Yesterday, I put up a post about my recent hike up Mount Rogers. Today, I want to tell you about the much easier hike we did the next day. We did a short balloon loop called the Twin Pinnacles Trail.
After doing the big loop last Saturday, our legs were too tired to do another big hiking day. However, me being the way I am, I still wanted to hike a little more. I also wanted to go to the visitors center at Grayson Highlands State Park because I collect patches and wanted to add to my stash. Inside the visitor center, there are some informational displays on the geology and the history of the area that were quite interesting. It’s worth a stop.
Behind the visitors center, we picked up the trail. This trail is fairly easy (even with tired legs) and is just over 1.5 miles. The trail takes you to the summit of Little Pinnacle. Unlike Mount Rogers, this mountain has some excellent views at the top. It started to rain a bit while we were exploring the summit, but once we went back into the forest the rain could barely reach us. The trail goes through a thick forest with lush greenery. If you are interested in fungi, this is an excellent place to explore! If you are in the area and looking for a quick hike with good photo ops, this is a great option!
To Get To The Trail
Go out the back of the visitor center and go to left down the path a few yards. The trail head is well marked with an informational sign. Very shortly after the trail starts it branches off in two directions. I would recommend going to the right first. This way you will hit the summit close to the end of the hike. It seems more rewarding to me that way. We completed this trail in less than an hour, so it was a nice add on to an already fantastic trip! You can connect to other trails from here, but we chose not to due to the weather and muscle soreness.
Visitor center hours can be found here.
