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Virginia's Adventure Towns: Lebanon, Russell County - Clinch River, Mountain Landscapes & Outdoor Adventures, with Maddie Gordon of Clinch Life Outfitters (Ep 93, Part 1) · Virginia Outdoor Adventures: Hiking, Camping, Kayaking, Local Travel and more!

• 0:01
  From the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia is a mecca for outdoor travel and adventure. Virginia Outdoor Adventures podcast is your local guide for hiking, camping, kayaking, travel, and so much more. Get the information and the inspiration to plan your own adventure right here in Virginia, I'm your host Jessica Bowser.
• 0:40
  I have traveled far and wide, and I have died and lived and flown through time and space.
• 0:44
  And the most familiar happiness I've ever known is here with me again, tucked away inside my home, this rolling stone has found a rock to call his friend.
• 1:09
  And if you wonder where my heart is when I'm out on the road, Lord tried to hone my lifted honey just for you to hold. And if you wonder how I'm doing, no.
• 1:20
  The heart of Appalachia is full of mountain adventures, but Russell County brings something extra to the mix: extraordinary geological formations, rugged back roads, hidden mountain lakes, and the Clinch River, one of North America's most remarkable freshwater ecosystems. It's a place where the next adventure might be on the trail, on the water, or far off the beaten path. Today, we're heading to Lebanon, the latest stop in the Virginia's Adventure Town series to explore all that Russell County has to offer, from hiking and paddling to ATVing and long-distance cycling, Russell County offers a surprising range of ways to explore Southwest Virginia, and with unique places to stay from immersive farm experiences to cozy cabins and campsites, make the overnight experience part of the adventure too. Joining me is Maddie Gordon, owner of Clinch Life Outfitters, who previously joined me to explore St. Paul and the Clinch River. This time, we're looking at the bigger picture of Russell County, including where to find great outdoor experiences, local food, and memorable places to stay. So let's head to Lebanon and discover a different side of Southwest Virginia, where the mountains, the river, and the communities in between make this destination worth exploring.
• 2:52
  Let's go. Maddie, welcome back to Virginia Outdoor Adventures.
• 3:10
  Hey, thank you for having me back. I'm so excited to get to return for another episode. This is going to be so wonderful.
• 3:16
  We've got a ton to talk about, and I can't wait to get to it.
• 3:20
  I feel the same because you were first on this podcast back in season four, which was December of 2023. So it's going on three years already. Can you believe it? Wow! No, I did not realize it been that long ago.
• 3:32
  I know it feels like it just happened, but that episode was a little bit of an experiment because it was the first time I had done a Virginia's Adventure Towns episode, so I was just testing it out to see how it would go, and it was a huge hit.
• 3:46
  So that first episode is the reason why I'm still doing these Adventure Town episodes today.
• 3:51
  That's awesome. We, you know, we had a great time doing that episode, and we still get folks coming in. You know, and again, I didn't realize it'd been that long. We've still got your poster hanging up in the shop that says you know Virginia Adventure Town, so that's really cool. We still get people talking about it and coming in because they've heard your episode.
• 4:07
  So in that episode, we talked about St. Paul and the Clinch River, and today we're going to zoom out and take a look at all of Russell County. Manny, in your experience, what makes Russell County such an interesting place for an adventure, Saint Paul is only on the edge of Russell County. It's only a little piece of Russell County.
• 4:25
  So this time, we're getting to explore more of what I call home. Most of the kayaking that we do is all going to be in Russell County. The hiking is going to be in Russell County.
• 4:37
  There is so much to explore throughout the county. So many hikes. The overlooks are absolutely amazing. The views that you get any time of year, not just for the the fall leaves. You know, there there's so much year round for that. I can't wait to get into all of it. I mean, the hiking, the biking. There's so many different things.
• 4:57
  There is truly a lot. So let's get to know. Russell County, and we're going to talk about Lebanon as a good base camp for exploring the county. Now, did I pronounce that correctly?
• 5:08
  You're pretty close. I've always called it Lebanon. So okay, you added a little bit more in there, but I know I keep practicing and I keep getting it wrong, and the locals keep coaching me on how to say it correctly, so I'm probably going to say it incorrectly a few more times in this episode. But I'm going to do my best. On paper, it looks like Lebanon, but yeah, pronounce it one more time for me.
• 5:32
  Lebanon.
• 5:33
  Lebanon. Okay. All right. I got it that time. So, what makes Lebanon a good base camp for exploring the county?
• 5:41
  Lebanon is really central to everything. You can be within a 1520 minute drive, bike ride, whatever to a lot of the stuff that we're going to talk about today. It is a really great spot. There's different opportunities for lodging.
