Description

Elevation: 2727 ft.

Love Ridge Mountain Lodging provides a perfect getaway and ideal location for spotting birds and wildlife immediately adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Situated on the ridge above Love, Virginia, Love Ridge holds a short trail that takes the visitor through a patch of hardwood forest filled with birds associated with the Blue Ridge. As you walk the trail search for eastern wood-pewee, white-breasted nuthatch, red-eyed vireo, wood thrush, black-and-white, hooded and worm-eating warblers, scarlet tanager, rose-breasted grosbeak and eastern towhee. The open area around the cabins and ridge location provide views of migrating raptors passing south in the fall. Look for sharp-shined, Cooper’s, red-tailed and broad-winged hawks as well as the occasional peregrine falcon or bald eagle. The wildflowers in the area attract a variety of butterflies including pipevine, black and spicebush swallowtails, great spangled fritillary, red-spotted purple and eastern tailed blue. Other wildlife to look for around the property includes white-tailed deer, which are numerous, as well as less common species such as red fox, bobcat and the occasional black bear. Cabins are available for birding at dawn and dusk. Visitors not staying at the cabins are welcome on the grounds between 10am and 5pm.

Directions

Physical Address: 45 Royal Oaks Lane, Lyndhurst, VA 22952

From the previous site on the Thomas Jefferson Loop of the VBWT:

From Montebello, continue west approximately 2.0 miles on SR 56 to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Turn right on the Parkway and continue 11.0 miles to Rt. 814.Turn left onto Rt. 814 and continue 0.2 miles to the entrance to Love Ridge Mountain Lodging on the left. Continue another 0.1 miles and park at the old country store. From the store, walk uphill to the edge of the field to find the trailhead.