Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 13, 1995 TAG: 9508160033
SECTION: DISCOVER ROANOKE VALLEY PAGE: 99 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN OUTDOOR EDITOR
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
There are mountains for hiking, hunting and cross-country skiing. There are streams for catching fish and canoeing. There are lakes for water sports. There are byways for biking, habitat for bird watching and ranges for shooting.
Here's a look at some of the attractions, as well as the organizations designed to help you enjoy them (camping is covered elsewhere):
Hiking
The Appalachian Trail, that most famous footpath in the country, traverses the northern end of the Roanoke Valley on its 2,000-mile Maine to Georgia journey. It offers quick access to everything from an easy afternoon hike to journeys that can last for months.
One 28-mile stretch through Roanoke and Botetourt counties contains Dragon's Tooth, McAfee Knob, Tinker Cliffs and Hay Rock, all major attractions of this national scenic trail.
A favorite jumping-off-spot is atop Catawba Mountain, where you can leave your vehicle in a National Park parking lot along Virginia 311 north of Roanoke and hike north on the trail about 31/2 miles to scenic McAfee Knob. This area gets heavy use, so don't expect to have it to yourself, except maybe on a winter, midweek day.
Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club sponsors hikes nearly every week throughout the year. The schedule is listed in Outdoors You Go on The Roanoke Times Monday Outdoor Page and The Calendar in the Friday editions of the Extra section. Guests are welcomed and are asked to share a modest fee for car pooling. The organized hikes are a great way to ``discover'' the trail and meet the people who love and support it.
The club welcomes new members, especially those willing to lend a hand for trail projects. Its president is Jimmy Whitney, 344-4117.
A detailed map of the trail is available from the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests headquarters at 5162 Valleypointe Parkway. The cost is $5. Ask for the Glenwood-New Castle District map of the AT.
In addition to the highly touted AT, there are numerous other trails, many located in the national forest, including War Spur-Chestnut Ridge Loop, the Nida Trail, the Spec Mines Trail, the Price Mountain-Sulphur Ridge Loop, the Hoop Hole Trail and the Cascades Trail. One way to learn about them is to converse with other hikers or get maps from the national forest headquarters.
Information on Blue Ridge Parkway hiking and other activities also is available from a ranger station just north of Vinton at milepost 112, phone 857-2458, or at the Peaks south of Roanoke.
Fishing
Urban trout fishing is available in the Roanoke River, Tinker Creek and Glade Creek, which are stocked by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries except during the summer months. The trout season is open year round.
Other nearby stocked streams popular with fishermen include Jennings Creek in Botetourt County, Potts Creek in Craig County, Little River in Floyd County, South Fork of Roanoke River in Montgomery County and Smith River in Henry County.
A portion of the Smith, from Towne Creek downstream for three miles to Bassett, is highly attractive to fly anglers as is the Jackson River below Gathright Dam north of Covington. The Smith is restricted to artificial lures only and all trout caught in the Jackson must be released alive. Care should be taken not to get on private property on the Jackson.
Nearby warm water streams and lakes provide fishing for species such as black bass, sunfish and striped bass. Smith Mountain Lake is the state's top spot to land a trophy striped bass, with catches above 30 pounds a reality. The lake also holds smallmouth and largemouth bass, crappie, walleye and an occasional muskie.
The James River, to the east of Roanoke, and the New River, to the west, are ideal for smallmouth bass and provide the best opportunity in the state for catching a muskie.
Fishermen ages 16 through 64 must have a $12 state fishing license, valid Jan. 1 through Dec. 31. When you fish a trout stream during the periods they are being stocked, you also must have a $12 trout license. On national forest streams, a $3 national forest stamp is required of fishermen ages 16 through 64. Older fishermen must have a $1 annual fishing license.
Biking
The Roanoke Valley offers numerous opportunities for biking, including organized rides on most weekends by the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club. The ride schedule and the leader's phone number is listed on the Monday Outdoor Page of The Roanoke Times under Outdoors You Go and in The Calendar of the Friday Extra Section.
Participants must wear a bicycle helmet. Minors must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
Wiley Drive, from Wasena Park to near Roanoke Memorial Hospital, provides a flat, two-mile elementary ride on Roanoke City's only marked bike trail. It is shared with auto traffic under a reduced speed limit.
Salem has a 17-mile bikeway along city streets that connect several parks. It is shared with traffic and is hilly in spots.
The Blue Ridge Parkway is popular with experienced bikers capable of dealing with demanding hills.
The nearby George Washington and Jefferson National Forests has trails and roads to challenge the growing interest in mountain biking. An example is the Broad Run Road reached off of Virginia 311 near the Roanoke-Craig county line. The road and connecting trails are the site of an annual April competition called Dragon's Back. Fun mountain bike rides are scheduled every other Monday near Hanging Rock. Called the Brushy Mountain Pack Ride, The leader of the ride, called the Brushy Creek Pack Ride, is Dick Howard, 387-1795.
Hunting
The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests affords excellent deer and turkey hunting, along with decent action for species such as grouse, squirrel and bear.
Maps are available for a modest fee from the forest headquarters, 5162 Valleypointe Parkway.
