Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Virginia / George Washington National Forest

St. Mary's Wilderness Loop

Saint Mary's Wilderness, George Washington National Forest (Glenwood-Pedlar Ranger District; Blue Ridge Parkway near milepost 23)

The Saint Mary’s Wilderness covers 9,835 acres, according to the Forest Service. The Virginia Wilderness Committee says St. Mary’s River has cut a narrow, steep-walled gorge through hard sandstone, and the falls drop 15 feet into a deep plunge pool. The Virginia Wilderness Committee says the area was “mined extensively for manganese and iron ore” from the early 1900s into the early 1950s, and old pits, a tailings dump, and the old railroad are still visible.

In 2020, the Virginia Wilderness Committee reported that the Forest Service wanted to reduce crowding at the St. Marys trailhead, and pointed backpackers to the Mine Bank Trail from the Blue Ridge Parkway instead.

The hike

MyHikes starts at a small parking area on the Blue Ridge Parkway; the Virginia Wilderness Committee places it near the Fork Mountain Overlook at milepost 23. About 150 yards in, take the Mine Bank Creek Trail down 1.9 miles to the St. Mary’s River Trail, crossing Mine Creek several times through rhododendron. MyHikes reviewer Jeff (2016) called the descent rocky and off-camber, with mountain laurel so dense the route was hard to follow.

For the falls, turn left downstream on the St. Mary’s River Trail, past several campsites, to the St. Mary’s Falls Trail junction about 1.9 miles on. MyHikes says no camping is allowed beyond this point. The trail fords the river, passes swimming holes and a blowout, and ends at a ledge about 15 feet above the water, so hikers climb down, ford again, and scramble up a steep bank to reach the falls. Reviewers report water from easy at low flow to knee to hip deep in high water. Retrace your steps to the Mine Bank junction, about 5.5 miles round trip.

The main loop continues upstream on the St. Mary’s River Trail past a large group camping area, then turns left, climbing out of the valley through rhododendron to the Green Pond area about 2 miles on, with a multi-tent camping area nearby. A 2008 reviewer found Green Pond dry in late summer. The loop then follows FS 162, open to motor vehicles, about 3.5 miles over the Flint Mountain high point, with a short side trail to a view, before an unmarked Bald Mountain Trail drops to a small campsite and climbs back to the Mine Bank Creek Trail and the car.

MyHikes says the trails are no longer blazed. Reviewers describe unsigned junctions, washed-out sections that require climbing, and overgrowth, and several reported getting lost.

The Three Ridges Wilderness, also on the Glenwood-Pedlar Ranger District, has an overnight loop on the Appalachian Trail; see Three Ridges and the Mau-Har Trail.

Tips

Camping

The Forest Service’s Saint Mary’s Wilderness order (08-08-13-23-12, through Aug. 30, 2028) prohibits groups larger than 10; camping within 500 feet of St. Mary’s Falls; dispersed camping within 200 feet of creeks, rivers, lakes, springs, and open-water streams unless signs or written permission allow it; and any fire, including a stove fire, within 150 feet of the falls or the St. Mary’s Road parking lot. It also bans storing equipment and dumping trash. Forest-wide rules limit stays to 14 days in any 30-day period. The Virginia Wilderness Committee says violators can be ticketed.

Inside Intel: MyHikes reviewer Diego (2017) found the campsites near the Mine Bank and St. Mary’s River junction the best on the loop. Under the current order, check that any site there is at least 200 feet from the creeks before you pitch. Reviewer Tito (2015) found campers at the falls ignoring no-camping signs and leaving trash.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

Fording St. Mary's River to the falls:

The St. Mary's Falls spur fords the river twice, and reviewers report water from easy at low flow to hip deep when it runs high. This page says to stay off the river after heavy rain. Five tips for crossing well.

See the water-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.