Outdoor Adventures
2025 Outdoor Adventures!
Stream Discovery
Friday, July 25: 10am-12noon
White’s Mill, 12314 White’s Mill Road, Abingdon, VA 24210
Upper Tennessee River Roundtable volunteers will show how to catch and identify invertebrates, the tiny creatures that live in healthy streams. This event is suitable for children, parents, and teachers. The workshop will be at White’s Mill near Abingdon. Rain date is Friday, August 1, at 10am.
Registration required by calling 276-628-1600. Deadline is Thursday, July 24.
Guided Rock Climbing Day at Hidden Valley WMA
Saturday, July 26: 10am-2pm
Join Rock Dimensions of Boone for guided rock climbing at Hidden Valley on Brumley Mountain. Learn the fundamentals of outdoor rope climbing in a supportive and scenic setting. Whether you are brand new to climbing or looking to transition from the gym to the crag, our experienced instructors will cover essential skills like belaying, knot tying, movement techniques, and outdoor climbing safety.
Hidden Valley’s sandstone cliffs offer the perfect mix of beginner-friendly routes and exciting challenges. Rock Dimensions will provide all the necessary equipment, so just bring food and water for a day outside.
Meet at the climbers parking lot at Hidden Valley Wildlife Management Area.
Registration is required by Thursday, July 24. Limited to 12 participants.
Hike to Buzzard Rock at Hidden Valley WMA
Sunday, July 27: 9-11am
The jumble of rocks atop Brumley Mountain provides a spectacular view of Clinch Mountain running west for miles into Tennessee and of the lower ridges and valleys of Russell and Washington Counties. The trail is of moderate difficulty for most of its three-mile round trip, but navigating the boulders at the top is challenging.
The hike is not suitable for children, dogs or those with poor balance. Unplug SWVA, which is leading the hike, leads hikes to allow people to get away from electronic distractions.
Registration is required online by July 25. Limited to 20 participants.
Meet at the Hidden Valley Wildlife Management Area’s parking lot to the left of the entrance sign or park in the lower climber’s lot (7904 Hidden Valley Road). From Abingdon, follow US-19 approximately 10 miles north, and turn right onto SR-690. See GPS directions.
For more information: https://bit.ly/BrumleyMountainTrail
Hike from Backbone Rock to Damascus
Monday, July 28: 9am-1pm
Meet at the Caboose at Damascus Town Park
This strenuous 7.7-mile hike with 1,540 feet in elevation gain on the Backbone Rock Trail and Appalachian Trail is recommended for experienced hikers in good physical condition. Shuttle to Backbone Rock to start the one-way hike back to Damascus. Backbone Rock itself is interesting to see, and the hike, though challenging, offers many vistas along the Appalachian and Backbone Rock Trails. Bring water, hiking sticks and possibly raingear, and wear hiking boots or shoes. Shuttle fee is $5 payable as you board.
Hiking these trails will give a firsthand look at the damage and devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. The trail is open and can be hiked due to the efforts of many dedicated trail supporters that spent countless hours clearing the trails.
Registration is required online by Saturday, July 26. Limited to 18 participants.
Wildlife Rehab Talk by Darin Handy
Indoor classroom activity
Monday, July 28, 7:30-9:00pm
Executive Auditorium, Southwest Virginia Higher Ed Center, Abingdon, Virginia.
Darin Handy will share some of his experiences dealing with wildlife rehab and what people can do when they encounter injured or orphaned wildlife. He runs All are God’s Creatures, a sanctuary for native wildlife and small exotic animals. Handy is a permitted VADWR and USFWS wildlife rehabber. Suitable for all ages.
Walk on the Abingdon Urban Pathway
Tuesday, July 29: 9:30-11:30am
Meet at the Muster Grounds parking lot at Hurt St. and Village Court, Abingdon
Discover the backyards of Abingdon! The Abingdon Urban Pathway is a 1.6-mile walking and biking path between key Abingdon sites. Beginning at the Muster Grounds, where a Revolutionary War militia gathered, it passes by the railroad and tobacco warehouses key to Abingdon's history. In the last forty years, a train depot has become an arts center, and the Virginia Creeper Railroad has become a trail. Knowledgeable guides will talk about these sites as the walkers pass them. At the Virginia Creeper Trailhead, a shuttle bus will take walkers who wish to return to the Muster Grounds parking lot. Others can walk back with the guide.
Bring water and a hat, and wear comfortable walking shoes.
Registration is required online by Sunday, July 27.
Coyotes and Foxes Talk by Leah Card
Tuesday, July 29: 7:30-9:00pm
Executive Auditorium, Southwest VA Higher Education Center, Abingdon, VA
Have you ever seen a fox run across your yard or heard coyotes howl and wondered what they are up to? Did you know that there are things you can do to help prevent conflict with our wild canids--the red fox, gray fox, and coyote? Using current research, Leah Card with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources will talk about fox and coyote behavior and habitat.
Hike on Clyburn Ridge Trail with Plant & Tree Identification
Wednesday, July 30: 9:30am-1:00pm
Meet at Hungry Mother Discovery Center, Hwy 16 by 9am.
