Photos by Shaozhuo Cui | The Roanoke Times

Cory Zander, 13, fishes at Dismal Falls

Matthew Elliott, 5, adjusts his cowboy hat before taking a ride with his sister Nikki at White Cedar Horse Campground.

Larry Shatto of Dublin fishes in the creek above Dismal Falls while his son Justin, 9, plays in the water and his wife, Shauna, tubes. The Shattos were able to snag the site's prime camping spot by coming out on a Tuesday.

GILES COUNTY -- It's not as famous as the Cascades, the towering 66-foot waterfall in Giles County. But visitors say that Dismal Falls, an outdoor recreation area near the Giles-Bland county line, has its own quiet appeal -- if you can find it.

A small brown sign surrounded by trees on Dismal Creek Road marks the spot where visitors can hike three minutes downhill to view the 15-foot waterfall and surrounding nature trails and camping areas.

Dismal Falls isn't as heavily visited as the Cascades, which brings in an estimated 500 vehicles a week in the summertime, because "it's a more remote area, and it's a farther drive from Blacksburg," said U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Sheryl Lyles.

The Cascades typically attracts large numbers of day-trippers who "are in and out in a day," while Dismal Falls area typically attracts those who want "to stay a while and camp," Lyles said.

For that reason, U.S. Forest Service staff charges a $3 parking fee at the Cascades that is also used to track the number of visitors.

At Dismal Falls, everything is free. Hit it at just the right time during a weekday, and it's possible to have the whole place to yourself.

That's what campers Shauna and Larry Shatto of Dublin did on the Tuesday before the Fourth of July holiday.

The Shattos and their sons, Cory and Justin, were able to snag a prime camping spot just upstream from the point that Dismal Creek tumbles down its 15-foot rocky staircase.

Their campsite was out of sight of gaping tourists below and accessed by a tree fallen across the creek. It was a secluded, fort-like hideout that might easily occupy the dreams of adventurous adolescent boys.

The Shattos planned to spend four days at the site, and Cory, 13, and Justin, 9, weren't showing any signs of boredom halfway through the trip.

"It's fun to swim in and there are lots of fish," Cory said.

But earning the spot at the top of the falls is a challenge.

"You take a gamble when you come out here, if it's available or not," Shauna Shatto said. "By coming up here on Tuesday, we had a better chance than if we had come on Friday afternoon [when] it's more likely to already be taken."

For those who prefer a more traditional camp site, Walnut Flats campground is a short drive up Dismal Creek Road. Five primitive and wooded campsites with grills and lampposts share an outhouse and water pump.

It's free to camp this summer, but starting in April, the U.S. Forest Service will charge a $5 per night fee to fix up the sites, Lyles said.

A bit farther up the road is the U.S. Forest Service's White Cedar Horse Campground, one of only a few of its kind in the region. Visitors can bring their horses and ride them along eight trails accessible from the camp.

These campsites opened in 2007 and include a horse corral, lantern post, picnic table, tent pad, water and vault toilets. Visitors pay from $15 to $25 per night, based on the size of the corral.

Mark and Missy Elliott have stayed at the camp six times this summer.

"We usually bring the family. I mean the kids love it," Missy Elliott said. "If it gets hot like they say it's going to, we'll be down to Dismal Falls and they get in, it don't matter how cold it is. They get in and they have a blast -- we usually make a trip out of that, do that during the day, so we can ride in the mornings and ride in the evenings and it's not so hard on us and not so bad on them [the horses]."

The Elliotts' horse Grace gave birth at the campground at 4 a.m. July 3. Later that day, the foal was sleeping quietly at her mother's feet.

"We were expecting it," Mark Elliott said. "But we figured this is as good a place as any for her to have it. Sort of safe, you know. The vet's sort of further away, but we was lucky and didn't need one."

The closest store to the campground is Trent's Grocery, where campers can buy food and pay a few dollars for a shower or laundry service.

"There's a lot of hikers that come through. Right now it's the peak of the season," said cashier Patty Proffit.

The area gained some notoriety in May when Randall Lee Smith Jr., a Giles County man convicted of killing two hikers 27 years ago, was suspected of shooting and wounding two fishermen. Smith was apprehended that night and charged, but he died May 10.

The Shattos said that while the shooting was frightening, it doesn't keep them from visiting the falls. "You can't just stay at home locked up, scared to go anywhere," Shauna Shatto said.