MILE 49.4, FISHERS GAP and FISHERS GAP OVERLOOK. Elevation 3,070 feet. Hikes, fire road crossing, A.T. access. The overlook is hidden from the Drive by a large wooded island; its north entrance is just south of the fire road. On the fire road, 100 feet west of the Drive, there is parking space for two or three cars. A few yards farther down the road is the A.T. For hikes beginning at Fishers Gap, I suggest that you park in the overlook. The view from the overlook is limited: a narrow V-shaped view down Fox Hollow (not the same as the Fox Hollow near Dickey Ridge), and across the Valley to the Massanutten. But a stop here is worth while for other reasons.
A.T. access is via a 55-yard trail which begins at a large rock where the parking area narrows at the south end of the overlook. Distances on the A.T.: South (to the left) it's 1.5 miles to the Big Meadows Amphitheater. North (to the right) it's 1.4 miles to Spitler Knoll Overlook. The A.T. crosses the fire road just to the north, which makes possible a very short "leg-stretcher" hike, as follows:
HIKE: A.T. below the overlook. Circuit 0.3 mile; total climb about 30 feet; time required 0:20. Take the short access trail at the south end of the overlook. Turn right on the A.T., then right on the fire road. When you reach the Drive, turn sharp right into the north entrance to the overlook, and return to your starting point.
Wildflower note: The purple clematis, Clematis verticillaris, is an uncommon wildflower, but it blooms beside the A.T. below the overlook, usually in late April. It's a vine, producing large showy flowers with four long, limp, pale-purple sepals. In early April look for the pale violet flowers of hepatica, which is usually the first spring flower to bloom.
The fire road that crosses the ridge just north of the overlook is the old Gordonsville Turnpike. On the east side it descends through the Rose River valley, leaves the Park, and becomes Virginia secondary road No. 670. Three miles outside the boundary it passes the semi-famous Graves Mountain Lodge, near Syria. On the west it's called the Redgate Road. It descends 4.3 miles to the Park boundary, where it becomes Virginia secondary road No. 611, and continues to Stanley.
History: In November of 1862 Stonewall Jackson used this road to lead his army of 15,000 (or 20,000 or 25,000) men across the mountain on the way to Fredericksburg, where he was instrumental in defeating the Union Army under General Burnside.
Uncertain history: According to one writer, this road was built in the 1790's. Another says it was built during the Civil War as a military road. Claude Yowell, historian of Madison County, Va., says it was first called the Blue Ridge Turnpike, and was built in 1849-50.
Legend: This is called the Redgate Road because there was a red toll gate across it here in Fishers Gap. More likely: on the south side of the road was a large fenced meadow, with a farm road passing through it. The farm road reached the Gordonsville Turnpike through a red gate in the fence.
On the east side of the ridge, the road descends into Dark Hollow.
I will recommend four hikes that begin at Fishers Gap Overlook:
Rose River Falls: round trip 2.7 miles.
Rose River Falls and Hogcamp Branch: circuit 4.0 miles.
Davids Spring: round trip 1.8 miles.
Davids Spring and return by horse trail: circuit 3.2 miles.
HIKE: Rose River Falls. Round trip 2.7 miles; total climb about 720 feet; time required 2:35. A not-too-difficult hike to a rather small but very pretty waterfall. See map, page 166; Fishers Gap Overlook is near right center.
Park in the overlook, and walk out the north entrance road. Cross the Drive, walk a hundred feet down the fire road, and turn left onto a graded trail. (At first, this is a foot trail and horse trail combined; horses have the right of way.) About 0.6 mile from the start, the horse trail turns off to the left; go straight ahead here. A mile from the start the trail turns abruptly to the right.
The next part of the trail is invitingly cool and shady, with more and more evergreens. There's a rough stretch, but it's short. A hundred yards beyond the abrupt right turn, in a grove of hemlocks, the Rose River comes down on the left and parallels the trail. As you walk, look for small cascades and pools and miniature waterfalls. After another quarter of a mile you're at the top of the falls, which consist of several separate cascades. A hundred feet farther is a low point on the trail, with the highest falls in view to your left. If you wish, go on a few feet more, to where the trail swings up to the right. Straight ahead on the side trail are some rocks where you can sit and watch the falls.
Trivia: Rose River was named for early settlers, not for flowers. On an old map (1795) it's called Rows River.
HIKE: Rose River Falls and return via Hogcamp Branch. Circuit 4.0 miles; total climb about 910 feet; time required 3:45. A slightly difficult hike, with one stream crossing. A few parts of the trail are rough, a few steep, and a few are sometimes damp and slippery. But, besides the falls, you'll see dozens of pools and cascades and miniature falls. See map, page 166. Your route is down the Rose River trail, past the falls and copper mine, up Hogcamp Branch to the bridge, and then up the fire road.
As above, to Rose River Falls. Continue another third of a mile; the trail leaves the stream there and swings to the right, with a grove of young hemlocks on your left. Beyond the hemlocks is a triangle of nearly level land bounded by the trail, Rose River, and Hogcamp Branch. There was once a mountaineer homesite here. And before that it was a favorite campsite of the Indians. Many arrowheads have been found here.
