Douthat State Park · VA
Beards Gap Trail
Blue-blazed trail behind the main office climbing from Beards Gap toward the Allegheny ridge through a rocky, cascade-lined gorge with tilting bluff lines; a steep, difficult route.
Live · updated
Today
Skip the hiking plan today.
Today's best: hiking
Conditions
Score by activity
Hiking
Skip the hiking plan today.
Trail running
Skip the trail running plan today.
Dog walking
Thunderstorms in today's forecast — dogs panic and trails become dangerous.
Score breakdown
- ✓ 72°F air — Right in hiking's ideal range
- − Thunderstorms — Get off exposed ridges before they arrive
- ✓ Trail: prime — No meaningful rain in the last 48 hours. Trail surface is dry and tacky — prime traction.
Trail facts
- Distance
- 1.22 mi
- Elevation gain
- 540 ft
- Surface
- dirt
- Difficulty
- hard
Trailhead
Coordinates
37.8959, -79.7908 — VA.
Park
Part of Douthat State Park (official site →).
Peak nymphal tick activity — check yourself within 2 hours of leaving the trail.
Nearby Trails
Frequently Asked
How long is Beards Gap Trail?
Beards Gap Trail is a 1.22-mile route with 540 feet of elevation gain — hard — significant elevation gain, technical terrain, or both; come prepared. The trail facts panel on this page lists distance, surface, and access tags as they appear in OpenStreetMap.
What's the trail surface like at Beards Gap Trail?
Beards Gap Trail is natural dirt singletrack — soft underfoot, holds water, slow to dry after rain. Today's mud rating, derived from recent precipitation and the surface type, is shown in the conditions panel above.
Who manages Beards Gap Trail, and where do closure alerts come from?
Beards Gap Trail is in Douthat State Park, which is managed by the managing agency. Closure and advisory data on this page comes from the agency. Always confirm against the park's own page before driving — emergency closures can post faster than scrapers refresh.