Virginia’s Hidden Labyrinth

Our guide is Eric Middlemas of The Mid-Appalachian Highlands Club, a hiking and outdoor activity club in the Tri-Cities area that was founded in 1976 and is one of the oldest organized hiking clubs in the region.

Located about 15 miles from Abingdon, Virginia, a visit to The Channels is “a really neat hike,” Middlemas said. “It’s always great when you hike to have something interesting at the end, something worth hiking for,” he said, and The Channels doesn’t disappoint.

Located off exit 24 on Interstate 81 near Meadowview, Virginia, the destination is located about three miles from a parking area near the top of Hayters gap, he said.

The walk up the Bromley Mountain Trail leads you to a hilltop of rock slabs, “basically a solid rock surface with some cracks on it.” 

Walk past the abandoned fire tower and you’ll find the beginning of another little trail. Follow the signs—maybe 50 feet—and you start descending steeply down into The Channels. “Turn a corner and you see the entrance to a labyrinthian maze of rocks,” he said. “When you walk in it it’s like walking into a cathedral. These rocks on either side extend 30 to 50 feet above you. You’re in this dark corridor between these enormous rocks,” with the sun filtering in at steep angles, Middlemas said.

“It’s a great hike in the summertime because its cool between these rocks,” he said.

Middlemas, 64, said he first discovered The Channels in the mid-1980s when it was still private property.

What was his first reaction?

“It was sort of astonishment. You’re not expecting what you’re seeing. You get up there and you just see these enormous rocks. You have this sense of time, ancient history, geologic history,” he said.

“It’s similar to the feeling you get when you go out west and look at some of these enormous geologic formations. You’re not used to; you’re not expecting it,” he said.

“You can spend a good hour wandering through The Channels. You can emerge on the other side but you are just in the midst of thick rhododendron thickets,” Middlemas said. “It’s a labyrinth, and you’re wandering around these different passages,” most of which dead end.

“It’s fairly level through The Channels, but you have to scramble over rocks” at points, he said. Some of the passages narrow where you have to duck, climb or shimmy around the rock face.

Yet “there are places quite wide” within The Channels, where people could stand 20 abreast, Middlemas said.

“My understanding is what caused these fissures is during an ice age, water split these rocks then erosion took over.”

Asked if the hike is appropriate for children, Middlemas said, “it’s not a hard hike. You are going up steadily for three miles, but it is a gentle grade. That’s one reason it is such a popular hike. If you can walk three miles, it is easy.”

The initial trail leading from the parking lot is a road closed to all but those who have arranged to stay at Raven Ridge Lodge at the Channels, a private rental property just a few minutes walk from the labyrinth. 

That forest road “makes for a pleasant hike because people can walk side-by-side together and chat,” he said.

The fire tower sits at the top of the hill, and the flat rocks just before the entrance to The Channels could be a great place for a picnic. “You have a panoramic view up there. If you go there at the right time in the late spring or early summer you will see just a carpet of rhododendron blooming,” Middlemas said.

“If I were a tourist, what I would do is drive to Abingdon. stay there, take in the Barter Theatre one evening, hike the Virginia Creeper trail. Then hop on the interstate for five miles to exit 24 to go to The Channels,” he said.

The drive from the interstate is a on a twisting route passing “absolutely beautiful waterfalls alongside the road as you are climbing up to the park.”

Middlemas said the Mid-Appalachian Highlands Club, based in Johnson City, is an organization of hikers who love to go out on weekends and who also work to help maintain trails for the enjoyment of others.

“Some clubs focus entirely on hiking. We like to spice up the hikes,” Middlemas said. “We go to a town that is interesting, hike, and then go eat a meal together afterwards. People have a great time,” he said. “We try to make the hike more than just walking a trail. We try to have hikes that appeal to a wide range of people with differing hiking abilities,” he said.

The club tries to have frequent excursions, and Middlemas said the organized Sunday afternoon hikes are very popular.

“Johnson City and Elizabethton are both absolutely a mecca for hiking. If you love the outdoors, this is the place to be,” he said. “There are enough trails out here that you could hike every day and not repeat yourself.”

Trail Notes

Courtesy VirginiaTrailGuide.com

• Distance 6.6 miles
• Elevation Change 1,200 ft
• Difficulty The hike isn’t as tough to approach the Middle Knob fire tower, but the climb down to the Channels may be a little steep for some.
• Trail Conditions The trail mostly follows a large fire road, so footing is easy.
• Views There were some obstructed views along the way, but nothing overly dramatic.
• Wildlife This area is not as well populated and black bears have been spotted. We saw several deer along the trail. 
• Ease to Navigate There are only a few junctions that could lead to any confusion. Finding the trail down to the Great Channels was a little tough since there was no sign, but you should have no trouble.
• Solitude This is a popular spot for locals on nice days, but overall isn’t used heavily.

Directions to trailhead 

Take exit 24 on Interstate 81 and get on Virginia 80 W. In .2 miles, take a left on Virginia 80/609/Hillman Highway. Take a right shortly after the light to stay on Virginia 80/Lindell Road. Continue to follow Virginia 80 for 13.5 miles until you reach the parking lot on the left of the road. (The name for this road changes from Lindell Road to Hayters Gap Road.) It takes a sharp left turn about 10.5 miles in on your 13.5 mile trip and the road winds up very steeply until you reach the crest and the parking lot on the left.

GPS coordinates 36.864640, -81.946982.

Volunteers Build Faster Trail to The Channels

The Channels has only been readily accessible to the public for a little over a decade. It’s really one of Virginia’s newer hikes.

In 2004, The Nature Conservancy purchased the 5,000 acre tract land from a private owner. In 2008, through a partnership with the state of Virginia, Channels State Forest was established.

In the early years of the new state forest, the route to The Channels formation was traversed only by the rugged Channels Trail. That hike required an 11-mile round trip effort with about 2,600 feet of climbing.

In 2012, the non-profit group Mountain Heritage opened the Brumley Mountain Trail. The trail was built over several years with the assistance of volunteers and labor supplied by inmates from the Appalachian Detention Center. All in all, the Brumley Mountain Trail covers 14 miles along the spine of Clinch Mountain from Hayters Gap on Virginia 80 to Hidden Valley Lake. If you park in the new lot at Hayters  Gap and follow the Brumley Trail, you can access The Channels formation via a moderate, well-graded trail—totaling six miles, round trip. The establishment of this trail made The Channels infinitely more accessible for hikers of all abilities.

The sandstone maze at the heart of Channels State Forest sits hidden at the top of Middle Knob—elevation 4,208 feet. Formed 400 million years ago, the deep crevices and slots likely developed due to permafrost and ice wedging during the last ice age. The expanding ice fractured the sandstone, and water slowly spread and smoothed the breaks over millions of years, leaving a labyrinth of slots and crevices through the rocks. The pathways range from 20 to nearly 40 feet deep and wind their way through damp, moss-covered walls of stone. It stays shady and cool in the Channels—even on a hot mid-summer day.

Courtesy VirginiaTrailGuide.com