Corbin Cabin – Nicholson Hollow Trail

The Corbin Cabin — Nicholson Hollow Trail is a wonderful way to enjoy the beautiful fall foliage!
This hike shares a parking lot with Old Rag Mountain, but happily, doesn’t share the crowds. When my friend and I arrived on a Sunday morning, we were informed by a ranger that the parking lot was completely full, but that the enterprising little old lady next door was selling parking spots in her pasture for a whopping $ 10.
Sucker that I am, I paid up. After a 2 hour drive, I was not about to miss out on a gorgeous autumn hike!
We were not disappointed. Although this hike doesn’t offer much in the way of vistas, it’s a terrific way to spend a day in the woods. Reports online seem to vary, but my friend’s GPS device recorded this hike (from the parking lot and back again) as a 14 mile trip.
This hike was a blast! It’s long, with a strenuous ascent and lots of rock-​hopping creek crossings. Seeing the crowds on the way to Old Rag, we were nervous that this trail would be packed, but we only passed a few other hikers. Quite a lot of this hike runs alongside a river, so it’s very pretty and peaceful.
When we picked up a trail map at the station, the ranger suggested that we hike this loop clockwise. He was right on! This gave us a nice, challenging start, with a relaxing conclusion walking next to the river — perfect!