guide for 5 States
Text and photos by Leonard Adkins

The Hike

READY TO ADD ANOTHER LAYER OF ENJOYMENT TO YOUR WALKS IN
THE WOODS? CONSIDER THESE WALK-TO-REWARDS PROGRAMS.

ARE YOU A GOAL-ORIENTED person?
Do you like to mark progress as you
work toward a goal, and then be
given a something-you-can-actuallyhold-in-your-hands reward once
achieved? If so, you should be aware
of a number of programs throughout
the Blue Ridge Mountains that will
provide you with such tangible accolades and involve something you
already like doing - hiking.
West Virginia: A $10 registration
fee is all that is required to join the
Hiking West Virginia program. After
that, simply hike in any state park,
forest, wildlife management area, or
state park rail trail and keep track of
mileage. Of course, this being West
Virginia, there will be some great
hikes, like a journey into Bluestone
River Canyon in Pipestem State Park,
easy walking along the Greenbrier
River Trail, or some rugged ups and
downs in Kanawha State Forest. Learn
about Civil War sites in Carnifax Ferry
and Droop Mountain State Parks. A
hike in Canaan Valley State Park
opens up wide expanses of cloud-dotted blue skies, and it's just a few steps
from the trailhead to visit the state's
most photographed cascade,
Blackwater Falls.
You could easily get the first major
award in just one weekend. All it takes
is 25 miles to receive a nicely turned
wood walking stick. Another 25 miles
brings you a 50-mile shield to attach
to the stick, and additional miles
reward you with different shields.
At the same time, you can also be
participating in the Very Important
Parks Person program. Enrollment is
free and it doesn't even involve hiking. All you have to do is have a program card stamped each time you go
to a state park or forest. After visiting
15 mandatory places and five of 21
electives, you're awarded an embroidered windbreaker jacket and invited
16 | BlueRidgeCountry.com

Cades Cove in the Great Smokies is a great destination, especially in the fall.

to special Very Important Parks Person
events.
There is no time limit for either
program, so get everything done in a
few weeks or use vacation time over
the next several years to complete the
requirements. Sign up at wvstate
parks.com.
Georgia: It's also a $10 membership fee to join Georgia's Canyon
Climbers Club. This program provides
you with its reward after you walk less
than five miles (you will just have to
do some driving around to get to the
three different hikes). One of the outings is an ascent of the one-mile trail
to the base of Amicaloa Falls; it's in

the state park that also houses a portion of the 8.5-mile Approach Trail to
the Appalachian Trail's southern terminus on Springer Mountain. Located
in Cloudland Canyon State Park in
Georgia's far northwest corner close
to the Alabama border is the approximately one-mile hike on the
Waterfalls Trail to a suspension bridge
over Tallulah Gorge. Granted it is a bit
outside of the Blue Ridge region, but
the 1.5-mile loop trail at Providence
Gorge in the southwestern part of
Georgia provides the chance to see
what the state bills as its Little Grand
Canyon. Do these simple walks and
the Department of Natural Resources

http://www.wvstateparks.com http://www.wvstateparks.com http://www.BlueRidgeCountry.com

Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2014