Parking
Use the gravel parking area at the Long Bottom Road and Grassy Gap Fire Road junction. Follow the gated Grassy Gap Fire Road for about 1.7 miles to the Basin Creek Trail junction; do not use the cabin as the trailhead.
Overview
About Basin Creek Trail
Why go
- Caudill Cabin and Basin Cove history reward the long approach
- Quiet shaded gorge with waterfalls and a steady creek soundtrack
Heads up
- Dozens of unbridged crossings can be hazardous after heavy rain
- Rough footing and sparse blazing demand careful navigation
This is a 9.4-mile out-and-back from the Long Bottom Road parking area to Caudill Cabin, including the roughly 1.7-mile approach on Grassy Gap Fire Road and about 3.0 miles on Basin Creek Trail. Allow about 5.5 hours of hiking, plus time for stops. I'd choose it when you want a quiet, water-heavy day and you're comfortable with a primitive route.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Blue Ridge Parkway map
Full mapElevation1,509–2,841 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Blue Ridge Parkway alerts
- ClosureNorth Carolina Helene-related closuresAvoid the closed Parkway section from MP 344.2–355.3; recreation of any kind is prohibited there.Official details
- ClosureVirginia Parkway closures and detourFollow the signed detour around the closed James River Bridge and avoid the closed Roanoke Mountain Loop. - James River Bridge (MP 63.5–63.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Blue Ridge Parkway Tour Guide
Your drive to Basin Creek Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Blue Ridge Parkway. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Blue Ridge Parkway audio tourMore stories near here in the app
- Brinegar Cabin Historic Homestead
- Doughton Park: Views and Trailheads for Basin Cove
- Grassy Gap Fire Road: A Quiet Downhill Hike
- The Pine That Needs Fire
- 277 audio storiesacross Blue Ridge Parkway’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Elk, White-tailed Deer, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 112 trails, 232 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“…We knew we wanted to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway. The narration was impeccably timed. The facts and info provided were meaningful. Without it, the trip would not have been near as awesome.”
Trail guide
Hiking Basin Creek Trail
Follow the creek to the cabinThe route climbs through a shaded gorge, past riffles, cascades, old homestead traces, and the…
The route climbs through a shaded gorge, past riffles, cascades, old homestead traces, and the Basin Cove Campground area before reaching the century-old Caudill Cabin. The cabin is the main payoff, but the walk earns its distance with a steady creek soundtrack and a strong sense of place.
Know the commitmentExpect dozens of unbridged creek crossings, slick rocks, rough ground, and limited blazing away…
Expect dozens of unbridged creek crossings, slick rocks, rough ground, and limited blazing away from crossings. Water can rise quickly after heavy rain or snowmelt. Dogs must stay leashed, and repeated fords may not suit every dog. Day hiking requires no permit; overnight backcountry camping requires a permit.
Start smartPark in the gravel lot at Long Bottom Road and follow the gated Grassy Gap Fire Road to the…
Park in the gravel lot at Long Bottom Road and follow the gated Grassy Gap Fire Road to the Basin Creek junction. Bring a map or GPS, footwear that can handle wet crossings, and enough time to turn around before dark. At the cabin, include the surrounding clearing and a little of the approach in your photo to show how isolated the structure feels.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Blue Ridge Parkway
1,208 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
1,020 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
2,257 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
200 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
1,126 sightingsWild TurkeyMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
255 sightingsRed-tailed HawkMost seen around 11 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Blue Ridge Parkway. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
