Mark Taylor | The Roanoke Times
Dripping water inside the caverns forms icicles in cold weather.
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- Open dawn to dusk, year-round.
- Directions: From Roanoke, take I-81 to the Ironto exit. Follow North Fork Road (Virginia Route 603) approximately 7 miles, turning left on Falls Ridge Road, immediately crossing the North Fork of the Roanoke River. After crossing the railroad tracks take an immediate left to the parking area. From Blacksburg turn from U.S. 460 onto Virginia Route 603. From Christiansburg take Route 641 to Route 603.
- More info:(434) 295-6106 or nature.org/virginia
Diana Christopulos emerges from a short trip into one of the caves near the Falls Ridge waterfall.
IRONTO - With its nice hiking trails, beautiful waterfall, intriguing caves, rare plants, and convenient location, the Falls Ridge Preserve should get lots of attention.
Which is why Mark Mozek stood on the peak overlooking the areaon an early 2005 springafternoon just shaking his head. "I never knew this place was here," the avid hiker from Floyd said somewhat sheepishly.
Dripping water inside the caverns forms icicles in cold weather.
Mozek didn't have to be embarrassed.
Despite the area's attractions, the Falls Ridge Preserve receives relatively light use.
The area won over at least a few more fans Sunday. A Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club group hike to the area drew 17 people, many of whom said they were pleasantly surprised with what the preserve had to offer.
Diana Christopulos of Salem was among those impressed.
"It's not a hard hike," she said. "And the waterfall was fabulous."
The Nature Conservancy owns the 655-acre preserve, its interest rooted in the area's unique geographical features and plant life.
Salem Fault cuts through the area, dividing it into different types of rock types: Precambrian limestone and sandstone/shale. The different soil types help support a unique and varied number of plant species.
Among the area's rare plants are Alleghany plum, Goldenseal, and Addison's Leatherflower.
Wildlife includes the expected deer, turkeys and squirrels, as well as the rare cherrystone snail.
As it does with most of its land, the Nature Conservancy allows light recreation. Hiking is the primary activity, although the group asks hikers to stay on the trails. Biking, fishing, climbing and hunting are among the forbidden activities.
Former owner William Bradley deeded the land to the Conservancy in 1974.
From the parking area, which can be muddy, the hike starts off through a large grassy field that's about 300 yards long.
At the end of the field the trail forks, with the right leg - the Bradley Trail, as it's called - leading almost immediately to the waterfall, an 80-foot plunge fed by a good-sized travertine spring.
The trail loops around the top of the falls, with a sturdy bridge crossing the creek, and loops back toward another fork.
Veering right, the Chamberlain Trail leads up the mountain toward the area's high point.
The Bradley Trail stays left, leading back to the field. It passes below some gnarled cliffs dotted by caverns and small caves. Nearby is a long-abandoned limestone kiln.
Christopulos said she could see the short loop attracting even casual woods walkers.
"You could come here and hike just to the waterfall," said Christopulos, who donned her head lamp and also crawled into one of the area's tight caves.
The Chamberlain Trail is a lollipop loop, and it's a steady climb up. Although the climb wasn't too difficult for the experienced trekkers in the AT club, it rises about 500 feet to a peak elevation of about 2,000 feet and might be a little ambitious for young children or hikers who aren't in fair condition.
The two trails together about total about 5 miles.
The southwest side of the lollipop offers the area's best vista, a sweeping view of the rolling valley through which the North Fork of the Roanoke River runs. The views are good while hardwoods are bare, but will be limited when the trees leaf out.
Although the long-distance views were fine for hiker Marianne Demk, she spent most of her time looking at the ground. A botany fanatic, she was looking for some of the interesting and rare plants she knows are in the area.
Her search was rewarded at the end of the hike when she found a skunk cabbage poking through the leaf litter just off the trail. The plant isn't exceedingly rare, but Demk had never seen one.
"I'm so excited," she gushed. "I've been waiting for this moment for years."
For most of the hikers, their excitement more simply based on their discovering a neat little hiking and nature-viewing spot just a short drive from Roanoke, Blacksburg and Christiansburg.
