I apologize in advance if this was already posted in here...but I would like to hike the Lake Powhatan Loop...I see you have to park in the arboretum where there is a fee. I have heard you can park elsewhere to get on the trail without even going in the arboretum. Any help on the parking situation is appreciated! I never really explore that side of town and would like to start!
If you park at Hard Times Trailhead, the walk in, around the lake, and back is a total of just under 2 miles.
Yep, by far the best option to just do the lake.
Looks like there are a lot of trails that intersect in that area
Parking is free tomorrow (Tuesday, 5/14) at the Arboretum. I just saw that on their instagram post.
Nice! Thank you! I was going to go today but went for a closer spot because of the rain. I might be able to go earlier in the day if the weather holds out
Seems to me the walk to the trail from the Arboretum is pretty long. Am I missing something? I haven’t done it in years.
It says the trail is 7.4 miles
Commenting bc it seems you are unfamiliar with the area - yes there are quite a few intersecting trails, many unmarked, and at least AT&T has poor service. Hard Times parking is your easiest free access, there is also parking at the lake for a cheap day use fee
The classic spot to park is at the Hard Times Trailhead. You can also park at the overlook on BRP just outside the Arboretum, or at Bent Creek Gap along the BRP to access Bent Creek trails, but the walk to the actual lake is much longer.