After the trail swings right for a second time it parallels a stream, the Hogcamp Branch, on the left. Two hundred yards farther, a "trail" of pale blue-gray rock chips goes steeply uphill on the right, to the filled-in shaft of an old copper mine. To the left is a weathered concrete monolith; it supported an air compressor that supplied the pneumatic drills.
History: The copper mine was worked from 1845 to 1850, then abandoned. In 1902 the Blue Ridge Copper Co. was formed to resume operations here. Three shafts were opened (all of them now filled.) The ore was in narrow veins through the basalt, consisting of blue and green carbonates of copper, a little cuprite, some chalcopyrite, and some native copper. The ore was rich, but getting it out of the basalt was not economically feasible.
Less than a tenth of a mile beyond the copper mine, cross the Hogcamp Branch and turn right. (Straight ahead, a side trail climbs 0.3 mile to the fire road.) The trail ascends through lower Dark Hollow, with the Hogcamp Branch on your right, and reaches the fire road after 0.9 mile of climbing. Of all the trails in the Park, this is my favorite. The stream is rarely out of sight, and it has an endless variety of cascades and pools. There are wildflowers in summer, from Indian pipes to three-leaved Sedum (just before you get to the fire road.) The moss that grows on rotting logs here is too green to believe. It's a long climb; when you want to rest, go down to the stream, find a rock to sit on, and watch the water.
When you reach the fire road, turn right and cross the bridge, pausing to look to your left at a long, narrow waterfall. Thirty yards beyond the bridge, the Dark Hollow Falls trail goes uphill on the left. (If you make a side trip to the base of the falls you will add 0.3 mile and 145 feet of climbing to your hike.) About 0.6 mile from the bridge there's a big, much-branched sugar maple — evidence of a former mountain homesite. Other clues are grape vines, artificially leveled areas, and spots where lawn-type grass still grows. The Cave family cemetery is near here, on the left side of the road. Continue steadily uphill to the Drive in Fishers Gap, about 1.1 mile from the bridge.
HIKE: Davids Spring. Round trip 1.8 miles; total climb about 470 feet; time required 1:40. An easy hike along the A.T., past a hemlock grove and a mountaineer homesite. See map, page 166. Fishers Gap Overlook is at right center.
Take the access trail at the south end of the overlook, go to the A.T,, and turn left. The trail descends for a few feet, then begins a long, steady, easy climb. About 250 yards from the start, notice a tremendous basalt rock on the left, in the process of splitting and breaking up. A quarter of a mile farther, the hemlocks begin; and after another 400 yards you're deep in a grove of large hemlocks, where you will notice several things: it's dark and cool and quiet; there is little or no undergrowth, and the ground is carpeted with fallen needles. If you stop and listen, in summer, you'll hear insects and birds, and an occasional car sound in the distance, and sometimes the shout of children in the Big Meadows Campground, half a mile away. If there's a gentle wind in the treetops you'll hear a steady rain of tiny hemlock needles.
From the trail, near the middle of the hemlock grove, you can look downhill to a concrete watering trough about 25 yards away. A little farther down the hill, and a hundred yards to the left, is further evidence of an old homesite, which you may find worth exploring. (If you get lost down there, go straight uphill to return to the trail.)
Two hundred yards after you emerge from the hemlock grove, you cross a small stream that flows from right to left. This is Little Hawksbill Creek, just 300 yards from its source at Davids Spring. Cross the stream, leave the trail, and follow the stream uphill to the spring. In April, look for the yellow flowers of marsh marigold, Caltha palustris, one of the first flowers to show color in the spring. The broad green lily-like leaves in and near the water are false helibore, Veratrum viride. In late summer, near the spring, look for the pink-white flowers of white turtlehead, Chelone glabra.
Davids Spring flows prettily out from the roots of a tree. Don't drink; the spring drains the campground. Looking upstream from a point 20 or 30 feet below the spring, you'll find one or more trails on the left, going about 50 feet uphill to the A.T. To return, go to the A.T. and turn left. Note, on the map, that Davids Spring is only a few feet from a trail junction. To return to Fishers Gap be sure you're on the A.T. (white blazes) and going downhill.
HIKE: Davids Spring and return via horse trail. Circuit 3.2 miles; total climb about 590 feet; time required 2:45. This is a hike for people who like to take a chance. It makes use of an abandoned trail—the former Swamp Nature Trail. I can't predict what condition it will be in when you read this. See map, page 166. Your route is: A.T. to Davids Spring, left on the abandoned trail, left on the present Nature Trail, then left again onto the horse trail.
As above, to Davids Spring. Where the A.T. makes a 90-degree turn to the right, turn left onto the unblazed abandoned trail. If you're able to follow it, you'll reach a small grassy area about 0.8 mile from Davids Spring. Here a small stream emerges from Big Meadows Swamp. In summer and fall it's usually dry. Flowers bloom here throughout the spring and summer, including blue-flag iris, thinleaf sunflower, American burnett and, in August, the brilliant red cardinal flower.
After another fifty yards you'll reach a trail junction; turn left here. Walk another fifty yards to the horse trail, turn left, and cross the stream. The rest of your hike is mostly downhill, and mostly on the bed of an old mountaineer road. (Remember that you're on a horse trail, and that horses have the right of way.) When you reach the Drive, turn left and walk in the grass on the left side of the road, Bear left into the south entrance of Fishers Gap Overlook, and return to your starting point.
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