Clyburn Ridge Trail is a 5-mile loop trail in Hungry Mother State Park near Marion, Virginia. The hike offers good views of Hungry Mother Lake and Molly’s Knob across the lake. It is considered a moderate to strenuous hike due to its 2,000 foot elevation gain. Plan on a full three hours from the start of the hike at 9:30am. Bring lunch, water, hiking sticks, and possibly raingear. Wear hiking shoes or boots.
Mark Archibald, a Virginia Master Naturalist, will provide tree and plant identification, and holistic practitioner Cassidy Case, of Whole Health Center, will describe herbs and their medicinal use.
Registration is required online by Monday, July 28. Limited to 25 people.
Park admission is $7 per car.
Edible and Medicinal Plants Walk with Carrie Sparks
Wednesday, July 30: 2:00-3:30 pm
Meet at Settlers Museum, 1322 Rocky Hollow Rd, Atkins, VA 24311
Can’t beat the weeds? Then eat the weeds! Join naturalist Carrie Sparks for an easy one-mile walk along the birding trail at the Settlers Museum of Southwest Virginia where there are over 30 common plants that can be used for food, tea or medicine. Several “wild” food items and drinks will be prepared for you to sample.
Register online by Tuesday, July 29. Limited to 25 people.
The museum is 40 miles from Abingdon. Off Exit 54 of I-81, it is at Atkins, 2 miles south of Hwy. 11 and 25 minutes from Hungry Mother SP. Bring water.
Hike to the Great Channels
Thursday, July 31: 9am-4pm
Meet at Hayters Gap Community Center, 7720 Hayters Gap Road, Saltville, VA 24370
Imagine squeezing between forty-foot-high stone walls. The Great Channels is a unique geologic formation composed of a network of deep sandstone crevices at the top of Clinch Mountain. The Great Channels is part of the Channels State Forest and Natural Area Preserve.
On the hike, participants will also see high-elevation forest communities and learn about the geology and ecology of the area. Participants should be prepared for a moderately-strenuous 6-mile round-trip hike. Hikers should wear sturdy hiking boots and bring lunch, plenty of water, and possibly rain gear.
Registration is required online by Tuesday, July 29.
Fee is $5. Limited to 20 participants.
For more information, see https://bit.ly/thegreatchannels
Buzzard Rock Hike on Whitetop
Saturday, Aug. 2: 9am-1pm
Meet at Lowes, Exit 19 in Abingdon to carpool.
Whitetop Mountain at 5525 feet has spectacular views of Clinch Mountain and North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Led by Doug Levin of the Mt. Rogers Appalachian Trail Club, the two-mile round-trip hike along the Appalachian Trail crosses the open fields of a bald to a rocky outcrop.
Hikers should wear sturdy hiking boots, and bring lunch, water, binoculars, sunscreen, and possibly rain gear.
Intro to Bouldering Clinic
Sunday, August 3: 10 am-2 pm
New to climbing? Curious about bouldering? Join the Central Appalachia Climbers Coalition for an Intro to Bouldering Clinic, which will cover all the fundamentals. Learn about movement techniques, safety basics, crash pad placement, and outdoor ethics—all in a fun and welcoming environment. Whether you’re a beginner, have tried climbing a bouldering wall, or want to build confidence on the rock, this clinic is the perfect way to get started. CACC will provide all the necessary equipment. Participants just need to bring food and water.
Meet to carpool at the Food Country building (15811 Porterfield Hwy) in Abingdon at 9:30 am.
Register online by Thursday, July 31. Limited to 18 people.
Mushroom ID with Lee Borg
Sunday, August 3: 1:30-3:30pm
Lee Borg, a Master Naturalist, is passionate about finding and identifying edible wild mushrooms and cooking with them. Borg is part of the Claudius Project, a team of mycologists, doctors, and toxicologists who are publishing Poisonous Mushrooms in Virginia.
Borg’s walk will be at Straight Branch. From the Damascus caboose, follow Hwy 58 east about 4.5 miles. (Turn toward Konnarock.) After you enter Mt. Rogers Recreation Area, watch for a sign on the right that says Straight Branch. A large parking area is beside and on the right of Hwy 58. A gravel road leads downhill a short distance to a privy and more parking places beside the Virginia Creeper Trail.
Links to websites for area outdoor attractions
Where are wild ponies. mountain balds, great places to hike, museums related to the outdoors, good fishing places, and places just to stretch your legs? This link takes you to a map that shows you places locals go. Click on the pin to see the place, and then on the box beside the name to link to its website. The farthest outdoor locations are not more than one and a half hours from Abingdon.
Abingdon Outdoor Adventure Activity Book
Monday-Friday, July 29-Aug 2 10am-2pm
Barter Green, Youth Tent Become a VHF Outdoor Adventurer by picking up an Outdoor Adventurer Activity Book and completing activities as you go through Abingdon. Learn about Abingdon’s parks—for butterflies and munchkins. Find out about wyes, muster grounds, and two kinds of Virginia Creepers.
Show your completed booklet at the Youth Tent to receive your official Abingdon Outdoor Adventurer button!
“Those of us who live in this area know what treasures the Appalachian Trail, the Virginia Creeper Trail, and the Mt. Rogers Recreation Area are. There are other places less well known, such as the Channels and Pinnacle Natural Area Preserves. We try to share the ‘hidden treasures’ of these places with our Festival visitors.”
– Merry Jennings, Outdoors Chair