Connect With Us
Facebook-f X-twitter Youtube Instagram

Kurt’s Hikes

CURRENT Kurt’s Hikes

Tinker Cliffs Times 20: Still New

You do a hike for the 20th time over a seven-plus-year period and you ought to know its every twist and turn. Which we pretty much do for this favorite, though of course there are always a few small surprises:

New Trails in the Roanoke Valley

The recently cut trails in the preserve illustrate with just about every step of the walk the mammoth work of trail building.

Kurt’s Hikes: Good Afternoon, Irene

On this day, we took a new-to-us short route up, to look over and see Hurricane Irene hit the Virginia coast.

Walking the Roanoke Valley Horse Trail, Looking for Parkway Plan Answers

The Blue Ridge Parkway is seeking comment on a new trail plan for the Roanoke Valley section of the parkway. See it here: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/roanokevalleytrailplan

Of Spiders and Hermits

The thing about ocean-area hikes that aren't along the beach is that they all have three things in common: They're hot, they've got bugs and the Day Hiker talks a lot about 1 and 2 above.

Current Issue

Tinker Cliffs Times 20: Still New

You do a hike for the 20th time over a seven-plus-year period and you ought to know its every twist and turn. Which we pretty much do for this favorite, though of course there are always a few small surprises:
Fruit of the piratebush, one of the rarest shrubs in the Eastern mountains.

New Trails in the Roanoke Valley

The recently cut trails in the preserve illustrate with just about every step of the walk the mammoth work of trail building.

Kurt’s Hikes: Good Afternoon, Irene

On this day, we took a new-to-us short route up, to look over and see Hurricane Irene hit the Virginia coast.

Walking the Roanoke Valley Horse Trail, Looking for Parkway Plan Answers

The Blue Ridge Parkway is seeking comment on a new trail plan for the Roanoke Valley section of the parkway. See it here: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/roanokevalleytrailplan
Robert Harrill lived in this structure for 17 years.

Of Spiders and Hermits

The thing about ocean-area hikes that aren't along the beach is that they all have three things in common: They're hot, they've got bugs and the Day Hiker talks a lot about 1 and 2 above.
VIEW MORE

Departments

Smith Mountain Lake Virginia is a hidden gem within the Blue Ridge Mountains. This beautiful area features boating, sailing, hiking, shopping, fishing, and much more.
From The Editor

Sarah Smiles: The Lake Effect

Growing up, many of my weekends were spent at my late step-grandmother’s house on Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia.

June 26, 2026

CALENDAR OF EVENTS