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Trails: Devils Courthouse Trail
Picnic Tables: 1
The purpose of the Devils Courthouse View pullout on the Blue Ridge Parkway is twofold. First off, you can see the bare rock that gives the stop its name. You also have a nice view of the surrounding mountains and valley from the parking lot. However, the real view is from the top of Devils Courthouse, which is reached by a very steep, half-mile trail to the top, and that’s the stop’s second purpose—parking for the trail to the top of the mountain. On a nice day, the parking lot is bound to be packed with cars and tourists.
Devil’s Courthouse Trail
Length: 1-mile round trip
Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour
Difficulty: Strenuous
To start your hike on the Devils Courthouse Trail, follow the paved sidewalk from the parking area as it follows the Blue Ridge Parkway around the corner before proceeding to the top of the mountain. The majority of the trail is paved, only becoming earth for the last few minutes of the hike. Most people equate “paved path” with “user friendly” and “easy.” Don’t let this fool you. Unlike many trails in the park that descend into deep valleys or ascend to the top of tall mountains via switchbacks, stairs, and other methods to aid in the climb, the Devils Courthouse Trail is based on the mathematical principal that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. In this case it’s a straight line from the bottom to the top, a strenuous climb of nearly 275 feet in a half mile. Its only saving grace is that it is short.
The effort is worth it because at the top you will have what is arguably the best view in the park: a nearly 360° panoramic view from a stone observation deck that sits at 5,462 feet above sea level. When you see the parking lot far below you won’t believe you walked that far up a mountain in about 20 minutes. The view is so good that you won’t want to come down, at least not by walking. Flying would do the trick.
View of the Devils Courthouse parking lot on the Blue Ridge Parkway from the top of Devils Courthouse
Map points out the mountains you can see from the top of Devils Courthouse on the Blue Ridge Parkway
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Last updated on November 12, 2023