Reservoir Hollow Trail

Reservoir Hollow Trail is an easy, short point-to-point hike in the George Washington National Forest area near Buena Vista, Virginia, with about 5.6 km (3.5 mi) of route distance.

The trail follows a path surface and has a relatively gentle overall climb (about 5% average incline cited for the route), fitting an “easy” grade for most hikers who can handle some uneven ground.

Route character is strongly shaped by frequent stream crossings and follow-on creek hiking on the Buena Vista side of the trail; expect to deal with wet feet and slick footing where the tread meets water.

A practical way to think about the layout is as a shuttle-friendly out-and-back option: many hikers start from town (Buena Vista) and finish at the U.S. 60 end, or do the reverse, rather than trying to turn it into a loop.

The trail ends near U.S. 60 at a small pull-off/trailhead area, which is used as one end for access; the other end is in Buena Vista (commonly referenced as Pine Avenue/12th Street access points in local trip planning).

On a longer “systems” day, hikers sometimes divert toward the Elephant Mountain spur off the Reservoir Hollow Trail; the spur is not consistently signed and is treated as less reliable than the main Reservoir Hollow tread.

More information: Buena Vista's Reservoir Hollow Trail, Trails Less Traveled - Lexington, Virginia, Reservoir Hollow Trail | Rockbridge County | Virginia