• 5:56
  There's a variety of places to eat in that town in that area, so you can get you some breakfast that morning in town, take off, go do whatever, and then come back and get dinner somewhere. It makes a really great starting and stopping point for some of the activities. We have people that bike ride on the Heart of Appalachia Bike Trail, so Lebanon is a great stopping point, midway point for that when they're traveling through different counties, it's just Lebanon's just central for everything Russell County.
• 6:25
  And how far is Lebanon to some of the major outdoor destinations?
• 6:29
  I mean, you're not very far for us. You're not very far. Now it's a lot of mountain roads. I do want to point that out. So it's going to be a lot of curves, hills. If it's something that you're not used to, it may take you a little bit longer than some of us that are used to it. But typically, to get to many of the hikes, the boat launches, the campgrounds, anything like that, you're looking at anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes for most anything when you leave out of Lebanon.
• 6:53
  So even though we're talking about Lebanon as a base camp, we're also going to be including several small towns throughout Russell County, including Cleveland, Honaker. Did I pronounce that one correctly?
• 7:04
  Nope. Oh goodness. Okay. How do you pronounce that one? Honaker.
• 7:09
  Honaker. Oh my gosh. You know, Virginia is notorious for pronouncing things differently than how they look. So absolutely.
• 7:18
  So I'm gonna have to work on these. Then there's Daint. I got that one right. You got that one right.
• 7:22
  Okay, and Saint Paul, of course.
• 7:22
  Now we're not going to focus so much on Saint Paul since we've already done an episode on Saint Paul, and I will link that episode in the show notes. So anybody who wants to learn more about Saint Paul, which I highly encourage people to do that because it's a wonderful episode, and if you're going to Russell, you might as well hear more about Saint Paul too, so that'll be linked in the show notes. But what do people often overlook about Russell County?
• 7:48
  We have so much heritage. We're kind of a melting pot of so many different nationalities that originally settled here. Our ancestors really relied on land and everything blended together, which created this amazing area for us to to live that we live in now. But now we are encouraging other people to come visit this area to learn about what we have here in our backyard that we want to share with the world. A lot of folks overlook that we do have some beautiful scenery every season.
• 8:19
  It's great. There's something different, you know. The waterfalls are beautiful in the spring when we've got more water, but also in the winter when they're frozen. Some of the biking trails, absolutely amazing, with the colors of the leaves in the fall, summertime great on the river. All of the wildlife that you can see, it's so wonderful. And a lot of times people are traveling through Russell County. We've got some major highways that come through, and they don't take the time to stop because you do have to get off the four lane, which we call the main road. You have to a lot of times take take a little side road, two lane road, to hit some of these things. And and many times people are traveling through the county to get to another county to go to work or somewhere else.
• 9:01
  And what makes the individual communities that we mentioned earlier different?
• 9:06
  Lebanon, as we've mentioned already, that's central to everything. Cleveland is an extremely small town in the middle of nowhere, but it is a gem. They have a campground.
• 9:18
  They sit right on the Clinch River, they have an amazing waterfall called Tank Hollow Falls. We'll talk about later.
• 9:26
  They have DCR properties there in town. Nature Conservancy has several areas there. There's so much land to be explored there that's now open to the public, and the views are absolutely amazing. That's that's kind of what I like to call the little town that could because they they are doing some great things right now. Honaker is a wonderful spot again, sits right on the river, but they're central to bicycling. We've actually got some people coming in right now from I think they're from Maryland that are coming in this month to bike the Heart of Appalachia Bike Trail and. One of the main points, you know, is is in Honaker because that's part of main part of the ride. So beautiful little spot there on the river with a lot of different options as well. Dank, we also mentioned Dank. That's going to be a spot for heritage history, coal heritage. They've got an awesome campground that just opened a couple years ago, and now that campground is directly linked to other communities, the town of Saint Paul, which then links out to further other communities and other counties, because they have Spearhead Trails that dumps right into Dank now, which is something I never imagined growing up that we could actually connect these communities with some type of an off-road system legally because back in the day, folks were you know riding through there a lot, but it's just so cool. And the way that they're preserving the history and the heritage of that community is is absolutely amazing. And then finally, we have St. Paul. St. Paul, like I said, it's on the edge of Russell County, but it's also a great little hub. It's got a great downtown where everything is walkable, right on the river.
• 11:03
  You've got another trailhead there for Spearhead. We've got the state park is now kind of main hub there with their office being in Saint Paul. And you know, I just I do love Saint Paul, but the greater Russell County is kind of my pick.
• 11:16
  I think Southwest Virginia is one of the most scenic parts of Virginia, and for those folks who don't live down there or need to make a little bit of a drive to get down there, I think it's absolutely worth it. It's so worth it. Every time that I'm in Southwest Virginia, I just fall in love all over again.
• 11:34
  There's so much to do. There's so much to see. It's so unique, and I always look forward to coming back to the heart of Appalachia.
