I love waterfalls and I love hiking! About a year ago I was researching the best waterfall hikes in VA. Crabtree Falls popped up. Crabtree Falls is one of the tallest sets of waterfalls in the United States east of the Mississippi River. It is located in the George Washington National Forest in Nelson County, Virginia. Well, I was ready to jump in the car and head there. Only problem…Crabtree Falls is a 2-hour drive from the Spotsylvania area.
Fast forward to the fall of 2020. We were heading to the Staunton area for a field trip. I made it happen–we squeezed in a visit to Crabtree Falls. And, I want to go back! I absolutely LOVED it! It’s been one of my favorite VA hikes so far.
The hike to Crabtree Falls is absolutely gorgeous. It’s a 2.5 mile loop with amazing falls and lots of picture opportunities. But beware…there are a lot of stairs.
Crabtree Falls Hiking Trail – Blue Ridge Parkway (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
Address: 11581 Crabtree Falls Highway Montebello, VA 24464
There is plenty of nice parking. Parking is $3 using the honesty system. Free parking if you have a National Park Pass. There are bathrooms, but they were closed last fall due to Covid. I’m not sure if they are open yet.
There’s no cell phone signal, so you will lose your GPS.
When we headed to Crabtree Falls, we were coming from Staunton. Crabtree Falls is about an hour’s drive from Staunton. Coming in from that direction, we had to drive up the mountain on a very narrow and scary road. I would suggest if at all possible, driving to Crabtree Falls through Tyro, VA.
Our Staunton outing included a visit to the Frontier Culture Museum, Wright’s Dairy Rite for lunch and a quick visit to see the live glass blowing demonstrations at Sunspots Studios & Glassblowing.
Family Adventures VA 