Hiking Fenwick Mines and Waterfall in Southwestern Virginia

The fall leaves are trying to overtake this pool at Fenwick Mines.

UPDATED: 2/5/2023

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The silver lining of this year of Covid is, for us, more incentive to explore our local area besides the standard, well-known spots. Because of the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Roanoke, Virginia, vicinity, there are a lot of very popular hiking spots, particularly during the shoulder seasons and especially for the fall colors. A few weeks ago, we headed to one such spot and ended up simply eating our picnic lunch in the car before heading home. Being on a crowded trail right now? No thank you!

So, we have gotten creative in looking for the hidden gems of Roanoke-area hiking! We recently visited Fenwick Mines Recreation Area and spent upwards of 2.5 hours there and ran into no one at all, which was amazing! Even better, we discovered a new (to us) scenic drive that we have posted about here.

I have a sneaky suspicion that this waterfall and pool are quite popular during the hot summer months.

A quiet and empty parking lot… perfect for a mid-COVID hike!

Yellow leaves and blue skies reflect upon the surface of the stream.

what is fenwick mines and where is it located?

Fenwick Mines is the site of an old iron mine and the community that sprung up around it located in the mountains of Virginia’s Blue Ridge. Iron ore was discovered in the area in the 1880s and soon a railroad was laid to provide a method of transporting iron from the area to the world beyond. Low Moore Iron Company owned Fenwick Mines, and the employees of the company eventually numbered about 300, who settled around the work site. In the boom-and-bust cycle that often accompanies mining, the small town quickly established a church, homes, and other community buildings around the open pit sites. The information at the mine site today depicts both Black and Italian portions of the town. In 1910, about 70 Italians immigrated to the area to work on the mines.

After decades in use, the mine was ultimately shuttered, the railroad tracks removed, and nature was allowed to encroach. Today, the former open pit mines are filled with water, creating a couple of ponds and shallow streams that meander through the forest.

The closest town to Fenwick Mines is New Castle, Virginia, located about 15 minutes away, and the closest city is Roanoke, Virginia, about 50 minutes away.

Even when choked with leaves, the stream still flows.

I love the colors reflected in the water!

fenwick mines’ best kept secrets

In reading up on Fenwick Mines as we decided where to hike, we did not see common mention of its beautiful waterfall! The waterfall is not particularly tall, but the rock formations around it are stratified in a way that almost appears as if it were man-made in a stepped pattern. The pool at the bottom of the falls looks like it would be popular in warm months. Our hike was in October on a beautiful 70-degree day, and there was no one else there at all, so we could enjoy and take in the scenery ourselves.

The second secret to Fenwick Mines is that it is a great spot for birdwatching (though not the time of year we went!). With several ponds with grasses, this is exactly the sort of spot that migrating birds enjoy. The site has actually been designated for its wildlife-friendly setting. The larger pond is surrounded by a raised wooden boardwalk with specific areas for birders to stake out for sightings.

Heading down the boardwalk toward the old mine pit (now a lake and out of view).

The boardwalk trail encircles the old iron pit mine now filled with water.

Trees grow upside down when viewed from their reflections.

Marshes at Fenwick Mines Recreation Area.

what to do and what to expect at fenwick mines recreation area

Fenwick Mines is established as a day-use recreation area, which means it has several picnic spots (one closer to the main entrance, one under a canopy of trees about half a mile from the waterfall), a couple of rough restrooms (currently closed due to COVID), and a sand volleyball court for picnicking families to enjoy.

The appeal to us was the hike, which is a down-and-back route that totals about 2 miles (1 mile each way). The ‘hike’ is really more of a walk in the woods with flat terrain but more interesting (to us) than many hikes in the area. With streams running alongside the trail, a smaller pond and the larger one, and raised boardwalk sections, the hike is not at all monotonous.

If you start your hike from the main parking lot, the end of the trail will be at the waterfall, and then you can make the return trip from there. There is also a smaller, secondary parking lot (more of all pull-off from the main road) that is 3/4 of the way through the hike. We initially parked there and hiked to the waterfall. Right next to this secondary parking lot is the wooded picnic area with some of the largest picnic tables we have ever seen! As of this writing (October 2020), the bridge from this picnic area to the rest of the trail (towards the main entrance) is closed off. It appears a tree fell and compromised the integrity of the bridge. Never fear: After hiking to the waterfall and back, we simply hopped in our car, drove up to the main entrance, and we hiked the front half of the trail up until the closed section.

We were able to enjoy a nice picnic lunch after our hike, soaking in the warm fall sun!

How cold is this stream in late autumn? We didn’t dip our toes in to find out.

I love it when water is still enough to reflect the surrounding scenery.

The constant babble of the creek paired with the crunch of fallen leaves underfoot equals a perfect fall hike.

It was shocking to find marshlands so high in Virginia’s mountains.

hiking fenwick mines recreation area - accessibility

Given the length of the hike and the terrain, this spot is both kid- and dog-friendly. Dogs must remain on leashes. There are only two parts of the trail that may be uncomfortable for parents and dog-owners, depending on your offspring. Several sections of the trail are fairly lengthy boardwalks over the water, though they have safety railings. Additionally, while there is an overlook spot for the waterfall, to really see it well, visitors need to climb down a bit of a slope with some rocks and uneven stairs. Well-trained dogs (and kids) should be fine.

Fenwick Mines bills itself as wheelchair accessible. As hikes go, it certainly is. As mentioned above, visitors in wheelchairs would not be able to get down to the waterfall itself but could enjoy the view from further away at the overlook spot. While the path is generally flat, there is some small amount of erosion where the pathway curves down towards the middle from the constant tread of visitors, and there are rocks that protrude at spots. The larger pond has an overlook up on the hill above it with a graded path to access it that is still a bit steep and rocky.

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