38 Guest River Gorge

This hike combines history and natural beauty in the rugged mountains of southwest Virginia. Here in the Jefferson National Forest, you will hike a trail that was once a railroad grade. First pass through the Swede Tunnel, then cross the Guest River—a Virginia State Scenic River—on a high bridge. Continue down the cliff- and bluff-rimmed canyon, viewing giant streamside boulders. Pass your first waterfall, then come to a stair-step cascade set in a rock-rimmed glen before turning around.

Start: Guest River Gorge trailhead

Distance: 5.6 miles out and back

Hiking time: About 3 hours

Difficulty: Moderate

Trail surface: Pea gravel

Best season: Year-round

Other trail users: Bicyclers, occasional equestrians

Canine compatibility: Leashed dogs permitted

Land status: National forest

Fees and permits: None

Schedule: Open daily year-round

Maps: Guest River Gorge; USGS Coeburn

Trail contact: Jefferson National Forest, 9416 Coeburn Mountain Rd., Wise, VA 24293; (276) 328-2931; www.fs.fed.us

Finding the trailhead: From the junction of US 58 Alternate and VA 72, just south of downtown Coeburn, take VA 72 south for 2.3 miles to the signed left turn for the Guest River Gorge Trail. Turn left and follow the road 1.3 miles to the dead end at the trailhead. Trailhead GPS: N36 55.388' / W82 27.080'

The Hike

The Guest River Gorge Trail, like many rail trails, took a while to come into being. Fortunately, the Jefferson National Forest saw an opportunity when this leg of the Interstate Line was abandoned. After hiking this rail-turned-trail, you will see why the term “gorge” is used when describing the valley of the Guest River. This waterway crashes toward its mother stream—the Clinch River—cutting a deep swath through Stone Mountain. Sheer cliffs rise. Big boulders are scattered throughout the gorge and in the Guest River. The historic element of this hike traces back a century, when a railroad line was forced through this rugged valley. The line was put through to transport coal and timber from the Coeburn area down to an already-existing rail line running down the Clinch River Valley.

The Guest River is born high in the western part of Wise County, springing forth below Fox Gap near the Kentucky state line. It cuts south through Dixiana and Lipps (great Appalachian names) before nearing Norton. Then the Guest River digs a mean valley eastward but does not reach its prime until turning south, below Coeburn, where it slices betwixt 400-foot-high sandstone cliffs, creating the gorge where the hike travels. Finally, the Guest River delivers its highland elixir to the Clinch River. Intrepid kayakers ply the Class IV–V rapids of the Guest River Gorge in spring, adding a thrill for hikers traveling the gorge during that time. Anglers cast lines for trout and smallmouth bass, using the trail for angling access.

A trailside bluff is bathed in the winter sun.

It isn’t long before your hike reveals the engineering marvels of this railroad line. The Guest River leg was once part of a greater network, much of what still exists today. The Interstate Railroad Line passes through the Clinch and Powell River watersheds, hauling coal from these hills to plants that light cities of the Southeast such as Charlotte, North Carolina.

You first pass through the Swede Tunnel, a dark and cool experience that shortcuts a sharp bend in the Guest River. Next, the Guest River Gorge Trail heads over a high span that bridges its namesake stream. This trestle allows excellent views of the Guest River. Heading downstream, the trail is bordered with beauty, whether it is a rock-choked rapid, bronzed cliffs (especially visible in winter) or cascades flowing from the surrounding hillsides into the Guest River. Alluring forest grows wherever rock and trail aren’t. Huge boulders, fallen from the surrounding cliffs, stand firm in the waterway. Moreover, where the gorge walls were a little too close, the railroad makers blasted it back, creating a passage for the trains.

Contemplation benches have been placed at the most scenic locales and are cues for stopping. Railroad-line mile markers keep you apprised of your whereabouts on the path. This particular hike ends at a cascade that cuts through the gorge 2.8 miles from the trailhead. Avid hikers can continue an additional 3 miles one-way to the trail’s end near its confluence with the Clinch River, though most hikers are found on the first half of the trail. The path is also popular with bicyclists who regularly pedal from the trailhead all the way to its endpoint. Although the trail ends at an active railroad line, a spur path—the Heart of Appalachia Trail—connects to the town of St. Paul.

