Hiking + Outdoor Recreation at UVA

One of the best things about going to school at UVA is having access to the extremely beautiful Appalachian countryside, which surrounds the school and makes up some of the most beautiful landscapes on the east coast. If you’re an incoming first-year at UVA, one of the easiest ways to start getting outside is by joining one of the most popular clubs on Grounds: The Outdoors Club. When you join the outdoors club, you are placed on an email list along with the rest of the members of the club. Members use this email list to announce when they will be going hiking, backpacking, climbing, kayaking, or any number of other outdoor activities. In the message, they will say how many open seats they have in their car; after that, it’s first come, first serve.

The most popular place to go if you’re interested in hiking is Shenandoah National Park, which is just a 40 minute drive from Grounds. Shenandoah’s premier feature is Skyline Drive, which is a winding road that runs south-north through the park for over 100 miles. One of the most popular hikes in Shenandoah is Humpback Rock.



Humpback Rock is a short hike up a sort of “staircase” that ends with a spectacular 360 degree view. This hike is popular among students and is often traveled to early in the morning, before class starts, for its excellent view of the sunrise.

If you aren’t interested in going to Shenandoah, and are looking for something a little closer to school, you can check out Ragged Mountain Reservoir. Ragged Mountain is Charlottesville’s water source and is located just 5 miles away from Grounds. It offers a 7 mile loop that is popular amongst casual hikers and trail runners alike.


Another great hike and place to swim is Blue Hole at Sugar Hollow. It's about a 30 minute drive from Grounds to Crozet, VA, where there are trails and beautiful swimming holes like this one!

Whatever outdoor activities you’re looking for, there are a ton of options available around UVA and many eager students waiting to join you. Joining the Outdoors Club is a fantastic way to make friends early on in your UVA career, and it also helps familiarize you with the surrounding area, which is renowned for its beauty.