Hiking Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller
Date: August 14, 2024
We did not tow the travel trailer on this trip, so we camped in a cabin overlooking a beautiful small pond at Fancy Gap Koa. We enjoyed a nice campfire and the next morning we drove on the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Blue Ridge Mountains to Devil’s Den Nature Preserve. The trail is privately owned and named after Devil’s Den, a 600-million-year-old cave comprised of several layers of rock and many large rooms. The cave is off limits unless you get a permit because it is considered unstable plus black bear, and snakes may be living in there. We parked by the trailhead and the Morris Family Graveyard and were greeted by the local farmer’s dog. The 1.6-mile loop trail rated moderate began with a lush pasture, lots of wildflowers and a scenic overlook of the distant mountains and valleys 2,000 feet below. A set of musical pipes were installed beside a bench, so we played a few tunes. We soon entered a mature hardwood forest and the trail winded down the ridge. Bear signs were posted in several places, so I enjoyed periodically tossing a rock in the woods to spook Rosie. We eventually came to a .1-mile spur trail that led to the cave. After climbing over a downed tree, bouldering several rocks we viewed the cave opening below. Rocks 40 to 50 feet high created the cave’s entrance. It was down in a crevasse (Photo#6). We then ascended the trail back up the ridge to the open meadow, the cemetery tombstones and saw our car. Although the trail was in the shade, it was a humid day, and my clothing was soaked. As I drove back past the old Appalachian Trail Road onto Skyline Drive towards the campground, I enjoyed the beautiful views, the lush forest. I highly recommend this fun hiking trail.
