Big Hill Pond State Park

Hiking

Azalea Spring Day Loop Trail - 2.95 Miles - Moderate - This trail overlays multiple trails. The start of Azalea Spring Day Loop Trail is at the Dismal Swamp Boardwalk. It then goes south towards the railroad tracks, where it parallels the railroad tracks and crosses the john Howell Road. The trail continues to parallel the railroad tracks and then crosses back over going north. The trail parallels the John Howell Road, to the junction of Big Hill Pond Trail and the Dry Ridge Trail. At this junction there are three colors: yellow and green to the left and just yellow to the right. You will then cross the John Howell Road to the next junction, yellow to the right and green and black to the left. After this junction you will turn to the left to go back to the parking area.

Big Hill Pond Trail - 4.75 Miles - Moderate - This trail overlays the Dry Ridge Trail, black trail on the west side of the John Howell Road. The trail crosses the gravel road in two places and has two trail intersections with the Azalea Spring Day Loop and the Dry Ridge Trail.

Dogwood Point Trail - 3.10 Miles - Intermediate - The Dogwood Point Trail is south of the railroad tracks and is in a hunting area. This trail has two overnight trail shelters.

Big Hill Pond Access Trail - 0.30 Miles - Easy - There is a small parking spot down the gravel road in front of the office at the Big Hill Pond Trailhead. There is also parking at the park office and the trail can be accessed by walking down the gravel road or by taking the Fox Hollow Trail to the foot bridge at Travis McNatt Lake.

Fox Hollow Trail - 0.65 Miles - Easy - Fox Hollow Trail starts at the entrance of the campground and splits either to the park office or to the Travis McNatt Lake foot bridge and boat house.

Dry Ridge Trail - 2.85 Miles - Intermediate - This trail is composed of many trails that go around the Travis McNatt Lake. The trailhead is at the Travis McNatt Lake boat house. Travel north and then it turns on Tuscumbia Trail, also black. It then goes either to the observation tower or boardwalk, on the blue Turkey Call Trail. It goes to the levee parking area on the Turkey Call Trail and from there the trail goes north along the lake on the Big Hill Pond Trail, yellow, to the small foot bridge on Travis McNatt Lake, brown, and finishes at the Travis McNatt Lake boat house. There are at least seven trail intersections on this trail. Dry Ridge Trail is also used to get to the Grassy Point Trail Shelter on the Travis McNatt Lake and it is used to get to the Tuscumbia Trail to get to the Tuscumbia Trail Shelter.

Rocky Knob Trail - 2.40 Miles - Moderate - This trail is at the north end of the park by Highway 57. The trail crosses the park entrance road two times and travels along the horse trail for a short distance on the west side of the park entrance road. There is also a trailhead for this trail between campsites 16 and 17 in the campground. This section is also blazed white.

Turkey Call Trail - 2.45 Miles - Moderate - Along the Turkey Call and Tuscumbia Trail is a 70 foot lookout tower that offers spectacular views of the lake and surrounding landscape. This trail has the one half mile long boardwalk through the Dismal Swamp. This trail also has the starting point of the Azalea Spring Day Loop Trail, green, and the Dry Ridge Trail that surrounds the lake, black. There are three intersections on this trail: the Azalea Spring Day Loop, the Tuscumbia Trail near the tower and the Horse Trail for the loop back to the parking area.

Tuscumbia Trail - 2.30 Miles - Intermediate - This trail is marked in black to associate with the Dry Ridge Trail that goes around Travis McNatt Lake. The Tuscumbia Trail can be accessed at the observation tower or from the Dry Ridge Trail, where the Dry Ridge Trail and the Horse Trail meet. This trail also has the Tuscumbia Trail Shelter on it.

Horse Trail (and Mountain Bike) - 6.00 Miles - This trail starts at the horse trailer parking area and goes across the John Howell Road near the playground, traveling northwest it shares a portion of the Rocky Knob Trail, white, before it turns west and parallels Highway 57. The trail then turns south where is crosses the Dry Ridge Trail, black, and joins the Turkey Call Trail, blue, near the observation tower. The horse trail then shares the Turkey Call Trail with hikers until they reach the levee parking area. Then the trail turns into the John Howell Road, and is shared with motorists until the trail ends at the horse trailer parking area.