Have you wanted to hike the Rock Castle Gorge loop near the Floyd-Patrick county line, but you’re not up to full 10.8-mile circuit with its steep, rugged climbs? Try a bite-sized chunk of this route that is doable for kids and fun for grown-ups: the one-mile stretch that climbs from Rocky Knob Campground (3,080 feet) to the summit of Rocky Knob (3,572 feet), the high point of the Rock Castle Gorge trail.

With wide grassy meadows and dense hardwood forests, this short hike provides a good taste of the Rock Castle Gorge area in a portion small enough to not completely exhaust young hikers—or kid-toting parents. With only two miles to hike, you can rest often, explore every nook and cranny along the way, and still have plenty of time to enjoy the views.

Start your hike at Rocky Knob Campground (Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 167). Cross the Parkway and slip through the rail fence at the zigzag “kissing gate” (please re-latch the chain). Head right (west) on the faint path, past a small stand of ancient oaks, following the small posts with white arrows. The official route roughly parallels the Parkway, curving gradually left and up to ascend the ridge, but the adventurous can blaze their own trail, heading more or less directly away from the Parkway and straight up through the cow-cropped meadows.

As you stroll the grassy fields, punctuated here and there by large shrubs and the occasional tree, look for the resident bovine “lawnmowers” that keep the vegetation in check (watch out for cow pies!). Pink-blossomed thistles dot the meadows, playing host to nectar-hungry butterflies.

Keep generally right as you head up, and you’ll soon rejoin the path. Aim for a large rock outcropping beneath an oak tree that grows seemingly straight out of solid stone. For smaller children or less-experienced hikers, this makes a perfect place to stop, rest the legs, and have a snack. Sturdier hikers will also want to pause to take in the growing views of the rolling forested hills of the Blue Ridge spread out below. Bring your camera; this is a great place to capture that ever elusive family portrait.

Continue up through the meadows, following the trail markers along the wide green track. At about 0.5 mile, notice several distinctive white quartz boulders pushing their way up through the turf. In another few yards, the trail again passes through a fence to enter a mixed oak forest.

Winding among rich green ferns carpeting the forest floor, the trail continues to climb before briefly leveling out and then descending slightly to re-emerge from the trees at the parking lot for The Saddle (0.8 miles).

A popular stopping point for those driving the Blue Ridge Parkway, the wind-scoured Saddle offers extensive views both east and west. Looking east, watch cars winding along the Parkway at Tuggle Gap; gaze west to the distinctive hump of Buffalo Peak (elev. 3,971 feet). For tired hikers, this can be a good turnaround point.

For the final climb to Rocky Knob, walk along—or on—the stone wall to pass the parking lot and re-enter the forest. Follow the trail up through trees along the edge of the gorge, with forested slopes dropping away to your left. As you ascend, look for woodland wildflowers, mushrooms, and other forest residents. On our most recent visit, my 5-year-old daughter discovered an unusually large millipede. She found several hollow trees that were worth a peek as well.

At 0.9 miles reach a trail junction; stay left for the most direct route to the top. After a bit more climbing, reach a weathered log shelter perched above the gorge. Built by the Civilian Conservation Core in the 1930s, the shelter is a relic from the days when the Appalachian Trail passed this way before its relocation west in the 1950s.

While your kids won’t likely care about the history, they will enjoy it as an enormous playhouse. The shelter makes a great place to lunch, play, or even stretch out on the wooden benches for a quick snooze. The vista extends east across the rolling ridges of the Piedmont, with a birds-eye view down into the heart of Rock Castle Gorge. Watch for tiny cars winding their way along Virginia Route 8 on the valley floor, or look for vultures riding the thermals just below.

You can turn around here, or if your troops still have energy, continue on up the rolling ridgeline of Rocky Knob for further dramatic views east across the Piedmont. When you’re ready to return to Rocky Knob Campground, retrace your steps down to the Saddle Overlook. If younger legs are giving out, this is a good bail-out point; Mom or Dad can fetch the car and drive back to pick up weary hikers.

Those who continue the hike down are in for a treat. After passing back through the woods below the Saddle and re-entering the wide meadows, the Blue Ridge panoramas that were at your back on the ascent are now laid out before you, an undulating banquet for the eyes.

Enjoy the 270-degree view of wooded hillsides receding into the distance in three directions. Going down, don’t be surprised if the smooth, grassy lane just seems to inspire skipping—or spontaneous solos from The Sound of Music. Have fun—it’s all downhill from here.

Vitals:

• Total Distance: 2 miles.
• Elevation gain: 500 feet.
• Difficulty: Moderate—first mile is steadily uphill.
• Water: None—bring your own.
• Getting there from the NRV: Drive VA-8 through Floyd to join the Blue Ridge Parkway at Tuggle’s Gap (25 miles/45 minutes from I-81 exit 14 in Christiansburg). Turn right (south) and drive 1 mile to the Rocky Knob Campground. Turn right off the Parkway but don’t enter the campground; take an immediate left and park in a grassy area on your left, facing the Parkway. The entry gate is across the Parkway and slightly to your left (north).
• Après Hike: Floyd has several great places to stop for post-hike snacks; Café del Sol (302 Locust St., http://floydcoffee.com) and Over the Moon Gallery and Café (227 N. Locust St., http://harvestmoonfoods.com/gallery.htm) both provide coffee, tea, juice, sodas and smoothies as well as beer and wine, while dishing up an extensive selection of breakfast and lunch items. For dinner, try Oddfellas Cantina for an eclectic array of dishes made with “fresh, local, seasonal products” (110 N. Locust St., www.oddfellascantina.com) or El Charro Grill (302 S. Locust St.) for hearty Mexican.
• Camping: To make it an overnight trip, stay at venerable Rocky Knob Campground. The top loop (T) provides 28 RV sites with electric hook-ups and a well-lit bathroom with flush toilets; generators allowed. Loops A, B and C descend the hillside and provide a quieter, if more rustic, camping experience: 81 sites, no hook-ups, no generators, no lights in the bathrooms. $16 per night, and it rarely fills; May through October

Rick Dickinson is a New River Valley resident who has been hiking since before he could walk.