In 1988 Norfolk Southern Railroad abandoned the Interstate Railroad through the gorge, then ceded the right-of-way in 1994, when the Guest River Gorge Trail was opened.

Miles and Directions

0.0Start by leaving the lower east corner of the parking area on an asphalt track. Immediately pass an informative national forest kiosk, then curve down to meet the actual railroad grade that comprises the Guest River Gorge Trail. There is a restroom down here. Proceed right (southeasterly) on the wide, gravel former railroad grade. The Guest River flows downstream to your left and is visible through the trees.

0.3Pass a small waterfall on your right just before reaching the Swede Tunnel. The railroad line blasted through a bend in the Guest River. Note the date atop the tower: 1922. The tunnel is only a couple of hundred feet long, and light coming from both ends allows passage without worries of stumbling through the dark.

0.4Reach a wooden trestle that spans the Guest River a short distance after emerging from the Swede Tunnel. Enjoy views upstream at the boulder-strewn river as well as its downstream curve. The river is now flowing to your right amid rhododendron thickets, rocks, and mosses shaded by hardwoods.

1.1Come directly alongside the Guest. Here, cabin-size boulders seemingly block the stream below.

1.5Reach a short wooden bridge spanning Crab Orchard Creek. Look upstream for Crab Orchard Cascade, flowing about 12 feet over a bluff. There is no direct trail, but the cascade is easily visible from the trail when the leaves are off the trees. It is worth a short scramble through the woods to view this pour-over. Beyond here, the trail continues ever deeper into the gorge on a gentle grade.

2.8Come to a stream entering from the left. Here, an unnamed creek has broken through the cliff line and created a multitiered cascade. As you face the cascade, there is also a small rock house to the left of the trail. This locale makes for a good picnic and turnaround spot. The Guest River Gorge Trail continues for 3 more miles of “gorge-ous” beauty before ending near the confluence with the Clinch River.

5.6Arrive back at the trailhead, completing the out-and-back hike.

More Waterfalls Nearby

The Guest River Gorge Trail passes several waterfalls on its trip to the Clinch River. Here in the Jefferson National Forest, there’s another scenic valley nearby with extensive beauty and waterfalls too: Little Stony Creek. The Little Stony Creek National Recreation Trail heads up a gorgeous valley with waterslides, cascades, and pools in a deep gorge with stone bluffs, rock overhangs, and boulder fields. Wooden footbridges keep your feet dry en route to two significant waterfalls, each dropping over stone precipices.

Little Stony Creek National Recreation Trail leaves the Hanging Rock parking area in deep woods. Rock houses and boulder gardens are strewn about the watershed. Little Stony Creek tumbles, slides, gurgles, and shoots its way toward the Clinch River, much like the Guest River. Overhead, sycamore, birch, Fraser magnolia, and maple canopy the trail. Wildflowers, from dwarf crested iris to trillium, thrive in this moist vale. Reach a wooden footbridge at 0.4 mile. The bridges you cross on this hike were brought in by helicopter.

At 1.2 miles pass a rock house on your left. Bridge over to the right bank at 1.3 miles. Cross Star Branch at 1.5 miles and look upstream at a delicate veil pour-over. Ahead, open onto a streamside bedrock slab with 10-foot cascade stairs stepping over rock layers just above it. This is Lower Falls. At 2.1 miles the trail bridges Corder Branch. Note the flat bedrock where Corder Branch meets Little Stony Creek. The path steepens a bit ahead. Watch for a sheer bluff on the far side of Little Stony Creek. At 2.4 miles come to Middle Stony Falls. A viewing platform allows for a straight-on look at the curtain-type fall. It cascades about 20 feet over a vertical rock face, splashing into mist.

Continuing beyond Middle Falls, the path turns south, and it isn’t long before it reaches Upper Falls at 2.5 miles. Here, the stream splits as it drops, mostly fanning out, with the left side of the fall making a slender white spill. Many visitors will have come the shorter way, upstream, from FR 701, accessible via VA 72 between the Guest River Gorge trailhead and Coeburn.

I prefer the lower access. To reach the lower trailhead of Little Stony Creek from the Guest River Gorge access, head south for 6.5 miles on VA 72 to Hanging Rock Recreation Area, near Dungannon. The trail starts at the end of the access road.