• 11:43
  Absolutely, my dad's side of the family is from the Smoky Mountains, Great Smoky Mountains, Cades Cove area. So last week, my friend and I we drove down to the Smokies. We went through Cades Cove, did some back roads, and she'd never been to some of that. And she said, "What's so special about this? This is what we have at home." And I said, "You know, really, it is. You know, people drive from everywhere to go to the Smokies to see the things that we have right here in Russell County. It's really neat that you know we we've got this, and it's just we're we're excited to bring other folks to it and let them see it too.
• 12:13
  Yes, and by visiting places close to home, you are supporting the local economies and supporting those communities. So I think it's really important to keep that in mind as well.
• 12:23
  Absolutely.
• 12:24
  Let's get started with a Russell County hiking bucket list. We have got a long list of hikes to get through here. So are you ready to dive into this?
• 12:34
  Well, let's give it our best shot. There's a lot to cover, and I'm telling you, folks are going to need like to come back again and again to hit all this up.
• 12:43
  Yeah, it took me a while on the last visit to get through all of this, and in fact, there were many of these hikes we're going to talk about that I didn't do when I visited because I had done it the last time I visited, and I didn't have time to cram it all into one weekend. There's a lot, and I think you know making a second trip is probably going to be worth it if you've only got a couple of days to do this. Let's dive into these hikes. The first one is one that's probably pretty well known. A lot of people may have heard of Pinnacle Natural Area Preserve, and I just want to point out before we start diving into this whole list that some of these hikes are natural area preserves, which means that they are managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. A couple of them are wildlife management areas, which means that those are managed by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. And what that means is that there is different access, there's different fees, there are different things to consider, and one of them is that none of these are parks, so you're not going to have the amenities that you would expect to see in a park, like a visitor center and restrooms with running water and what kayak rentals or any of the other things that you would expect to see in a park. You might get a pit toilet or a porta potty, and that's about as good as it's going to get in these areas. So it's important to remember that these areas were established to preserve and conserve the wildlife and the ecosystems, and so we have to tread lightly in these areas.
• 14:13
  Yeah, absolutely. That is a great summary of what we do have around here, and I love that. I think that that makes it special that you know, it is more remote. We don't have to worry about more maintenance, and it's the way we we are down here.
• 14:27
  Okay, so the Pinnacle Natural Area Preserve. If somebody had time for one hike in Russell County, would Pinnacle make your short list?
• 14:36
  Absolutely. The first thing you're going to see when you get there is going to be this huge swinging bridge. Absolutely awesome! Love the swinging bridge. That's the first thing you do have to cross that to get to the rest of the trails. So you you know you go across the Big Cedar Creek and then pretty much a short hike to get down to see the first set of falls, the small falls that are there, and then not. Much further to the Big Falls, and of course it branches off onto the overlooks and other trails as well.
• 15:06
  You and I did this hike together along with your dog Chili, so we we explored the area and it was beautiful. The swinging bridge is amazing. When you first pull up and see it, there's some wow factor there, right? It's it's very cool to cross the swinging bridge, and as soon as you get over the swinging bridge, then the trail parallels the river, and so it's just scenic all along that trail.
• 15:34
  So I love this spot, and this is one of those that I go year round. Of course, I do love taking my dog Jilly with me. She loves hiking. She she's great little trail dog. But one of the cool things with this particular area too is it is stocked trout stream. So during trout season, it's going to be stocked with a variety of different species of trout. But another cool thing is it does feed into the Clinch River at the end. So if you're brave enough to hike all the way down, which we did that day, you can actually get to the confluence of Big Cedar Creek and the Clinch River, and then you're going to have a shot for some smallmouth and bluegill and just a variety of different species there at the end. So it's it's not only just a hike.
• 16:16
  You can you know that day I carried my fishing pole with us and you know caught a little smallmouth down at the end, but it's it's a great little spot.
• 16:22
  Just beautiful stream. It's so clear. Just that's something that a lot of folks that aren't used to these mountain streams.
• 16:29
  Everything's so clear. You can see all of the aquatic life.
• 16:31
  It's just beautiful.
• 16:36
  Really beautiful. I was very surprised when we got to the falls. I was not expecting that, and that's one of the the wider falls that I think I've seen in that area.
• 16:47
  Yeah, when we're talking about the big fall, I mean it's not because it's so tall. It you know it's got some height to it, but it literally spans all the way across the creek near where it dumps into the river. So you know it's it's pretty wide there.
• 16:59
  There's a lot of wildlife and photography opportunities and nature studying opportunities.
• 17:05
  So while you were fishing, I was birding and taking pictures. So even though we were like both perched at the same spot below the falls, we were both doing two completely different things.
• 17:16
  And there's a lot for people to explore there.
