Highlights-Top 5 Side Trails Worth the Effort

1-Spy Rock. A great view in the shadow of Maintop Mt, a fun hands-
and-feet climb to get to the top and a lovely grassy flat leading up to it.
This is a fun feature in a really great section.

2-Mt Rogers summit. OK, so there’s no view and the surrounding
highlands have views up the wazoo. There’s something special about
this spot where the altitude makes it feel more like Maine than Virginia.

3-The Priest. You have to get a little creative on this one since there
isn’t an official side trail. When you reach the summit plateau (north of
the shelter) look for the scratch trails to the west and that will take you
to the view.

4-Dragons Tooth. I know. Calling this a side trail is a bit of stretch
since it’s clearly the reason for slugging your way up Cove Mt. Still,
it’s not on the trail and it’s a pretty challenging climb (at least to those
of us who are more hiker than climber).

5-Bear’s Den. Even if you don’t plan on spending the night, it’s
a great place to stop for lunch or a snack. It’s a beautiful old building
with a nice view of the valley to the east.