Virginia trails · Chief Benge Scout
Chief Benge Scout
A 15.6-mile out-and-back in Virginia, with 1,960 ft of climbing. Reaches High Knob and other lake/pass/summit destinations. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Elevation profile
The climbing leans toward the final third: 47% of the ascent falls between mile 10.4 and mile 15.6. It gives back about 1,214 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- High Knob (summit)
- Bark Camp Lake (lake)
- Brushy Knob (summit)
- Edith Gap (pass)
Getting there
CHIEF BENGE SCOUT access. 36.89510, -82.62605 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:33 a.m., the sun rises at 7:00 a.m. and sets at 8:00 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 8:27 p.m. (EDT) — 13 h 00 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 31.2-mile round trip works out to roughly 13 h 31 min of walking — more than a single day of daylight here, so plan it as an overnight or hike it in sections.
Nearby trails
- Mountain View Atv Trail System — 16.1 mi
- Pine Mountain State Scenic Trail - Highland Section — 16.2 mi
- Stone Mountain — 17.7 mi
- Pine Mountain State Scenic Trail — 19.7 mi