• 17:20
  Yeah, there's so much, and of course, too. I mean, the the plants that are there. Like we saw so many cool native plants that were in the area that that I actually took a few photos of that on our way back out. And then also the geology. When you, I mean, it's it's the pinnacle.
• 17:35
  So when you you hike up to see the pinnacle rock formation, that's just something absolutely beautiful to get to see. You know, you've you've been beside this creek, and you know all the way down, and kind of in the woods, and then you all of a sudden it opens up, and you can just see that it's just you need you need to see it.
• 17:54
  You do, and I was just going to ask you why it was named the Pinnacle, but it is for this really huge rock formation, and it's it's I guess I would describe it as a a rock wall over the water.
• 18:07
  I guess DCR has maintained and has cut that out so that you can definitely see. There's an informational sign that tells you about how these things were formed and the history of the area.
• 18:18
  This natural area preserve is not huge. How many miles of trails are there?
• 18:23
  There's somewhere, I guess, around four miles of trail. But don't let that fool you.
• 18:28
  Although they seem to be marked easy, they could definitely be not easy. You've got some stairs to climb further down that are it's it's a little scary. I was holding on to Chili, you know, making sure that she was on the side that was closest to the the bank there rather than the drop off. It's gravel, it's dirt, it's rock, it's everything.
• 18:53
  Definitely take that into consideration, making sure that you are wearing some really good shoes for that. You know, take a hiking stick with you if you would feel more comfortable, then there's some more extreme trails there that do have more elevation gain, but also are on the side of a mountain. So it's just four miles, but those four miles can can be pretty cool.
• 19:13
  It's not too extreme, although the trail that was marked most difficult was the only trail that you and I didn't hike, and that's just because it was a very warm day, and poor Chili looked like she had had enough, and we didn't want to push her, so so we gave Chili a pass.
• 19:27
  Yeah, for sure. She she was starting to wear down. I've got a picture of her when we went to the smaller falls, and she's just sitting there with her tongue hanging sideways.
• 19:38
  Yes, actually, my favorite picture of Chili was the day after you and I did all of these hikes, and she was just passed out, yawning on her back.
• 19:46
  Yes, poor baby. She, we really did a number on her that day. We did, we did, and I've not slowed down. I've had her out all week this week. She's just passed out again today.
• 19:58
  What a life!. Well, let's talk about an area that we went to, which is the Cleveland Barrens, another natural area preserve, and this also includes Tank Hollow Falls. What makes Cleveland Barrens different from Pinnacle?
• 20:23
  The area is going to be as far as trails. It's going to be smaller, and you're not going to have the fishing. The main attraction for this one's going to be Tank College Falls, and for that, it can be accessible.
• 20:33
  There, it is a gravel trail, so you know it's not paved. You can see the falls from the handicapped parking space in the parking lot. Once you you know exit your vehicle, it's just a few steps really to where you can see the main falls. So I do love that because it is very accessible to anyone and everyone. You know that day you and I were up there, there were kids hanging out with family members of all ages, and they had their little dog. I think Chili was sleeping during that one. Yeah, she was passed out in the car.
• 21:03
  She had had an eye.
• 21:07
  Yeah, she she was done for then.
• 21:07
  But but no. So getting to see those falls literally just so close, and they're so tall. Like it's absolutely awesome. Very very easy to get to. So pretty much for just the falls part, not really any hiking, and very accessible to everyone. Big difference for the Pinnacle.
• 21:25
  Other than that, they also have some great overlooks that are somewhat similar to the Pinnacle, but it's a little bit more of a hike to to get to. It is not at all. I wouldn't call it a difficult trail by any means. The whole loop is only about three miles to do the the big barren loop, and then there's a very short I think it's just like two tenths of a mile round trip go over to the Clinch River Overlook, which is really cool. It you can see as you're walking up through there, you can overlook the town of Cleveland, and then of course the Clinch River. It's beautiful sight there, and then you know come back down the backside. I will say the main thing is make sure you're. You know, if you're going in colder or cooler months or whatever, you definitely there's one decent sized creek crossing where you will get your feet wet, and then there's a lot of natural springs throughout there. So just make sure your shoes that you're you're ready for that. You know, if you're going in the winter time, make sure you got something waterproof or whatever.
• 22:20
  Summertime, just make sure you know you're going to get your feet wet, no matter what. But it's a you know dirt and grass trail. Depending on which side of the mountain you're on, it's beautiful up there. It's it's like two whole different areas.
• 22:30
  When you're going up the trail, you hang a right to go towards the Clinch River Overlook, and you've got just completely covered in the canopy, and it's just beautiful. And then you cut around the backside of the mountain there, and coming back, and it's just like your I don't know, it's like a rainforest.
