Carvins Cove Trail Plan - Roanoke

Carvins Cove Natural Reserve
2010 Trail Management Plan
3.1.1 Recommendations for Official Trails
Table 8 on the next page shows recommendations developed by the Assessment Team
for maintenance and improvements on the official trails at the Cove. These
recommendations address issues of connectivity to other trails, accessibility for the
recommended users, and sustainability of the tread.
3.2 Conditions and Recommendations for Other Existing Trails
There are many other existing trails and old roads, some of which show on the Carvins
Cove Trail map without numbers and some of which do not show. These trails were
reviewed, but not assessed. The most significant ones are discussed below with
recommendations in Table 9.
3.2.1 Appalachian National Scenic Trail (Trail Plan Map # 25)
Four miles of the Appalachian Trail are located on City-owned land and eleven
additional miles are contiguous to the Carvins Cove property. The Appalachian Trail
Conservancy (ATC) maintains an inventory and assessment of the AT, and the local
Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club (RATC) has overseers assigned to each Trail segment.
RATC and hikers value the remoteness of this section of the AT. Occasionally horses
and ATVs get on or cross the trail. Parts of the AT are in the Natural Heritage area.
3.2.2 Trail Paralleling the AT (Trail Plan Map #32)
There is a road paralleling the AT above Songbird Trail. Portions of the road show as a
dotted line on the USGS maps and sections were part of the AT in the 1950s. This road
is receiving ATV use now and was noted in the Natural Heritage Report as receiving
motorbike use. The trail is in the AT corridor and in the most significant of the Natural
Heritage areas, where the recommendation is no new trails. Closure is recommended.
3.2.3 Blue-Line Trail for the AT (Trail Plan Map #26)
The Blue-Line Trail runs from the AT at Brickey’s Gap to the AT at Lambert’s Meadow,
serving as an alternative AT route in case of severe or icy weather on Tinker Cliffs. The
owners of the property at Brickey’s Gap have rights to cross the AT to farm their
property. They also have a hunting cabin on their property.
There is evidence of frequent ATV use on the Blue-Line Trail and on other old roads
connecting to the Blue-Line. ATVs are accessing Cove property, and there are signs of
hunting and camping on Cove lands. Much of the Blue-Line Trail and ATV use are in a
Natural Heritage area.
3.2.4 Dam Trail (Trail Plan Map #29)
There is a trail from the boat landing parking lot to the dam. Once open and
maintained, the trail is still used by fishermen, hikers, and mountain bikers. It has two
very hazardous sections near the dam where the trail has collapsed into the reservoir.
The dam is a popular observation point among users. The WVWA, which manages the
dam and overlook, closed the trail because of the hazards and erosion. While the trail
is easy and could be a great addition to recreation opportunities available from the
boat landing, it would require some realignment and rock work to make it safe and
sustainable.
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