Brushy Hills Trailhead

Distance: .5 to 9+ miles

Drive Time: 15 minutes/ 4.5 Miles

Difficulty: easy to moderate depending on the loop.

Coordinates: 79°29'43.781"W 37°46'39.145"N

Hike Time: Depending on the loop, hike time can be anywhere from 20 minutes to 2.5 hours depending on the loop hike.

Elevation Change: The elevation change depends on the loop. It can be as little as 50 feet to as much as 400 feet depending on the loop chosen.

Views: Forest, Sinkholes, Farmland, Mountains

* from Lexington Visitor Center, 106 E. Washington St.

DIRECTIONS

From the Lexington Visitors Center, turn right onto East Washington Street. Proceed to the third stoplight and turn left onto Jefferson Street. Continue on Jefferson Street to a “T” intersection and turn left onto White Street. Go just over one block and turn right onto Main Street. On Main Street, continue 2 blocks and turn right onto Edmondson Avenue. At the “T” intersection, turn left onto Jackson Avenue. Go one block and turn right onto Ross Road (CR 657). Travel 2.6 miles to Union Run Road (CR 674) and turn right. Follow Union Run Road 0.7 miles to the parking area on the left. There is a gate on the right side of the road. Please remember not to block the gate.

TRAIL DESCRIPTION

For a short, easy stroll, take the Deer Trail, located across the road from the parking lot. This quarter-mile trail follows a creek bed, with options to loop back via Ol’ Yeller or Ol’ Red.

For a moderate hike, the Ol’ Yeller – Ol’ Red loop provides a 2.2-mile walk on former roads, making it an accessible route for walking and talking. It takes about an hour to complete. Alternatively, the Ol’ Red & Green Trail loop spans 2.2 miles with an elevation gain of 200 feet, taking approximately 1.5 hours.

Detailed Route for the Ol’ Red & Green Loop

Begin across the road from the kiosk and head counterclockwise. After crossing the gate, the Deer Trail exits to the left, while the Ol’ Red Trail continues with a short, moderate climb. At the top, you’ll reach the Pickle Trail junction (0.1 miles), which exits to the right.

As the Ol’ Red Trail flattens, you’ll pass a narrow hollow of cove hardwoods on the left and a pine and cedar forest on the right. Two former dynamite storage units sit along the path just before the Ol’ Yeller Trail exits to the left (0.25 miles).

The trail continues along a wide, flat road grade, curving right at the Tanager Trail junction (0.35 miles). A short climb leads to the Tin Cup Trail junction (0.45 miles). The Ol’ Red Trail then ascends gently, crossing a finger ridge covered in Running cedar, before winding into a dry drainage.

At 0.8 miles, the trail intersects the Tanager Trail again—a left turn leads back to the parking lot, while a right turn connects to the Middle Way Trail. Continuing straight, the Ol’ Yeller Trail exits at 0.95 miles, followed by a small sinkhole at 1.0 miles, one of many in the Preserve.

The climb ends at the Green Trail junction (1.1 miles)—turn left to continue the loop. The Green Trail ascends gently past Muscadine grape vines and Mayapple-covered forest floors in spring. You’ll pass another large sinkhole before reaching additional trail junctions:

• Knoll Trail exits right (1.45 miles)
• Quiet Trail exits left (1.55 miles)
• Gateway Trail exits right beyond Quiet Trail

After the Gateway Trail, the Green Trail begins a long descent down a finger ridge, with the Twayblade Trail exiting to the right (1.85 miles) and the Up & Over Trail crossing at 2.0 miles. The forest here is mature second-growth, with a canopy of Beech trees.

As you cross a pipeline corridor, the Up & Over Trail exits again to the right, followed by a final short, moderate drop back to the parking area.

Challenging & Scenic Hikes

For a more challenging route, choose one of the trails along the edges of the Preserve, where you’ll find higher elevations and panoramic views.

• The Ridge Trail on the southwest edge offers rugged climbs.
• The Knoll or Tin Cup Trails on the northeast side provide stunning views of the mountains to the west.
• A “periphery loop” of 5–6 miles features significant elevation changes for a more demanding hike.

Regardless of the trail you choose, Brushy Hills offers a variety of experiences, from easy strolls to challenging climbs, all within a quiet and remote forest landscape.

SELF-GUIDED SPRING PLANT WALK

Watch spring unfolding in Brushy Hills by walking the Salamander and Turtle Trails and looking for the numbered flags. With your phone in hand, use the "Brushy Hills Plant Walk" PDF which provides an ID, species information, and a color photo for each plant. Plants on the walk include some ferns and young trees, as well as flowering plants in various stages—already making seeds, in bloom now, and yet to bloom. The flags will be in place into early May, so you can come back and see the plants at a later stage.

Download the "Brushy Hills Plant Walk"PDF (formatted for mobile phones) or scan the QR Code code posted on the kiosk at the Brushy Hills main trailhead.

Spring Plant Walks are an annual project of the local chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society local chapter.

TIPS

• Because of the variation in trail choices, be sure to grab a map.

INSIDER TIP'S

• Because there are so many possible routes of different lengths, this could be the perfect destination for a group of various ages and abilities.
• The proximity of this trail system to Lexington makes it an ideal mid-morning or mid-afternoon destination. Pack a lunch for before or after your hike by sourcing it at a local café like Sweet Treats, Blue Sky Bakery, or Legendary Eats.