• 22:49
  It's just that you run into all the the springs and streams and everything over there. But like I said, you do have to cross the creek, coming and going to get onto the Big Bear and Loop Trail, and you know it's several inches deep right there, so you can you can kind of bounce across the rocks depending on the water level. But if it's been raining any, you're definitely going to be over the top of your shoes.
• 23:13
  And Tank Hollow Falls is an impressive waterfall. Do you remember when we walked up to it and I was just sort of in awe. I couldn't believe it. It's one of the most beautiful waterfalls I think I have seen in Virginia.
• 23:26
  That is one reason I love taking folks there. Since I was young, it you know we would walk there from my great grandmother's house that was just across the road, and that was long before this was you know a DCR property. It was just something that we all knew was there. So now that it's become DCR, I have friends that come in from everywhere to visit, and I make sure to take them there. And then when I have folks coming into my outfitter store and they're asking about different places to go sightseeing, you know, maybe it's a rainy day and they don't want to be on the river or something, then that's my number one spot to send them to because it's very accessible, it's very easy, but it's unique.
• 24:04
  It's something that you don't see other places. Like just hearing you the way you described it that day, I was just like, you know, I want people to see this.
• 24:15
  And that was on a day when the water level was low, and you pulled out your phone and started to show me some photos of when it's really rushing, and it's it's amazing. It's really amazing. Did you tell me that it freezes in the winter?
• 24:31
  Absolutely, yeah. So if we can get a few consecutive days of below freezing temperatures, that thing will freeze up, and it is beautiful. The ice just covers that entire fall like it's gorgeous. It's something to see for sure, and that's another one of those. Any time of year that you're coming down here, that's something to go see because it it displays itself differently each season and each time it's beautiful.
• 25:00
  Maddie, the next hike on the list is the Channels. This is also a natural area preserve and one that is pretty well known. I will tell you, I avoided this hike for a very, very long time, and the reason for that is because it has had some challenges in the past with overcrowding and parking issues, and too many people in a delicate ecosystem. So I actually had to get special permission from DCR to talk about this hike because of those challenges. And I really appreciate DCR entrusting me to talk about this area from a perspective of responsible recreating, so the channels has become one of the most talked about hikes in Southwest Virginia. What makes this place so special?
• 25:49
  So this is absolutely a top thing in Russell County, and honestly, we don't talk about it a whole lot either. You know, just for exactly what you said, it's beautiful, and we want to keep it that way. Also, I mean, the parking is you know it is a small parking area. You've been there now. That's a narrow road, and when social media first tried to publicize the channels, we were having a lot of issues with folks parking everywhere along that road, which was you know on private and public property, but in areas that were dangerous for other motorists, as well as you know them being parked there. So I'm glad that you were able to feature it the way that you're featuring it today, because I've never seen anything like it. It is just amazing, you know, an amaze of amazingness, definitely unique for someone who's never been.
• 26:40
  What are they actually seeing when they reach the channels?
• 26:46
  A bunch of rocks.
• 26:49
  That is true. It is a bunch of rocks.
• 26:51
  Yeah. So no, it's so breathtaking because there's just this maze between all of the the natural formation. When I went up there the last time, I had Chili with me, of course, and she's just looking like, because she's a great trail dog.
• 27:10
  She's like, where do I go? Where do I go? You can spend so much time just wandering loops and in and out of all of these. Just I'm struggling. You're gonna have to. I mean, you want me to jump in and help out?
• 27:24
  Yeah, because you just have to.
• 27:24
  I mean, in my opinion, just have to see it. Like, I think that's it. It is. It is hard to describe because there's nothing else like it in Virginia, but it is a series of slot canyons, and they are made of 400 million year old sandstone on Clinch Mountain.
• 27:39
  Now, the thing that surprised me is because of all of the hype about this area. I thought it was going to be like things that I have seen out west, where there are these massive slot canyons that you have to squeeze through, or that like tower above your head, and it does give you the feeling of being really deep, but in reality, it's only 20 to 40 feet deep. I read, and I was really surprised when I read that because it's it's just not as huge as you think it's going to be. It's also not as big of an area as you think it's going to be.
• 28:13
  Because one of the things that I've heard people say over and over again was they went to the channels and they got lost, and they were wandering around and around, and they couldn't find their way out, and they were panicked, and and people have left tips on how to you know leave markers or to mark your way. And so when I went, I was thinking, what am I going to bring with me that I'm going to mark my path so that I can trace my steps back out? And my plan, don't laugh at me. I had two sets of bright orange reflective tent stakes, and so my plan was I was gonna leave those as I went and just follow my way back. So the first one I put down was right at the entrance when I came in, and I am actually very glad that I put that one down there because that was really the only one that I needed. I just needed to know how to get out, and then after that, I kept putting them down.
• 29:07
  And then I realized this is silly. I'm probably going to lose most of my tent stakes in the channels because I'm not going to remember where I left them all. It's impossible to mark your path because you wander around and around, but it's not so large that you're going to get lost in there for hours. You might get turned around, and you might get a little confused, and you might not remember where you came in.
