The Guest River Gorge Trail (Forest Trail #216) is an easy 5.9-mile rail-trail that follows the old Norfolk/Southern railroad bed in southwestern Virginia. It is part of the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests. The ties and rails were removed, but bridges and the 1922 tunnel remain.
A large, paved parking lot is available on site. Admission is free.
Guest River Gorge Trail
The deep gorge was created as Guest River tunneled through Stone Mountain on its way toward Clinch River.
Starting with a paved switchback from the trailhead, it turns into a crushed-gravel path. The Forest Service website lists it as an accessible trail; however, I would only consider the initial quarter-mile section universally accessible. After the trail turns to gravel, there is a slight downward slope for the rest of the hike, which means the return has a prolonged slant. There is about 500 feet in elevation change overall.
Key features of the trail are within the first mile, including the Swede Tunnel and a bridge over Guest River as it curves to the other side of the path. I had beautiful views of the Virginia Scenic River from the bridge.
Several benches dot the trail, some with better views than others. My favorite one was shortly before the tunnel.
I hiked Guest River Gorge in November, and I was lucky to catch a little bit of color in the trees.
I was only able to get small glimpses of the river and cascades through the trees for the most part with sporadic openings.
In addition to Guest River and the leaves, there are also tall sandstone cliffs, rock outcrops, and waterfalls along the path.
Mile markers created from old posts let me know how far I’d gone.
The trail ends at the confluence of Guest River and Clinch River.
Wildlife
On my hike I saw northern cardinals, red-bellied woodpeckers, squirrels, and wood thrushes.
For those looking for a similar trail nearby, the 35-mile Virginia Creeper Trail is less than 50 miles to the east.
The description of this hike sounds very peaceful.
Your pictures again are so inviting. The hike seems doable and serene. Thank you for sharing this
with those of us that follow your journeys.