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Beards Mountain Hike

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Distance:
6.2 Miles / 10.0 km
Type:
Loop
Difficulty:
Moderate
Time to Hike:
3 hours, ~6 minutes
Features:
Surface Type:
Dirt
Town:
Millboro, Virginia
Directions:
37.895755, -79.802069
Added:
April 03, 2025
Updated:
April 06, 2025
Guide by:
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1,230'

Total Change
1,690'

Ascent
1,689'

Descent

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Key Takeaways

  • Beards Mountain Hike is a 6.2-mile loop trail within Douthat State Park, offering beautiful vistas comparable to the Blue Suck Falls Hike.
  • The hike follows a combination of blue (Beards Gap and Buck Hollow), yellow (Mountain Top), and white (Mountain Side and Wilson Creek) blazed trails with several intersections, requiring careful attention to signage.
  • The trail features varied terrain, including switchbacks, ridge walks, steep climbs and descents, and multiple vistas of Lake Douthat and the surrounding park, with an optional 0.5-mile out-and-back Overlook Trail.

Beards Mountain Hike

Douthat State Park is one of Virginia's jewels. Voted as one of the nations 10 best, the park has over 43 miles of trails. Beards Mountain has just as many beautiful vistas as the Blue Suck Falls Hike, the other circuit hike in Douthat State Park. Both hikes also have an abundance of Mountain laurel that blooms in early June.

The blue blazed Beards Gap Trail starts up right side of the Visitor Center, and initially passes over a wooden footpath. Follow the blue blazed trail as it heads up the gap. The trail will make several switchbacks before arriving at the ridge, and intersection of the Bushy Hollow and Mountain Top trails in 1.1 miles.

Turn left on the yellow blazed Mountain Top Trail as it continues to climb along the ridge. In 0.2 miles the trail will make a sharp turn to the right. To the left is a closed overlook trail. In 200 yards reach the 4-way intersection of the Buck Hollow and Mountain Side trails. Stay straight on the yellow blazed Mountain Top Trail and in 0.1 miles the trail will make a sharp turn to the right and pass the first vista of Douthat Lake. From this point, the trail will climb more steeply before leveling off and arriving a the circuit high point.

There is a marker for the GWNF here, and what a appears to be a trail continuing straight. Stay left downward on the yellow blazed trail as it follows the ridge, before descending more steeply and passing the best vista of Lake Douthat. The trail will now turn back to the left and in another 0.4 miles reach the intersection of the Ross Camp and Mountain Side trails.

Turn left on the white blazed Mountain Side Trail and reach the third vista in 0.9 miles. From this vista the trail will gradually begin to climb back to the ridge and reach the 4-way intersection of the Mountain Top and Buck Hollow trails in 0.4 miles.

Turn right downhill on the blue blazed Buck Hollow Trail as it steeply descends the mountain reaching an Overlook Trail in 0.5 miles. The Overlook Trail is a 0.5 miles out/back that takes you to a panoramic vista of the park. Continue down on the Buck Hollow Trail for 0.4 miles to the next 4-way intersection with the Ross Camp and Wilson Creek trails.

Turn left on the white blazed Wilson Creek Trail, immediately crossing a small footbridge. The white blazed trail will pass a water tower in 0.1 miles, then turn left into the woods. DO NOT continue straight on the gravel road. Follow the white blazed trail for 0.3 miles where it crosses a camp road then ends at an stone chimney and The Lodge.

Pass around The Lodge, back to the Visitors Center and parking.

Explore 24 trails near Millboro, VA
  1. Parking

    37.895755, -79.802069
  2. Main Trailhead

    37.896869, -79.801362
No community routes found. To add your own hike as a Community Route for this Trail guide, leave a Trip Report with an attached GPX file.

Hazards

Ticks - Lyme Disease More Info (CDC)
Snakes
Poison Ivy/Oak

Seasons

All

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Trip Reports (Reviews)

Rated 4.1 out of 5 based on 10 ratings.
By: Lexi M
6.2 miles / 10.0 km
July 08, 2018
Was very disappointed in the view. Most areas are grown up with about 8-10 year old pines. Views are limited. The beginning of the trail was so overgrown with vegetation it was shocking.
Legacy Review
By: Wendy
6.2 miles / 10.0 km
December 31, 2016
Not bad. Decent workout but not too hard. Would have liked some better views. Very well maintained.
Legacy Review
By: Mr. Awesomepants
6.2 miles / 10.0 km
July 25, 2015
Don't hike this if you want breathtaking views- yes, it is a beautiful hike but it's not the type where you get to the top, panting, to see an out of this world panoramic. There aren't many overlooks (it looked like there were 2 when we were hiking. The first was overgrown and had a 'trail closed' sign, and the second one was a smallish opening in the trees that overlooked the lake) but the actual scenery in the woods is very nice, and some of the switchbacks were really, really cool. The hike is strenuous and will wear you out without completely exhausting you. I'd do it again, but the views are really, really not a 5. Not in the area of the world it is, with the amount of mountaintop views that are in the George Washington and Thomas Jefferson forests.
Legacy Review

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In Millboro, VA

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