• 29:30
  But it's not so big that you're not going to figure it out eventually.
• 29:34
  I've heard the same thing, and and so when I got up there that first time, I was like, "You're not going to get physically lost now. Getting lost in the experience. Yes, yes. By all means, we had a great time, just kind of going in and out.
• 29:47
  You know, sometimes you may end up in the same place. Sometimes it may be different. But like you said, it's it's not absolutely ginormous by any means. But it's enough to spend some time and have some fun. And it's just, I mean, especially for. Here it's it's very unique.
• 30:01
  I met a woman, another hiker, another solo solo hiker in the parking lot, and she asked me,"Have I done the hike before?" And I said, "No." And she said,"Oh, you are going to love it." And I passed her a couple of times on the trail, and she was like, "You are going to love this." That's all she kept saying over and over again, but then her advice to me was,"Don't get wrapped up in trying to remember where you came from, because it's practically impossible." She said the first time that she did it, she was so consumed with trying to remember her way in and out that she wasn't really enjoying the experience. She told me, "Just forget about that. She's like, you're not going to get so lost that you're not going to be able to find your way out. Just enjoy it, and then find your way out, and don't don't worry about it.
• 30:50
  So, and and I actually think she was right about that. It's it's an experience you really want to enjoy and not be worried the whole time about how you're going to find your way out. So, put something down at the entrance is my recommendation.
• 31:04
  Like your backpack or a water bottle or something that you have with you, so that when you see it, you'll go, "Aha! This is the way out." And that's really all you need. And just enjoy the rest of the time there.
• 31:17
  I totally agree with that. That was the only thing when we were getting ready to leave. We were just sort of like, wait a minute, did we come from this way or that way? And we're like, okay, wait, wait. Now I remember because there was a tree that we had commented on as we were, you know, because I was up there with some friends and commented on this the the tree, and we're like, oh yeah, yeah, that was definitely it. So, you know, that that's the only thing. But again, like you said, it's nothing so crazy that you're not going to be able to find your way out. It's pretty easy, but it does feel like a maze when you're in there, and it's really amazing. It's it's it's quite incredible to stand underneath these unusual sandstone formations and think that they were formed by intense freeze thaw cycles during the last ice age. I mean, that's just incredible. If you're interested in geology, this is just an amazing place to visit.
• 32:05
  Yeah, it's something I didn't realize we even had growing up when I was young, and so to get to go experience it as I was older was really, really neat.
• 32:11
  Something that you know most folks don't get to see, and it's not just the channels or the maze part itself. The entire hike is really beautiful.
• 32:19
  You hike in; it starts off as a fire road, but then it eventually becomes single track trail. And once you get to the highest elevations, you're in what is essentially a bald area.
• 32:32
  There are no deciduous trees growing. It's mostly like low shrubs, and there's a fire tower too, which is also kind of a neat feature of this hike.
• 32:43
  Yeah, that that's really awesome little spot. I mean, that was we opened up into that. I was pretty excited about that because anywhere I go, I always am looking up fire towers to go check them out because I just think it's you know the history and everything's really cool.
• 32:53
  But that's a beautiful spot there. We we sat there and hung out for a few minutes before we ever even you know went on into the channels.
• 33:02
  It's a good place to pause, have a snack, have lunch. I sat there and ate my lunch right next to the fire tower, and I was looking around, thinking this place must be spectacular in the fall. I'm sure these are all mostly lowland blueberries and other brush that probably turn blaze orange and red in the fall.
• 33:20
  Yeah, yeah, it is. That's we went up. I guess it was last September, and that very end of September, early part of October, and just absolutely gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous.
• 33:31
  Maddie, are there times when visitors should consider choosing another hike because of weather, trail conditions, crowds, or other management concerns?
• 33:39
  Oh yeah, definitely. There's a lot of things that can impact when you should definitely move on to something else in the county because this is a very sensitive area. But it's also the parking is limited to 10 spaces. The weather can make this challenging. You got to remember when you get up there to where the fire tower is. You know you're you're on top of rocks, and so if this is, you know, in the winter time, there's freezing. This can be slippery, so we definitely want to watch out for that. If there's no parking, please don't try to park in anywhere that is not designated. There's 10 spots, so definitely move on along. Come back later. Do make sure that you are giving yourself ample time though to complete the hike before it gets dark, that's a big thing.
• 34:24
  Something else that you know we definitely want to mention is that people have been towed if you try to park where you shouldn't. So a lot of times we'll recommend if somebody is adamant that they're wanting to go visit the channels, you know we we go over all of this information with them, but also advise that you know try to go weekdays and early mornings.
