145 official trails lie within 25 miles of Lexington — 680 miles in total, 61 rated easy and 34 hard or expert. Every distance and elevation figure below is computed from the agency centerline and a 10 m elevation model, not crowd-sourced.
The biggest climb nearby gains 3,565 ft; the median trail gains 656 ft.
| Trail | Miles | Climb | Difficulty | Drive from town |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian National Scenic Trail | 206.8 | 3,565 ft | Expert | 40 min · 20 mi |
| Whetstone Ridge | 11.4 | 1,780 ft | Expert | 33 min · 15 mi |
| North Mountain | 15.2 | 2,258 ft | Expert | 20 mi (straight-line) |
| Glenwood Horse | 38.9 | 2,520 ft | Expert | 1 h 13 min · 34 mi |
| Dry Run | 10.4 | 2,439 ft | Expert | 1 h 02 min · 40 mi |
| Gunter Ridge | 11.1 | 1,653 ft | Expert | 31 min · 19 mi |
| Torry Ridge | 7.2 | 1,986 ft | Expert | 48 min · 30 mi |
| Mill Mountain | 8.3 | 1,556 ft | Expert | 40 min · 25 mi |
| Flat Top Trail | 5.3 | 1,589 ft | Expert | 53 min · 37 mi |
| Little Mare Mountain | 7.2 | 1,872 ft | Expert | 1 h 00 min · 38 mi |
| Beards Mountain | 7.9 | 1,435 ft | Expert | 56 min · 41 mi |
| Mills Creek | 6.8 | 1,688 ft | Hard | 49 min · 30 mi |
| Rich Hole | 5.7 | 1,915 ft | Hard | 27 min · 18 mi |
| Balcony Falls | 5.4 | 1,857 ft | Hard | 33 min · 19 mi |
| South Pedlar | 10.4 | 716 ft | Expert | 34 min · 25 mi |
| St. Mary's | 6.6 | 1,469 ft | Hard | 38 min · 23 mi |
| White Rock Tower | 5.7 | 1,604 ft | Hard | 35 min · 25 mi |
| Shoe Creek Trail | 4.1 | 1,909 ft | Hard | 55 min · 31 mi |
| Middle Mountain (South) | 5.5 | 1,413 ft | Hard | 1 h 02 min · 41 mi |
| Terrapin Mountain | 3.3 | 2,013 ft | Hard | 1 h 03 min · 35 mi |
| Apple Orchard Falls | 3.2 | 1,995 ft | Hard | 58 min · 31 mi |
| Brushy Ridge | 3.8 | 1,710 ft | Hard | 1 h 03 min · 41 mi |
| Wildcat Mountain | 4.9 | 1,422 ft | Hard | 44 min · 22 mi |
| Sulphur Spring | 5.2 | 1,175 ft | Hard | 44 min · 23 mi |
Waterfalls: Apple Orchard Falls to Apple Orchard Falls; Crabtree Falls to Crabtree Falls; Cornelius Creek Spur to Apple Orchard Falls
Summits: Appalachian National Scenic Trail to Highcock Knob; Whetstone Ridge to South Mountain; North Mountain to Hogback; Glenwood Horse to Chestnut Mountain
Lakes: Flat Top Trail to Abbott Lake; St. Mary's to Green Pond; Old At - High Water to Cushaw Reservoir; Otter Creek Trail to Otter Lake
Viewpoints: Glenwood Horse to Small waterfall; Slacks Overlook to The Slacks Overlook; Skyline Trail to Jefferson Point
Mountain passes: Appalachian National Scenic Trail to Rocky Gap; North Mountain to Dry Branch Gap; Glenwood Horse to Petites Gap; Rich Hole to Rich Hole
Rock formations: Flat Top Trail to The Pinnacle; Tower Hill Mountain to Chimney Rocks
Springs: Glenwood Horse to Hunting Spring; Flat Top Trail to Big Spring; Sulphur Spring to Sulphur Spring; Cold Springs to Cold Spring
Nearby towns: Covington (30 mi) · Lynchburg (30 mi) · Staunton (33 mi) · Roanoke (45 mi)
All Virginia trail guides · Hiking by city · Dispersed camping rules