Big Devils Stairs Trail

Big Devils Stairs Trail is a 5.2-mile out-and-back from Gravel Springs Gap to two rocky overlooks above the gorge and back. Allow about three hours. The route follows a gravel access drive and the Bluff Trail before turning onto the blue-blazed Big Devils Stairs Trail; the return retraces the same path. A terrain profile suggests roughly 1,350 feet of total climbing, with the steepest work on the climb back from the rim. This route ends at the second overlook, about a tenth of a mile beyond the first. The longer creek-bound trip is not included in its distance or map.

Park in the small lot on the east side of Skyline Drive near milepost 17.7; a recent trail account estimates room for 10 to 12 cars. Walk the wide gravel access drive and take the Bluff Trail where it branches left before the road bends toward Gravel Springs Hut. Several short connectors weave around the hut area, and one described approach uses the Appalachian Trail briefly instead. Follow signs and blazes for Bluff Trail through the early forks, then turn right for the blue-blazed Big Devils Stairs Trail at the junction about 1.9 miles in. A park entrance pass is required. Dogs are allowed on this trail on a physical leash no longer than six feet.

The Bluff Trail is mostly wooded and starts gently, then climbs along Mount Marshall's south flank. The grade eases before the trail crosses Big Devils Stairs Creek around 1.7 miles, still upstream of the gorge. Basalt boulders become more common as the route approaches the canyon. About a tenth of a mile after the creek crossing, the Bluff Trail continues left; take the right-hand branch onto Big Devils Stairs Trail. Mount Marshall is named for the family of John Marshall, Virginia-born Chief Justice of the United States; the woods are quiet here, with little to see until the rocky approach.

The blue-blazed trail winds through mountain laurel and scattered Virginia pines, then descends more steeply along the wooded ridge. A first opening is partly screened by trees. Continue down the stony steps to the clear rocky overlook, where cliffs drop more than 100 feet toward the boulder-strewn gorge and a waterfall below. A grassy field outside the park, Jenkins Mountain and distant Blue Ridge peaks fill the view. The second overlook, roughly a tenth of a mile farther along, is described as the stronger viewpoint. The rim in the foreground gives a phone photo a sense of the drop; bare winter and early-spring branches open more of the canyon wall and creek.

The blue-blazed trail continues beyond the overlooks, but that steep lower section is outside this mapped route. Its blazes become faint as it descends toward Big Devils Stairs Creek at the park boundary, with no further views along the wooded stretch. Leaf litter can make the footing slippery in late fall and early winter. The full creek-bound out-and-back is about 6.8 miles; the formal trail ends at the stream, with private land beyond the boundary. Turn around at the second overlook for the shorter route described here.

Gravel Springs Hut is a short side access near the start, with a backcountry shelter, privy, picnic table and bear-storage equipment; a spring is nearby, but its treatment status was not verified. No food service or toilet at the parking lot was found, so do not count on a staffed stop or potable water at the trailhead.