• 34:45
  That's going to be your best shot at getting a good parking spot. Recommend you know weekends are going to be pretty rough because that's when most people can go. We understand that, but there's a lot more which we're going to talk about.
• 34:56
  You know, in here that if you can't get to the channels at that particular time. Time and day, they're still going to be there. I promise. So just go hit up some of these other spots and come back when you can get in there safely.
• 35:07
  I think that the channels really blew up around the time of the pandemic and all the social media hype that happened around then. When I went now, granted, I went on a weekday. There was one other car in the parking lot when I pulled up, which shocked me because everybody said you have to be there before 8am.
• 35:24
  even on a weekday, and I just wasn't getting up that early.
• 35:28
  That wasn't going to happen. I had driven across the state the day before. I was exhausted, but yeah, one other car, and then that other hiker who I mentioned earlier. Then she pulled up after I parked. So there were three cars there total. And when I finished the hike, I think there was also three cars. One had left, and one had shown up.
• 35:44
  So it wasn't terrible, but that doesn't mean that you should just assume there's going to be parking. the The earlier you can plan, the better.
• 35:53
  If you do drive by it early that morning and and can't get a spot, and you come back later, just do make sure that you plan.
• 36:00
  For me, I would say to to take in everything. I would allow at least you know five hours tops to spend time exploring and you know taking your break to have lunch, dinner, whatever. It can definitely be done in a lot less than that. But if you want to really just dump yourself into the experience and really be immersed in it, I would say four to five hours to to do round trips, so just make sure that you're timing that with, with sunset and things.
• 36:24
  I think that's accurate if you've never done it before.
• 36:27
  Now, the woman I met, she was in and out in like two hours, but she had done that hike many times, and she was on her way to Rhythm and Roots, I think, in Bristol. So she was like, I got somewhere else to be. She was she was moving on, but for me, it took me at least two to three times longer than it took her because I was taking in everything. And I've mentioned before on this podcast, I'm a very slow hiker when I'm in a new place because I want to see everything and experience everything. And of course, I was taking lots and lots of pictures as soon as I actually got into the channels. And because I'm by myself, that takes some time.
• 37:00
  You know, I've got to set up my camera, my tripod, and all of that. And it did start to get late very quickly. It seemed like at some point, I looked at my watch and I was like, "Oh my goodness, I need to pack up and get out of here if I'm going to have time to get back before dark." So yeah, it's it's easy to lose track of time when you're in there, but you know, you just you have to be mindful and give yourself the amount of time that you need, and then a little bit more. Maddie, as more people discover places like the channels, how do we make sure that growing tourism doesn't come at the expense of the very landscape people are coming to experience?
• 37:36
  Yeah, so that's a big one, and that's something we focus on a lot at My Outfitters. We always encourage sustainable recreation, and we try to give people the knowledge, the tools, so that they can do that. We really, you know, here in this area, as a citizen and as a business owner as well, we want people here, but we also want to protect what we have here. One big thing that's helped is the parking situation up there.
• 38:03
  Making sure that you know no more than 10 cars are up there, so it's not overloaded. And then I think to getting folks to spread it out throughout the week that kind of slows down the amount of traffic we're getting up there. And because we do see you know more and more folks are coming into the area, and you know I love that. I'm excited for that, but I also want to make sure that these folks that are coming in will respect the the areas that we call home.
• 38:32
  It is great to love these places, but also important not to love them to death. So if somebody shows up at the channels and all 10 spaces are full. Is there an alternative hike that you can recommend?
• 38:47
  Yeah. So what usually I'll do is just head on over the mountain and go over to the Clinch Mountain Wildlife Management Area and head up to Laurel Bed Lake. It's a beautiful drive.
• 38:59
  Did you get to make it up there when you were here, I did, and it was gorgeous. I went up there on a weekday, and there was nobody, Maddie. Like I didn't see anyone. I was standing at the edge of the lake as the sun went down. It was spectacular, and there was not another soul. I couldn't believe it. It was just magic.
• 39:23
  It is wonderful up there, and the smallmouth fishing in the lake is great. But yeah, so it's it's an absolutely beautiful spot, and yeah, there's camping up there, which now there is fee required because it's a you know wildlife management area. The camping is primitive camping.
• 39:39
  We'll usually just find a little spot to pull off and throw up a hammock. I like to take my kayak up there and paddle around on the lake. It's like 300 and I don't know. It's huge. It's 330 acre wildlife management area. I don't know how many acres lake is. Yeah, yeah.
• 39:57
  I don't remember. It's it's huge though. I mean. Because when you're on a kayak, it's huge.
• 40:00
  It's you're up on top of the mountain, so the wind, you know, is kind of it's your friend at one point and not your friend the other. Anyway, the the fishing's great up there. The views are absolutely beautiful.
• 40:15
  Love all that, and the drive up there. I mean, going up by Big Tumbling Creek is is gorgeous.
