Cumberland Knob (BRP 217.5)


I drive to Hillsville, VA most every Sunday morning to help a close friend of ours with the music portion of his church service. This is about an hour and 45 min drive from our home near Lake Norman, NC. With the wife and kids out of town for the weekend, I decided to look for a relatively short nearby hike to Hillsville or en route to home after lunch. I figured there would be something nearby as I do cross under the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) on the route to and from the town (and my friend lives almost directly on the parkway). I searched last night for anything nearby Fancy Gap, VA as this is the point at which the parkway crosses I-77. What I found was a fair amount of nearby trails. I also realized that Fancy Gap/Hillsville is not that far away from a lot of more well-known areas for hiking such as Grayson Highlands (which the AT passes through). After reading about several areas, I decided on Cumberland Knob for a short but challenging hike on my way home. Cumberland Knob is a significant part of the BRP history as this was where initial construction on the BRP began in 1935.

Cumberland Knob is reached via the BRP at mile marker 217.5 and includes 2 hiking trails (really 1 with multiple options), a nice picnic area, and restrooms. The Cumberland Knob Trail is the official name of the trail(s) but there are really 2 trails that are easily combined for a nice loop: Gully Creek Trail (2.1 mi loop) and the Cumberland Knob Trail (.7 mi out and back). I opted for the longer hike via Gully Creek. The trailhead is just past the visitor center and to the left (you can also opt to go right, you just have to watch signage to actually hike the loop). 

Upon starting the trail there is a sign stating warning you that this is a strenuous 2.5 mi loop; they are not kidding. The trail starts off as a fairly moderate typical mountain trail as you begin your descent. The trail quickly narrows with steep drop-offs to one side of the trail. You quickly begin hearing the sounds of rushing water down the mountain. It had rained a small amount earlier in the day, and as we all know water will always find the path of least resistance - on this trail, the path of least resistance was the trail itself in a lot of areas, especially the further you descended to the main creek. There seems to be little effort in the diversion of rainwater on this trail. There was a little mud, but really not very much. The trail bed was mostly small stone. There are a few stream crossings as well as you descend, which surprised me as this was a really steep hike down, even though there are a LOT of switchbacks. The trail continues down with the looming thought in my head of the impending return up the mountain. When you finally reach the main creek (~.7 mi), you are greeted by a nice small waterfall. The trail nicely follows the creek for quite a while, offering many lovely and picture-worthy cascades. The trail also crosses the creek multiple times, so be aware, and be careful along the rocks as they can be quite slippery! Most of the crossings are via rock hopping with a couple of wooden bridges. I had no issue crossing the creek where there was no bridge; I did not get wet a single time as there are plenty of large rocks to help keep you dry. I also cannot imagine having issues crossing during periods of heavy rain or snow with the exception of flash floods (which no one should be out hiking in). You do have to keep an eye out for the trail (blue blaze) to know if you should cross or not as plenty of people seemingly have explored the creek area on both sides, perhaps for a nice rest or picnic area. I would highly suggest taking your time while at the creek and getting plenty of rest for the hike back up - there are plenty of nice spots to just sit and enjoy the sounds of the rushing water along the cascades. The largest cascade was at about the 1-mile mark, but a safely taken picture of the whole section was difficult due to the vegetation.

Once the trail leaves the creek, it is quite obvious (you will be on the right side of the creek if you have traveled in the same direction as I did) as the trail begins climbing right away and the sounds of water spilling over rocks quickly disappear. I was surprised I could not hear the creek so early as it did not take long to begin hearing water once the trail began at the top of the mountain, I just assumed it would be similar in this direction. The hike up differs quite a bit from the climb down. The trail is a bit wider, there is not nearly the amount of switchbacks, which in turn, means a steep climb. There really is little relief on the hike up as there are almost no level sections, it is just up, up, up! This is that strenuous part they were talking about earlier. This is very reminiscent of hiking the second mile of the Chimney Tops Trail in the Smokies, just less rocky. Once you get to the wooden bridge, just know you are almost at the top. There is still a bit to go and it is still climbing, but not as steep at this point. You do finally get some more level sections for a bit. You eventually come to an old picnic shelter with a small clearing right near the top. At the time I was there, this shelter was closed for public use but you can still walk around it to view all sides. A side trail will lead you to the actual knob and the other clearly marked trails will lead you back to the parking lot. 

Overall, this was a nice hike, though tough in sections. This area is also a nice stop if you are traveling the BRP for a quick leg stretcher and restroom break. There are also nearby overlooks with nice views, though none on the trail itself. 

Total Miles Hiked: 3.08

Total Time: 1 Hour 14 Minutes

Features: Small Waterfalls, Cascades

Overall Rating: 3/5




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