smithgall woods conservation area

This park is heavily visited by fly fisherman and that seems to be where most of the focus is placed. But the ranger we spoke to was very helpful about hiking in the park and the rest of the area. Most of the trails are accessed from a 1.5 mile paved trailhead (not my preference) but I'm sure many others are thankful for it. The Cathy Ellis trail was the highlight.

My husband is a very experienced hiker but I am not at all athletic. For the new year, I have agreed to tag along with him on some short, easy hikes to try to get back into shape. I chose the trails at Smithgall Woods for my first hiking experience after reading various reviews. I was not disappointed. This is an absolutely beautiful area. I am not a fisherman, but there were several there fishing in the stream so it seems to be a popular area for fishing. The creek is gorgeous! The trail to the waterfall is paved for a good bit of the way, winding along the edge of the woods with lots of sights to see including a covered bridge, bee hives and natural beauty. The main trail eventually turns to a gravel road along the creek. Most of the trail was pretty easy for me to do, but there were several hills along the way that were a little challenging for me. 2.8 miles down the trail, you will find a large boulder marking the entrance to the trailhead leading to the waterfall. 0.5 mile trail through the woods brings you to the beautiful waterfall. We hiked after the area had a bit of rain so the falls flowing beautifully. This is an in and out trail so it's another 3.3 miles back to the parking area. Maybe 7 miles was a bit over jealous for a newbie like me but I managed to complete the hike and loved every minute of it! I can't wait to return in the spring and do some of the other hikes at Smithgall Woods. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this hike to others starting out with hiking or experience hikers who are into waterfalls.

My daughter and I visited here on a Saturday in August, There is a nice gift shop with wildlife exhibits and the staff is very helpful and friendly. There are several hiking trails, so you can choose the length and difficulty. I would love to come stay in one of the cabins, but they do stay booked up due to the trout fisherman in the area. If you do want to come and trout fish, you have to make reservations through the park. Bring a picnic! The picnic area is beautiful and peaceful.

This was our first visit to the Smithgall Woods Conservation Area, and it was for their Fall Celebration (noon to 4 p.m.). This is a limited review, because we had limited exposure to the Area. The Fall Celebration featured candle making, gold panning, story telling, an apple press with fresh apple juice, live Appalachian music by a trio of guitar and two different dulcimers, 19th Century games, pottery making, and a still. There was also a hay ride through the conservation area, which gave an interesting history of the area and how it came to be. I love history, so this was nice. My kids (5, 8, 9) found the games to be the best. There were also some local crafts and food available for purchase.

This is a super venue for small business meetings. Beautiful surroundings, nice staff!Perfect setting for getting things done and then enjoying the area with your staff.

I went there for a training session. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable. The setting of this preserve is beautiful. It is quiet and peaceful. I spent time at Duke's Creek. It is a beautiful mountain stream where one could take time to truly enjoy nature.

Spent about 5 hours here wandering the trails. They have great maps and brochures at the visitor center that give all the historical info for the trails! There are some steep hills and our legs were pretty trashed by the end of our day, but it was a great place to enjoy nature! We almost had the place to ourselves except for a few guys fishing! Very quiet and peaceful!

Our family of eleven just completed a four-night stay at Dover Cottage in Smithgall Woods State Park. The cottage has 5 bedrooms, each with its own private bath. The common room was spacious as well as lovely and accommodated our family wonderfully. The kitchen is not pretty, but it functions very well for preparing meals for a crowd. In fact, we ate all of our meals at the cottage for this reason. The park is a little slice of peaceful heaven. Fishing, hiking and biking are right outside the door. For us, we found no reason to leave it. The garden beside Smithgall lodge was truly appreciated and was a wonderful place to stroll with a cup of coffee in the mornings. The staff were helpful and friendly and really took time and effort to ensure that our stay was one to remember. It was. And we plan to return!

A nice afternoon if you are not in a hurry. Take a picnic lunch and relax. Check out the history of the preserve as well.

After driving around the area, we stopped into Smithgall Woods. We didn't know what to expect and really wanted information on their gorgeous cabins they rent. We saw some raptors near the information area, the ranger told us about trophy trout in the area, and we learned a bit more about the rivers and such. It was a nice little stop. We still haven't made it to the cabins. Why? They're ALWAYS booked! That is a good sign for us.

We were there April 11, 2014 and wanted to hike and see some of the area but all but one trail was closed because they had hunters there. Wish we would have known. It was a wasted trip.

I have been visiting Smithgall Woods for years, and it's beautiful. One of my favorite things about Smithgall in relation to any other hiking location, is that it's never packed. You have a lot of privacy. The only thing I have to say is BEWARE of ticks if you bring your dog. On the back hiking trails, there are packs of ticks EVERYWHERE lurking behind every curve, especially on the trail with the old mine.

If you love to get away from the sounds of machinery and love to hike, this is the place to go. I am glad to know that such a beautiful place is being preserved and available to the public

This park has great mountain stream fishing, I am sure, but we found the hikes and trails to be beautiful and refreshing. Don't forget to visit an old covered bridge! It is a rarity these days!

There are a LOT of trails and it's very quiet. My wife and I went there and we only met with 2 hikers while we were going in, and 4 hikers as we were leaving. We spent 3 1/2 hours in the park and hiked over 8 miles. Some parts were strenuous, but it was work visiting. If you go on the Miners trail, then make sure you take the little path off it to see the waterfall (it's hard to find it).