Flag Rock - Norton, Va

So we managed a small outing today after all. We didn't really get a hike out of it, but saw some cool stuff that I'd like to share here.

We dropped Logan off with my mom this time since he is still recovering and it was raining off and on, then went to Flag Rock in Norton, Va. There are trails there which we will be going back for some time in the future, but considering Nate's cold and I aggravated my back injury yesterday (really about to have to go to the doctor for this), we decided to just scout the place out and explore.

First of all, there were campgrounds that were simple, but the view was amazing. We are planning a camp at some point later on just to see the view first thing in the morning. Here's a picture of the view from one of the upper campgrounds where we got out to look around.

There was no zoom used here, I simply pointed my camera where I was standing and took a picture of the beauty in front of me. Also, there were several more campgrounds in a more wooded lower camping area, but what little view there was near those looked over Norton. I preferred this view of the surrounding mountains.

We left from exploring the campgrounds and drove into the park to the Flag Rock Overlook. We found plenty of things to keep us busy. The next picture shows a small side trail off the graveled walkway to the overlook. You are only supposed to go so far, the tree near the back in the middle of the pictured trail has a warning sign that says no one is allowed beyond that point. We didn't venture but about two or three feet beyond, just to see what the trail led to. There was a rock that forked the trail there, but I imagine came right back together on the other side. It was so cool there, between the rocks with the rain misting down on us, that I first thought that it was a cave, but it was actually a passage between the rocks that was open all the way from the ground up. On our way to the overlook there is a small metal bridge across the gaped rock and you can see nearly all of the trail there. It comes out at the side of the overlook into the woods on the side of the mountain. Unfortunately, I did not get any pictures looking down on the trail.

Next is a picture of Flag Rock itself, from the overlook. Sadly, there is no public access to the rock. I'm certain there must be some sort of access road or trail, because someone is taking care of that flag, but we didn't look for one. No need going and breaking park rules which specifically state that climbing Flag Rock is not allowed.

The overlook is basically one big rock that you walk out on, or maybe a couple of big rocks. It is all neatly hemmed in by a metal fence to keep you from toppling to your doom, which I suppose is a worthy reason for a fence on top of a rock. I wish we had taken an extra sd card with us, because we were completely out of space on this one and had to delete pictures to make room for what we did get. I really would like to have taken more pictures of the texture on the overlook rocks. It bore a remarkable resemblance to the way sand looks under water.

The next curious bit of nature we explored was a giant rock structure, which is the best way I know to describe it, which sits next to a picnic pavilion near the head of the walkway to the overlook. I could not get a good picture to show the magnitude of this structure, nor the unusual way that the rocks look almost like they were stacked there on purpose. The rocks are built up around a round room in the middle, and one large but significantly smaller rock in the middle of the room, and a couple of others off to the sides, with small trails here and there between the rocks. (As you can see, the rocks have been, sadly, defaced with graffiti over the years. Not sure why people feel the need to spray paint things to feel cool.)

We scouted out the trails around the rocks, which led us both to the top and around the back side of the structure. Well, Nate went all the way around, but by this time, and after taking the hard way to the top instead of paying attention to the easy way just a few steps away, I was really feeling the injury in my back and hip so I waited, as the trail became rougher there. I tried to get a good picture of the contour of the trail here because there was a dip where the trail dropped off with nothing but some wet roots to climb and small, loose magnolia trees to hold to for getting back up to the trail. It really wasn't too bad, I just couldn't make the climb with the pain in my back and hip.

Since, like I said, we didn't really hit the hiking trails this time around, this is really all I have for this week. There were trails that went to High Knob higher up the mountain and to a reservoir further down the mountain, with trails to both from there near the overlook which we plan to go back for later.
One note that didn't really fit in anywhere else in my post that I would like to add as an afterthought is that the place was covered with magnolia trees. I have always liked magnolia trees, but aside from in people's yards where they have been planted and looked after, you don't see them much around here. I was pleasantly surprised by their prominence at the top of this mountain.

Still planning on trying to visit the Alvin C. York park next week on our trip to see my dad. Any fans of the 1941 movie Sergeant York, or fans of WWI trivia should check back for that one!