Things to do nearThe Cascades

Tucked inside the Jefferson National Forest near Pembroke, Virginia, The Cascades has drawn hikers and naturalists for generations. The trail follows Little Stony Creek through a narrow gorge carved over millennia, with the creek serving as both guide and soundtrack for the entire journey.

Along the path, old-growth hemlocks and hardwoods form a dense canopy, and the creek tumbles over mossy ledges in a series of smaller falls before the main drop comes into view. Wildlife sightings, including songbirds and salamanders, are common throughout the corridor.

The payoff is a 66-foot waterfall that crashes into a wide plunge pool ringed by layered rock. Visitors often linger here, taking in the mist and the deep green walls of the gorge. A loop option using both the lower creek trail and the upper ridge trail lets you experience two distinct landscapes on a single outing.

The Cascades offers something rare: a genuinely wild, accessible natural experience in the southern Appalachians that rewards the effort every single time.