Travel Virginia for fall adventures

Travel Virginia for fall adventures

Virginia steals hearts in the fall. A stand of fiery red maples shimmers against a brilliant blue Shenandoah Valley October sky. Migrating songbirds and Canada geese cover the November skies of Virginia's beach-clad Eastern shore. Who wouldn't think of jumping on a bike and chasing the clouds on days like this?

Experience the fall in Virginia with leisurely excursions affording opportunities to enjoy and embrace the season. Autumn begins in late September in the wild, untouched mountains of Virginia's Southwest Blue Ridge Highlands, then travels through the Shenandoah Valley, Northern and Central Virginia by mid-October. The season stretches all the way to mid-November in the Chesapeake Bay, Eastern Shore and Tidewater and Hampton Roads regions. Virginia's autumn days offer countless opportunities for hiking, bird watching, canoeing, kayaking, horseback riding, hunting, fishing and mountain biking.

Southwest Blue Ridge Highlands

When fall first colors the dogwoods, maples and oaks in the Southwest Blue Ridge Highlands, it's time to don hiking boots, grab a fishing pole or jump on a bike. Virginia has more than 60 named mountain summits above 4,000 feet. That spells plenty of adventure and terrific scenery. Virginia boasts two of her most famous biking trails in this region: the 34-mile Virginia Creeper National recreational Trail located in the remote natural beauty of Washington and Grayson counties and the 57-mile New River Trail in the equally pristine Grayson, Wythe, Carroll and Pulaski counties. Both trails are accessible to hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding.

The region's seven state parks, along with the magnificent Appalachian Trail and the Jefferson National Forest, allow the adventuresome to hike, bike, fish, canoe, swim, horseback ride and camp on thousands of acres of natural areas.

The New River, one of the few rivers i North America that flows north, is unparalleled in Virginia when it comes to fishing for smallmouth, spotted and largemouth bass, as well as nearly every other major freshwater fish found in Virginia. Maps with designated public access sites of the New River and other rivers in Virginia are available from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

Shenandoah Valley

Following autumn into the Shenandoah Valley, you enter a region that matches accessible natural beauty with adventure. The 195,000-acre Shenandoah National Park and the nearly 1 million acres in the George Washington National Forest, both spanning the state along the Appalachian Mountains, provide myriad outdoor activities.

Approximately 15 miles to the west of the Shenandoah Valley town of Staunton, Elliot Knob in the George Washington National Forest is a favorite for mountain bikers willing to challenge the 4,463-foot summit on a 20-mile ride.

For hikers, it's easy to "get away from it all" in the Shenandoah Valley and soak up the beauty of fall in the company of ruffed grouse or white-tailed deer. You may even catch a glimpse of a shy black bear while on a National Forest trail.

Die-hard hawk watchers set up lawn chairs on Afton Mountain, on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Charlottesville, every year during the fall migration to count the raptors, from broad-winged hawks to peregrine falcons.

As fall brings more water into Virginia's mountain streams, it also means opportunities for some exciting white water rafting. In Lexington, the James River Basic Canoe Livery Ltd. will outfit you for an unforgettable experience along rapids of the Maury River-known in the kayaking and canoeing world for its "Devil's Kitchen" at Goshen Pass.

Rentals, shuttles and camping facilities are available through the Shenandoah River Outfitters for canoe excursions along the popular Shenandoah River.

Lake Moomaw in Allegheny County is notable for its huge brown trout that tend to get hungry once the waters start to cool. If you have a hankering to learn how to fish with a fly rod in some of the state's most beautiful mountain streams, Harry Murray of Murray's Fly Shop conducts workshops that teach the crafty tactics to fool a native brook trout.

Central Virginia

East of the Blue Ridge Mountains, autumn changes Central Virginia into a paradise of gold pastures, hay bales and well-filled apple-packing warehouses. This region of rolling hills allows ample opportunities for biking on country backroads. Map your trip to take in some of the famous Civil War sites and battlefields in the Petersburg, Richmond and Appomattox areas.

Six state parks in Central Virginia allow visitors to combine many outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, horseback riding, bird watching, camping, hunting and fishing. In addition, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries operates several wildlife management areas (WMA) in the region for hunting, fishing, hiking, horseback riding and camping. These include Amelia, Briery Creek, Dick Cross and the Hardware River WMAs. The James River, with plenty of public access, provides chances for spectacular fall canoeing and affords superb bass-fishing opportunities and scenic vistas.

For an impressive and lofty view of Virginia's fall foliage, take to the skies in a colorful hot air balloon. The calm and crisp autumn air during an early morning or evening flight leads over pastoral farms, fields and towns around Charlottesville and Richmond.

From mid-September to mid-November, Virginia dresses up in the vivid colors of fall. There's no better way to experience autumn in Virginia than with an outdoor activity.

For a free Virginia is for Lovers Travel Guide and state highway map, contact the Virginia Tourism Corporation, 901 E. Byrd St., Richmond, VA 23219. Or call toll-free 800/932-5827 or 804/786-4484. Virginia travel information is also available via the Internet at http://www.VIRGINIA.org