Jefferson National Forest: Chestnut and War Spur Trails (Blog Hike #133)

Trails: Chestnut and War Spur Trails

Hike Location: Jefferson National Forest, Mountain Lake Wilderness

Geographic Location: north of Blacksburg, VA (37.39072, -80.50804)

Length: 2.5 miles

Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)

Dates Hiked: April 2003, July 2015

Overview: An easy hike through mountain top forest featuring an excellent overlook.

Trail Information: http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/gwj/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=79941&actid=50
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=940890
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: From Blacksburg, take US 460 west 6 miles to CR 700 and the signed turn-off for Mountain Lake.  Turn right on CR 700 and begin climbing the mountain.  Where the road to the Mountain Lake resort goes to the right, angle left on a gravel road and enter the national forest.  Follow this gravel road another 2 miles to the small marked parking area for the Chestnut and War Spur Trails on the right.

The hike: The first documentation of Mountain Lake occurred by a 1751 survey party sent to search out what is today southwest Virginia for settlement possibilities.  A natural lake in this region is very unusual, so unusual in fact that there are only two in Virginia: the other one is in Dismal Swamp.  The 1800’s brought logging to this and most of the rest of southwest Virginia, and by the 1900’s very little was left of the forest the original survey team had observed.

In the early 1900’s two events happened.  The impressive Mountain Lake hotel was built to overlook the lake.  You still pass this landmark as you drive to this trailhead.  Second, the US Forest Service began acquiring logged-over land in the Mountain Lake region to be added to the newly-formed Jefferson National Forest.  In 1984, the Mountain Lake Wilderness was established, and in 1988 it was expanded to its present 10,700 acres.

Several miles of trails today access the Mountain Lake Wilderness Area, but very few of them are arranged to make for convenient loop hikes.  The short hike described here, combining the Chestnut and War Spur Trails, is an exception.  A spur trail from this hike also provides access to the Appalachian Trail, which passes through the wilderness.

Trailhead: War Spur Loop

            Begin at a signboard that contains a map of the immediate trail system.  The two trails leaving from this signboard form our loop.  This description will use the Chestnut Trail on the right as the outward portion and the War Spur Trail on the left as the return portion.  Beginning the Chestnut Trail, the trail dips to cross a small stream (actually, the beginnings of War Spur Branch) and then climbs gradually toward the highest point of the hike.  The forest is young and dominated by oak in the hardwoods and Virginia pine in the needleleaf sections.

Hiking through mountaintop forest

            At the high point on this hike, the trail curves left and descends gently to a marked intersection at 0.9 miles.  The War Spur Trail, our eventual return route, goes left here, but for now continue straight ahead on the spur trail to the overlook.  0.2 miles and a moderate descent later, arrive at the top of a rock outcrop that serves as the overlook.  Potts Mountain lies in front of you and across the War Spur drainage.  John’s Creek can be seen downstream to the right.  This overlook would be especially nice in the autumn, as you are surrounded largely by deciduous forest.  The overlook is not protected, so do not venture too close to the edge trying to get a better view.

View from overlook, looking upstream

View from overlook, looking downstream

            Retrace your steps to the intersection, then turn right on the War Spur Trail to begin your return route.  After 0.1 miles of ridge walking, the trail descends using two switchbacks to the south bank of War Spur Branch.  You will hear the creek before you see it due to the dense understory of rhododendron, which sit amidst some tall hemlocks.  Now at the lowest point on the trail, the trail follows War Spur upstream for 0.3 miles until it crosses the creek.  The creek flows underground most of the time here, so this should be an easy crossing.  The unblazed trail becomes difficult to follow just past this crossing, but stay near the stream, and you will soon relocate it.

A moderate climb and 0.3 miles later, the War Spur Trail intersects a spur trail that leads right to the Appalachian Trail.  Stay left on a wide grassy path and in 0.3 miles return to the parking area to complete the hike.