information
- Cold Mountain (most data from Hiking Upwards, a good guide to local hikes)
- type: loop
- distance: 5.8 miles
- elevation change: 1490 ft
- time: 2.5 hours (for us, listed 3.5 on hiking upwards)
- location: George Washington National Forest near Buena Vista, VA
Can be connected with sister hike, Mount Pleasant for a 11 mile loop
report
We were joined by Chris, Tori, and Kevin and their dogs on a mild and sunny Saturday. We were looking for a moderate hike and I’d say we found one. However, we did this hike in reverse of the directions given on Hiking Upwards, so we reached the Cold Mountain Saddle first. The saddle was by far the best view on the entire loop with views of the valley on both sides. Furthermore, the layerings of mountains in the distance made the scene. The rest of the trail was pretty typical Virginia summer hikes, including a lot green that shielded the route. My recommendation would to hike this loop the standard way on the Hotel trail to Cowcamp Gap shelter and then back north on the AT. Lastly, there are a couple of apple trees on this route. They should be good in a couple more weeks.
ratings (1-5)
- views: 2 (mostly just for the Cold Mountain Saddle)
- difficulty: 2 (the trail contains almost no flat sections, so a good amount of up and down)
- technical: 1
pictures