Still another public hunting spot is the Haven Wildlife Management Area in Roanoke County. This mountainous, mostly walk-in terrain is reached along Bradshaw Road and off Wildwood Road [Virginia 619]. It is managed by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
A hunting license is required of everyone seeking game in Virginia, with the exception of landowners and family members hunting on their own property. A resident license costs $12 annually.
Youngsters can purchase a hunting license for $7.50. Hunters age 12 to 15 must complete a safety course before they can purchase a license. Those under 12 must be accompanied by a licensed adult.
Information on safety courses and other hunting subjects is available from a field office of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, 209 E. Cleveland Ave., 857-7704.
Hunters seeking deer, bear and turkey must have a $12 big-game license in addition to their regular license. Bow and muzzleloading licenses costs $12 each. Hunters on national forest property must purchase a $3 national forest stamp. The same stamp is good for fishing on the forest.
Hunting licenses are valid July 1 through June 30. Like fishing licenses, they may be purchased at most county clerk offices and at numerous tackle and gun shops in the area. Digests of hunting and fishing laws are available from license agents or they may be ordered from the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, P.O. Box 11104, Richmond, 23230.
Boating
The area's major boating attraction is 20,000-acre Smith Mountain Lake, which offers opportunities for power boating, sailing, water skiing and personal watercraft.
The lake's 500 miles of shoreline contain numerous full-service marinas, where boat sales, repairs, mooring, launching, fuel and rentals are available.
In addition to the marina facilities, there are several state launching ramps on the lake. The nearest to the Roanoke Valley is at Hardy, reached by traveling east from Vinton on Virginia 636.
The open-water areas of the lower section of the lake provide the best opportunities for sailing. There are two major sailing clubs, the Virginia Inland Sailing Association, with facilities on the lower Roanoke River arm of the impoundment, and Blackwater Yacht Racing Association, which operates out of the the Pelican Point Yacht Club. The most active racing schedule for public participation is staged by BYRA. A contact is Marty Gardner of Martinsville, (540) 632-8736.
The Smith Mountain Lake Water Ski Club promotes family and competitive skiing. The organization has a slalom course and ski jump for its members. A contacts is Tom Tanner, (540) 297-7833.
The Smith Mountain Lake Chamber of Commerce/Part-nership is a source of information on the lake, 1-800-676-8203.
Water sport activities also are available at Claytor Lake, in Pulaski County; Philpott Reservoir, near Bassett and Moomaw Lake, northeast of Covington.
In addition to their fishing opportunities, the James and New rivers provide excellent canoeing. There are numerous public launching sites listed in a tabloid titled ``Virginia Boating Guide,'' free from the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, P.O. Box 11104, Richmond 23230. Information on the next state boating safety course is available from the Safety Council of Southwest Virginia in Roanoke, 344-4676.
Canoe rentals and shuttles are provided on the upper James by the James River Basin Canoe Livery in Lexington. The livery is on U.S. 60, about seven miles west of the Blue Ridge Parkway and 1.5 miles east of I-81 Exit 51. The phone number is 540-261-7334.
On the New River, canoes can be rented and shuttles are available from New River Canoe Livery in Pembroke, (540) 626-7189.
The Roanoke Valley Chapter of Float Fishermen of Virginia provides a format for people interested in canoeing and conservation. The club meets the last Wednesday of the month at CC's Restaurant at Hanging Rock and organizes a number of floats each year. A contact in Roanoke is Ron Cooper, 989-6705.
Shooting
The largest private shooting organization is the Roanoke Rifle and Revolver Club, which has range facilities and a clubhouse in Franklin County, east of Roanoke (cross Windy Gap Mountain on Virginia 116, then left on 678, go one mile and turn left on the gravel road across from the white church).
Established in 1934, the club sponsors matches for rifles, shotguns and handguns. Guest are welcome to participate in the matches, which are listed in Outdoors You Go on the Monday Outdoor Page. The organization's mailing address is P.O. Box 8252, Roanoke, 24014.
The Ridge Rifle Association has a range near Fincastle and sponsors public matches, which are listed on the Outdoor Page.
The Sherwood Archers club maintains target facilities and competitive events for archers and bowhunters on club property in the Hanging Rock area. The facilities include three outdoor ranges and an indoor range. A contact is Steve Smith, 345-4945.
Snow sports
Less than a four-hour drive from Roanoke are a dozen skiing resorts. The most popular include Snowshoe-Silver Creek, near Marlinton, W.Va.; Wintergreen, near Waynesboro; The Homestead at Hot Springs and Winterplace Ski Resort in Flat Top, W.Va.
The Roanoke Ski Club caters to the interests of skiers in the valley, with meetings, socials and organized trips. Watch for announcements of meetings and trips on the Monday Outdoor Page. The president is Charlie Bates, 772-0809, and the membership director is Gordon Hamilton, 989-4370.
Bird watching
The Roanoke Valley Bird Watchers Club holds monthly meetings and sponsors events such as the Christmas Bird Count, hawk watching on the Blue Ridge Parkway and a bluebird house project.
A contact is Peggy Spiegel, owner of For the Birds on the City Market, 345-9393.
by CNB