Chief Benge Scout Trail: High Knob to Little Stony Creek

Clinch Ranger District, Jefferson National Forest (High Knob, Bark Camp Lake, and Hanging Rock, near Norton)

The Chief Benge Scout Trail drops off High Knob, in far southwest Virginia, and follows creeks and gorges east to Little Stony Creek. Hiking Upward says High Knob, at 4,223 feet, is the highest point in the 131-mile Cumberland Mountain range, and that the trail is named for Chief Bob Benge, a Cherokee leader of the late 1700s.

Blue Ridge Outdoors called it in 2009 “a long day hike or an easy overnight trek,” and the tehcc hiking wiki suggests a two-day shuttle hike with the first night near Bark Camp Lake.

The hike

The tehcc wiki recommends starting at High Knob and hiking east so the route trends downhill, leaving a car at the far end. From the High Knob observation tower area, Hiking Upward describes the trail descending about 730 feet in 1.6 miles at a steady grade to a forest road near High Knob Lake, where it crosses the day-use lot and climbs along the lake’s north shore. The tehcc wiki puts High Knob Lake about 1 mile in and Mountain Fork, reached by FSR 704, about 3.9 miles in.

Past Mountain Fork the trail continues to Edith Gap and then Bark Camp Lake, roughly the midpoint, where the trail splits around the lake on the Lakeshore Trail. The Forest Service lists the Bark Camp Lakeshore Trail at 3.7 miles, flat, with bridges and boardwalks over the lake’s inflowing streams, and says drinking water is available in the recreation area.

From Bark Camp the route heads downstream along Little Stony Creek. Blue Ridge Outdoors says most of the trail follows “one creek or another,” with small ripples and wading holes, and that you ford creeks more than two dozen times. The tehcc wiki puts Little Stony Creek Falls, a plunge waterfall, at about mile 16.6, and Hanging Rock Recreation Area at about 19.2. Explore Scott County says many hikers finish at Hanging Rock, about three miles beyond the falls, the official east end.

The Walden Effect’s 2015 posts describe yellow blazes, with orange added where a horse trail shares the path and double blazes at turns, and warn that blazes thin out after Edith Gap.

For more southwest Virginia backpacking along the Kentucky line, see the Pine Mountain Trail’s Birch Knob section and the Ridge Trail at Cumberland Gap.

Tips

Confirm road access first. 2026 road closures and seasonal gates affect several trailheads.
Plan on wet feet for the many creek fords.
Bring a map and compass. Blazes are reported scarce in places.
Watch the weather. Hiking Upward notes High Knob is considered Virginia’s wettest area.
Treat creek water. Explore Scott County lists drinking water at the two campgrounds and Hanging Rock, all gated part of the year.

Camping

No permit is needed for dispersed camping on the national forest. Blue Ridge Outdoors says backcountry sites are available along the trail, and the tehcc wiki notes a backcountry spot on the south shore of Bark Camp Lake. Developed Forest Service campgrounds at High Knob Lake (about a mile in) and Bark Camp Lake (about 10 miles in, per Blue Ridge Outdoors) are seasonal and charge fees; Hiking Upward says High Knob’s campground is open only May 15 to Sept. 15. Follow Leave No Trace guidelines, which the Forest Service asks of Bark Camp visitors.

Inside Intel: No camper accounts recommending a specific site were found. The tehcc wiki’s suggested plan ends the first day at Bark Camp Lake, where it says the south shore has a backcountry spot.

Trail facts

Distance: About 18.7 miles to Hanging Rock (tehcc); 16 miles (Blue Ridge Outdoors)
Route type: Point to point
Difficulty: Moderate
Campsites: Dispersed sites; seasonal campgrounds at High Knob Lake and Bark Camp Lake
Water: Many creeks; seasonal tap water at the campgrounds and Hanging Rock
Permits: None for dispersed camping
Trailheads: High Knob tower (west); Bark Camp Lake; Little Stony Falls and Hanging Rock (east; check 2026 road closures)
Last verified: October 12, 2026

The Lowdown

Two dozen fords toward Little Stony Creek:

Blue Ridge Outdoors says you ford creeks more than two dozen times on the Chief Benge Scout Trail. Five tips to make all those crossings on the way to Little Stony Creek suck less.

Read the crossing tips →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.