Lake Keokee Loop Trail

Trail Name Lake Keokee Loop Trail Nearest City Appalachia State Virginia Trail Marking Yellow Blaze Trail Use/Features Difficulty Rating Easy Hiking Time 33 Hours <br />0.188 Days <br />180 Min <br /> Distance, round-trip 3.73.7 mi <br />5.955 km <br /> Climb/Descent Elevation 7070 Feet <br />21.336 Meters <br /> / {{{Elevation Loss}}}"{{{Elevation Loss}}}" is not a number. High Point 2,3152,315 Feet <br />771.667 Yards <br />705.612 Meters <br /> Nearest Medical Big Stone Gap, VA Trip Reports Click Here Loading map... {"type":"ROADMAP","minzoom":false,"maxzoom":false,"types":["ROADMAP","SATELLITE","HYBRID","TERRAIN"],"mappingservice":"googlemaps3","width":"270px","height":"180px","centre":false,"title":"","label":"","icon":"","lines":[],"polygons":[],"circles":[],"rectangles":[],"copycoords":false,"static":false,"visitedicon":"","wmsoverlay":false,"zoom":8,"layers":[],"controls":["zoom"],"zoomstyle":"DEFAULT","typestyle":"DEFAULT","autoinfowindows":false,"resizable":false,"kmlrezoom":false,"poi":true,"cluster":false,"clustergridsize":60,"clustermaxzoom":20,"clusterzoomonclick":true,"clusteraveragecenter":true,"clusterminsize":2,"imageoverlays":[],"kml":[],"gkml":[],"searchmarkers":"","fullscreen":false,"scrollwheelzoom":false,"locations":[{"text":"","title":"","link":"","lat":36.8499570000000034042386687360703945159912109375,"lon":-82.861716999999998733983375132083892822265625,"icon":""}]} Show Large Map

Trail Overview

Easy hike through woodlands around the manmade lake. Good for bird watching or wildflowers in season.

How to get there

From Kingsport, TN

1. North on US-23 to Big Stone Gap.
2. Wander thru town on US-23 and continue to Appalachia.
3. Left/north onto VA-68 (Inman Street) for six miles.
4. Continue straight onto SR-606 a couple of miles.
5. Turn left/east onto SR-623 for half mile.
6. Turn left/east onto SR-876 and proceed one mile to Lake Keokee Recreation Area.

Trailheads at parking lot are NOT marked. Heading west immediately crosses a bridge, while the east side loop begin with the walkway to the observation pier.

Route Description

Lightly used, hardpacked trail winding around the lake – crossing the dam. In June, flame azaleas can be seen in bloom.

Olinger Gap Trail (1 mile) connects the Keokee Lake Loop Trail to the Stone Mountain Trail.

Typical Conditions

The district has cleared the trail from severe damaged caused by a December 2009 ice storm. The trail sometimes follows old fire roads or wanders just above the lake. There are some dense rhododendron growths.

Fees, Permits, etc.

Open year-round - 6AM to 10PM. No fees or permits are required for day hiking. Managed by the Clinch Ranger District (Wise, VA) Tel: 276-679-8370 (M-F 8AM-4:30PM)

Misc. Information

Forest Service usda.gov trail page and fed.us trail webpage

Lake Keokee was created by damming the Powell River in 1975 to provide recreation opportunities. No gasoline motors are allowed on the lake, so it is quiet as fishing is done from canoes or flatboats.

Maps

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Photos

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  View of Lake Keokee from dam

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  Watch carefully for this sharp turn