(map is at bottom of page)
In May 1988, more than 6,000 acres on and around Mill and Brushy mountains were designated as the Rich Hole Wilderness. Like Saint Mary's Wilderness, Rich Hole is a beneficiary of the 1975 national law that permits places where the evidence of human activity is gradually being reclaimed by natural processes to fit within the definition of a wilderness.
In 1827, Colonel John Jordon built an iron-producing furnace in Longdale, about a mile from the present-day boundary of the wilderness. Due to America's voracious appetite for materials to build its expanding cities and transportation systems, the colonel's business thrived. Roads soon ribboned the hillsides to mine ore and to harvest hardwood trees for timber and charcoal to fuel the furnaces. By the time the factory closed in the early 1900s, only the steeper and most inaccessible areas of what are now Rich Hole had escaped this activity.
Recognizing these nearly pristine spots are unique and rare in the eastern United States, the U.S. Forest Service has managed them as a primitive area since it acquired the property in 1935; the logged and mined areas that are included in the wilderness have now had more than a half-century to return to a somewhat more natural state.
In one of nature's interesting twists of fate, even the unlogged areas are not as they once were. Many of the tall trees you see today were part of the understory until the chestnut blight of the 1930s. The death of the American chestnuts liberated the oaks and hickories to become the dominant species. In turn, some of the trees were damaged or killed in the massive Easter ice storm of 1978, changing the look of the forest again.
Despite a gain of nearly 1,000 feet in a little more than one mile, the walk is a moderate one. Although the trail is relatively short, there is much to see, enjoy and experience in Rich hole that you should consider making this an overnight hike and not just a day trip. Either way, don't pass up this chance to hike into a lush and green part of Virginia where, more than likely, you will not see another person or even signs of other people the entire time you are on the trail.
You are, however, almost guaranteed to see evidence of black bear. In 1958, an inspection team from the Wilderness Society recommended the suitability of Rich Hole as a wild area based almost exclusively on its large bear population. Of course, that was several decades ago and bears move about from year to year, but each time I've been to Rich Hole, I've seen more piles of scat per mile than any other place I've ever hiked. Other signs that will help you identify whether there are any bears around are tree trunks marked by long scraping claw marks, and rocks and boulders that have been overturned as the bears searched for grubs, termites and other insects.
Unless you want to walk several miles on US 60 after completing this hike, it will be necessary to have two cars for a shuttle. Exit I-64 at Longdale Furnace. going east on US 60 for about 1.5 miles to a left turn onto FDR 108. Come to the trailhead on the right in 1.5 miles and leave one car in the small parking area. Return to and continue east on US 60 for 3.6 miles to a small graveled parking lot on the left with a sign identifying the Rich Hole Wilderness.
Begin the Rich Hole Trail {FS 464} by leaving the parking area to walk on a blazed old Forest Service road. In .1 mile your route begins a series of switchbacks, ascending the mountain art a more than 10 percent grade. The forest is a mixture of chesnut oak, red oak, white oak, white maple, and sugar maple. Evergreens become more numerous for a short distance, as the trail grade moderates a bit at .3 mile.
In the rhododendron and mountain-laurel shrubs .5 mile and .6 mile from leaving the trailhead, rock outcroppings top the left provide lofty views to the south of 3,000-foot North Mountain and motor vehicles speeding along I-64 paralleling Simpson Creek in the valley below.
Avoid the old trail coming in from the left at .7 mile, where the trail steepens once more; you may find it worthwhile to leave the trail at .9 mile to explore the natural bowl to your left. Rich Hole receives its name from the deep, nutriously organic soils found in the heads of drainage systems such as this. Amidst the mature black locust it is possible to find remnants of a former homestead. Old apple trees are the most obvious signs, but you might also locate a cabin's foundation, a decaying farm implement, or a rusting metal pail.
After a short, steep climb at almost a 50 percent grade, Brushy Mountain's ridge line, separating North Branch from Alum Creek, is reached at 1.1 miles. There are no official pathways dropping down to the Alum Creek drainage to the right, yet this area contains one-third to one-half of Rich Hole's acreage and promises an excellent wilderness experience for those equipped with backcountry skills and appropriate maps.
Your trail begins its descent from the ridge into large stands of rhododendron on a well-built treadway. A good, but waterless, camp could be made where the trail crosses a level spur ridge at 1.6 miles. Other campsites can be found on the moist land the trail passes through at 1.9 miles. A spring, the source of North Branch, will provide water in all but the driest of seasons.
A rare club moss, sometimes known as crow's foot, grows prolifically in the middle of the pathway at 2.2 miles. You'll recognize this point because the ground will be covered by what appear to be miniature evergreen trees.
Cross North Branch for the first time at 2.3 miles, soon entering a grove of towering hemlocks. Cross the creek again in 200 feet and then again in 500 more feet.
The next two miles of scenery the rough and rocky trail passes through make any walking or hardships you've had to endure all worth it. Tall straight poplar trees vie for dominance with red maples, and several different kinds of oaks, and elegant fern fronds dance in the breeze over neon-green moss-covered rocks in the creek. Although there is a plethora of spots suitable for great tent sites, there are almost no traces of anyone ever having camped here. This apparent lack of use is even more amazing in light of the fact that the Forest Service classifies North Branch as a native-trout stream.
Be alert at 3 miles; the trail makes a sudden switchback to the right to cross the creek. The route crosses the stream 12 more times before the hike comes to an end. Abundant spring runoff may make these crossings a little tricky, and an interesting situation develops in the fall when the flow of the creek diminishes. The hardwood trees drop so many leaves onto standing pools of water that it becomes next to impossible to distinguish solid ground from liquid creek bed. Pick your steps carefully or you'll end up with wet feet.
Wintergreen, with its evergreen leaves (and rich red berries in the fall), is a major part of the ground cover; a small cave can be found in the rock facing to the right at 3.7 miles. Rocky treadway is replaced by wide, grassy woods road at 4.4 miles, and pines become more numerous once again as the road brings you to your shuttled car, FDR 108, and the end of the hike in 5.8 miles.
Lightly utilized and rarely maintained White Rock Tower Trail {FS 466} starts about one mile to the right up FDR 108. This trail could be used to extend your trip for another seven to eight miles, but it is best to contact the Forest Service about its present condition and accesses before setting out to walk it. Excellent nearby hikes are in Douthat State Park (see hikes 48 and 49) and Dry Run (see hike 50) near Clifton Forge and Covington, each just several miles west via I-64.
