Rice Fields

This out and back hike via the AT starts on Pocahontas Rd in the Jefferson National Forest just outside of Pearisburg, VA. Hikers can access the trailhead by turning off of Highway 460 onto Clendennin Rd (VA 641) and will see a National Forest sign for Pocahontas Rd. There is gravel parking off the side of both Clendennin Rd and Pocahontas Rd. The first 2.5 miles of the hike are uphill and in the forest. Some sections have moderate inclines but there are switchbacks to help with that. The trail is soil with some rocky sections. At about 1.1 miles in, hikers will come across an old gravel road and turn right. You only stay on this road for a short distance, don't miss the sharp left turn and white AT blaze about 0.1 mi down the gravel road. After this, hikers will continue to climb up and will cross some sections of boulders. Once you've gone about 2.5 miles you'll be at the top of the ridgeline and will hook a right. This will bring you to a clearing on the ridgeline that has an AT shelter, lots of tall grass, and offers beautiful views of the surrounding valley. If hikers choose, they can continue past the Rice Fields via the AT and will come across a powerline corridor (at approximately 3.4 miles from the trailhead) that offers additional scenic views of the valley.