13 Wildcat Rocks and Fodder Stack (Milepost 241.1)
The abrupt, spectacular escarpment of Doughton Park plunges 2,000 feet from rocky cliffs into Basin Cove, a remote mountain community now reverting to wilderness. An easy paved trail reaches a view of Caudill Cabin far below, and a rugged but short scramble leads to a spectacular crag—both from the same trailhead.
Parkway milepost: 241.1
Distance: 0.3 mile out and back for Wildcat Rocks; 2.0 miles out and back for Fodder Stack
Elevation gain: Negligible
Maps: USGS Whitehead; Parkway map available at ranger station (Milepost 245.5) and other park facilities and online at www.nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/brochures.htm
Finding the trailhead: Turn east off the Parkway to the Doughton Park lodge and picnic area and bear left at the turn to Bluffs Lodge. Park on the right in front of the second lodge unit for the Wildcat Rocks Trail, or continue left into the farther parking lot for Fodder Stack (and a shorter trail to Wildcat Rocks).
The Hikes
Both of these walks start near the lodge on the broad bluff that juts out into the void over Basin Cove, the deep watershed that makes Doughton Park such a scenic stop on the Parkway.
Wildcat Rocks
Wildcat Rocks is the pinnacle beyond the lodge, where a rocky outcrop and stone wall survey the entire 6,000-acre watershed (one of only two places on the Parkway where overnight backpacking is permitted). Peer over, past the summer wildflowers that cling to the rock, and Caudill Cabin sits far below. Start in front of the lodge and take the paved, gently rising path to the rocks and back. (For a shorter stroll, head to the second parking lot near the start of the Fodder Stack Trail, where a bas-relief bust honors Robert Doughton.) Take the ascending paved path up to the right. Some people picnic on the sunny rocks.
Fodder Stack
Nearby Fodder Stack is aptly named—it’s a bumpy lump that juts out from the main ridge and stands on its own above steeply dropping terrain. The trail combines great views with moderate walking, and the Park Service recommends the hike to families. The trail veers left off the back of the parking lot and descends steeply on switchbacks to a bench amid great views down to Caudill Cabin. The trail passes a few more benches and a rocky viewpoint on the right as it reaches and follows the ridgeline then ends at a final bench on the summit. In the leafless seasons, the surrounding expanse creates a stunning feeling of being out in the middle of it all.
Despite the seeming wildness of the chasm below, the isolated valley was once a bustling community with a school, store, church, and post office. The first residents moved in after the Civil War, and the last moved out after the flood of 1916. If you’d like a closer look at a pioneer structure similar to Caudill Cabin, head a short distance north to Milepost 238.5 and take the easy path to rustic Brinegar Cabin. This former home of a weaver still contains a loom.
Key Points
0.1 Bench with a view of Caudill Cabin.
0.5 Rocky crag on right with nice view.
1.0 Bench at summit view.