Horse Riding

Horse Riding Areas

• Eastern Divide Ranger District

  Recreational areas and opportunities within the Eastern Divide Ranger District.

• Pandapas Pond Day Use Area

  Pandapas Pond is a pastoral, 8 acre pond located just outside the town of Blacksburg. It sits on the Eastern Continental Divide and is surrounded by a forest of hardwoods and rhododendron. Visitors will enjoy strolling the one-mile wheelchair accessible trail that encircles the pond. A wooden boardwalk separates the pond from a small wetland area that is abundant with dragonflies, turtles, songbirds, and waterfowl. Horses and bicycles are not permitted on the trail around the pond; however they may use the 17-mile Poverty Creek Trail system that can be accessed from the upper parking lot.

   

  Poverty Creek Trail System Map

   

• White Cedar Horse Camp
• Lee Ranger District

  Recreational opportunities in the Lee Ranger District.

• Mount Rogers National Recreation Area

  The Mount Rogers National Recreation Area offers unique recreation opportunities in a 5,000ft high area with large rock formations, mountain balds, and spruce-fir forests. Within Mount Rogers, there are four wilderness areas, 400 miles of trail, eleven campgrounds, three rental cabins, and beautiful scenic roads, such as the Mount Rogers Scenic Byway and road to Whitetop Mountain. Mt. Rogers is home to 60 miles of Appalachian Trail and 18 miles of the Virginia Creeper Trail. Motorcyclists and cyclists can enjoy the beautiful Iron Mountain Trail, and horseback-riders can enjoy the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail, one of the marque saddle trails in the region. In addition, visitors to Mount Rogers have the opportunity to go hunting, trout fishing, bird watching, sight-seeing, swimming, cross country skiing, and nature-viewing of animals such as wild ponies.  

   

• Collins Cove Group Horse Campground
• Elk Garden Trailhead
• Fox Creek Horse Campground
• Hussy Mountain Horse Campground
• Old Virginia Group Horse Campground
• North River Ranger District

  Recreational opportunities in the North River Ranger District.

• North Mountain Trail (Forest Trail #443)
• North River Gorge Trail (Forest Trail #538)
• Shaws Fork Campground
• Shenandoah Mountain Trail (Forest Trail #447)
• Wild Oak Trail (Forest Trail #716)