• 40:18
  You know, there's a lot of trout fish in there. They've got the fee fishing area during the summer, and then it's stock trout waters during the the fall.
• 40:28
  The creek is beautiful. At a couple of points, driving towards the lake, I just pulled over and had to take pictures and just take a moment to take it all in because the creek has a couple of waterfalls. If you're looking closely, you'll see them. If you're if you're not paying attention, you could easily drive right by. But some really pretty waterfalls, some cascades. There's a couple of vantage points where you stop and you just see down this green tunnel of trees where the water is flowing underneath, and it's very cool. It's it's very very pretty before you even get up to the lake.
• 41:03
  It's absolutely gorgeous. We'll we'll spend a lot of time. We go up and fish that, and you know it it takes us. It's a full day because we're the drive is as exciting as being out and you know wandering around in it because it's you know and two there's accessible fishing in that area as well, which is nice to be able to get folks out and do some some bass fishing or trout fishing in an accessible environment.
• 41:28
  And I just thought it was so pretty because you're standing at a lake that's surrounded by mountains, and the mountains are right there. They're not in the distance. They are right there, right there in them. Yeah. No, that's that's the crazy thing for me.
• 41:43
  When you know, when I've been up there, that it's unlike a normal lake. You know, that it's just this. I don't know. Is you're just literally surround. You're just in this little bowl almost, and just surrounded. Yeah, that is kind of what it feels like. Like you're in a little bowl. It's beautiful. You kind of forget where you are for a moment, or at least that's how I felt watching the sunset. I just I was like, where am I right now? But I was loving every minute of it. And also, I I wanted to point out again, this is a wildlife management area, which means it's a fee area, and they do have codes on the signs that you can scan with your phone that will take you to the website, but it's really spotty up there. Like it might not open for you, so I would advise people to get your access fee paid before you go up there, so that you don't run into that issue. And there are many different types of permits that you can buy, including I think if you have a fishing or a hunting license that works, or you can buy like a recreation pass. But all of those are on the Department of Wildlife Resources website.
• 42:50
  Well, I was just double checking because when I read the 330 acre, I was thinking that was the lake. That is the reservoir.
• 42:56
  The Clinch Mountain Wildlife Area is actually 25,000 acres.
• 43:00
  Oh, so I must have misread something. Yeah. Okay. I was looking. I was like, "Now wait a minute, that is the lake." Yeah, because it's huge. I mean, it's yeah. That's yeah. I'm looking at DWR's page now, and the Clinch Mountain Wildlife Area is 25,477 acres. The lake's 330 and runs 40 foot deep.
• 43:22
  Yeah, and there is a life jacket loaner station there, which I thought was really nice. I've never seen that anywhere else.
• 43:27
  So if you forget your life jacket, you can just grab one right there. And there's a really nice dock. So you know, if you're going to be fishing, you have a place to stand out on the water. I thought that was also really nice. the The management there is has has been done very well.
• 43:43
  You can take boats out on the lake, not just kayaks, as long as you know you follow the guidelines for the the gas motors are like 9.9 horsepower or something or less. Because I've seen folks bringing larger boats, because like I said, it is on top of a mountain. Wind is a factor, so some people want something with a little extra power. So, you know, a trolling motor is great or whatever. I've only ever kayaked it, and I love it. There is little to no signal, cell signal up there.
• 44:11
  So, do make sure that you purchase your access permit or have your fishing license before. And if you are planning to camp, you know they did just enact that you do have to have the camping pass. I believe it is it $10. It just hit October 1, but definitely want to make sure you have your camping permit information filled out because you do have to put your information in there.
• 44:40
  On your face, and I have traveled far and wide, and I have died and lived and flown through time and space. And the most familiar happiness I've ever known is here. Tucked away inside my home, this rolling stone has found a rock to call his friend. And if you wonder where my heart is when I'm out on the road to try it and hold my left hand. The song you just heard, "Russell County Line," is by the local band 49 Winchester. Learn more about the band by clicking on 49 Winchester in your show notes.
• 45:48
  Russell County has no shortage of ways to get outside, whether you're chasing waterfalls, exploring unusual rock formations, or heading up into the mountains for a little time on the water. Next week in part two, we'll explore several more scenic hikes and discover ways to experience Russell County beyond the trails. Then we'll find out where to eat in its small towns and settle in for the night at some unique places to stay. There's plenty more to discover, so tune in next week for part two. Virginia Outdoor Adventures is inspired by and supported by listeners like you, which is why your messages and feedback mean so much to me. You can text me directly by clicking on "Send Jessica a text message" in your show notes. I answer questions, respond to comments, and share your feedback on the show. Never miss a new episode.
• 46:45
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• 46:56
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• 46:59
  Thanks for listening. Until next time, adventure on.