Maximus and I headed back over to the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park Monday, April 29, 2019 to visit the dog friendly trails of the great park. The iconic White Rocks Cliffs and the popular Sand Cave were our chosen destinations of the day.
We started our day with a stop at the Visitor Center where our favorite Park Ranger greeted us and gave us a map and driving directions to the trail head of the Ewing Trail in Ewing, Virginia. With a bounce in my step I got into the Jeep and we rolled back through the tunnel and made a right onto Highway 58 traveling through 3 states as we did so.
In Ewing we made a left at the twin caution lights onto Sand Cave Rd. We drove to the Civic Park where we set out on a .5 mile foot path that connects to the Ewing Trail, which is an equestrian path that ends when it intersects the Ridge Trail. The sign at the trail head gave a short description of the White Rocks and promised us 2000 ft of elevation gain. Hello! Let’s go!
The foot path wasn’t bad, the real climb began on the horse trail, a wide well defined trail. It is a bit rocky in places so one must watch one’s footing. It has some long switchbacks as it ascends. There are some places where one has a good view of the valley one is leaving. Maximus had a great time sniffing and marking his way along. He refilled his tank at the few streams we crossed. I imagine many of these dry up during the heat of summer.
We left the Ewing Trail and made our way up the narrow, steep White Rock Foot Trail to meet the Ridge Trail not far from our destination. We made a right and walked the easy, mostly flat, distance to the White Rock Overlook, then we scrambled and Rock climbed up through a narrow crevasse to where it ended atop the cliffs. We followed a branching trail to where one of its branches ended at the cliff’s edge.
The sun was out, the sky was blue with a little cloud cover and we could see for miles and miles up and down the Valley below and to the distant rolling mountains. I took pictures but pictures can’t capture what the eye and senses behold. The wind blew my hair around my face, the sun was hot but the wind had a chill. I am afraid of heights so I did not wander too close to the edge. I found a rock and just sat for a while soaking it all in. We had it to ourselves. So far we had crossed paths with no other.
We headed back the way we had came and I, gracefully or not so gracefully, slid down a couple of the rocks we had earlier climbed up on my backside. At the base of the crevasse Maximus and I met two ladies heading up. We told them it was worth the effort. They had come from the Sand Cave and we bid them fare well.
The Ridge Trail is not a bad walk. It rolls with the terrain so there’s some ups and downs, and there are rocky spots and there are spots where the forest floor is soft and forgiving. We found the side trail to the Sand Cave and headed down. There are railings to tie horses to and a wooden blockade to keep folks from trying to ride down the short access trail to the Sand Cave itself. The trail is winding and a wee bit steep. I left my walking stick at home and missed it on the descents.
We came out at the base of a waterfall and it took me a minute to locate the Sand Cave to the right of the Falls. It is huge. Maximus and I climbed up to it and began to make our way across to the opposite side. Walking in sand we trudged the distance. There were a couple of hikers enjoying the cave, sitting on a rock above where we walked. I threw up a hand and greeted them and they ignored me. That is rare, most folks will at least speak in passing.
We found our own Little Rock and sat for a few before climbing out and heading up. At Ridge Trail we took another break for drink and snack. The two hikers came up and stopped well before they got to us and waited until we headed right on Ridge Trail before they silently went left towards White Rock. We hit Ewing Trail and began our descent to the Jeep.
It felt great to roam the woods with my pup and the amazing views from White Rock make this a repeater. Being able to take Maximus with me adds to the appeal of this Park. We are not finished with our exploration of this Historical Place. I have marked other trails promising further adventures.
MrsSmithsLifeUnexpected 