Michael D. Young Trail

Dogs Off-leash

Features Birding · Fall Colors · River/Creek · Spring

This is a 2.8-mile nature trail, with moderately steep terrain changes, springs, historic coal tipples, and abandoned coal mining carts that is open to foot traffic and mountain biking only.

No motorized vehicles allowed on trail.

Start at Highway 83 / Edgewater Dr. in Grundy, Virginia 24614. The eastern trailhead is a large gravel parking area with a bridge across to the trail, and marked with a sign for the Michael D. Young Trail. Begin by crossing the bridge over Slate Creek and go uphill 500 feet.

At the junction, turn right to join the main trail or left for the short connector trail to the hospital. At 1.8 miles, there is a connector trail on the right, downhill to a private school and road access. At 2.4 miles, the nature portion of the trail ends at a small gravel parking area off local road T-1004 / New House Branch Rd. End your trip, turn around here, or continue on paved roads to access the post office, courthouse, law school, and the marked western end of the trail.

Turn right to cross the concrete bridge over New House Creek and take an immediate left onto road T-1001 / Granada St. At 2.5 miles, there is an old cinder-block staircase, descend carefully. (To avoid this staircase you could stay on New House Branch Rd. all the way down, but there is semi-frequent vehicle traffic and no sidewalk.) Take an immediate left onto road T-1011 / Gene St. which will dead end at the western trailhead. The trail ends at a sign on road T-1003 / Walnut St. with plenty of roadside gravel parking spaces including handicap-accessible parking.

Birds including heron, hawk, cardinal. Deer. Bear warning signs posted at trailheads, but no tracks or activity seen.

This is an old coal mining road.