A short hike in the woods (.43 miles one way) to a cave formation. In addition to the cave rooms of the Devil’s Den, there were other trails to explore, and we managed to get a couple of miles out of our visit. I enjoyed the trail but was confused when we arrived. The road directions at https://www.dgif.virginia.gov/vbwt/sites/devils-den-nature-preserve/ are spot on, but finding the Devil’s Den trailhead was not detailed on any website I could find.

If you go, when you turn on Cemetery Road, drive past the house on the left and continue past the cemetery (also on the left). Turn left, go up the hill, and park in the grass. There are trashcans and a picnic table. The Devil’s Den trailhead is at the edge of the woods behind this area.

The Good Spur Trail goes straight (past the parking area). The road goes right to a cell tower, and the hike goes left on the edge of a field. Here we found a bench and a lovely view of the valley. The trail goes to the Devil’s Den. This is a longer trek than the shorter Devil’s Den trail so pick the journey you want.

Regardless of which path you take, the trip to the Den is downhill, meaning the trip out is uphill. There were steep sections, but the trail is manageable, and benches are sprinkled along the way. In my opinion, entering the Den is the steepest section of the hike. It was cool in the Den, which was a nice change from the heat of a summer day. Many flowers were in bloom, and the woods were beautiful.

We hiked in July, but I would recommend this hike in fall, winter, or spring. The trail is open dawn to dusk year-around, though they close for inclement weather. Other sites say it’s opened May 1st  through October 31st, but that’s out of date in 2018. In the middle of summer, as with many trail in the southeastern United States, the trail is nearly overgrown with plants and some have thorns. Not a major issue, but wear long pants on this trail in the summer. (And, no, I didn’t take a picture of the overgrown areas of the trail.) A friendly yellow lab joined us on the hike, and I suspect he bears witness to all visitors in his territory.

More hiking posts by N. R. Tucker.

Entering the Devil’s Den
Leaving the Den
On the trail