SGG and I took a trip to Sherando Lake this weekend. It is a small lake nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Some say it is Virginia's best kept secret and I am inclined to agree. It is probably the cleanest and best kept campground I have ever been to.
Just driving through the mountains is a treat. Sherando Lake is not that far off the beaten path either. You can swim, bike, canoe, kayak, and hike around the lake and the surrounding mountains. The day time temperatures can still be hot, but there is not nearly as much humidity as there is in the lower part of the state. The temperature dropped to 60 degrees the night we were there. The stars were so clear you could see the Milky Way.
SGG and I went to camp and to hike. We did an extended hike around the lake when we got there and then did about a 10 mile loop through (and over) the mountains and crossing the Blue Ridge Parkway on Sunday.
We bought some hiking poles before we went. They really made an incredible difference for us. We could have made it without them, but the potential for injury would have been much greater and we definitely would have been a lot more sore. The poles offer so much more support and stress relief whether you are going up, down, or over flat terrain. We saw a lot of it all. :-)
At one point on Sunday we encountered some unexpected rain. We were about 3/4 of the way through our hike and the rain was a very welcome experience.
There are tons of short, day long, and multi-day excursions in the Blue Ridge Mountains...I highly recommend them!!
The pictures from the trip are below!
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Awesome pictures! I think I'd like to go there, but stay in the cabin. Were you able to take pictures of the stars at night?
ReplyDeleteMy sons went camping there with their youth group. One of them slept under the stars and said it was totally awesome to see all the stars.
Thanks for posting your pictures.
E,
ReplyDeleteI would have taken pictures of the stars, but I didn't bring my tripod.