Day Hike 14: Doughton Park Tent Campground to Devils Garden Overlook
Goodbye, Mountains
Distance: 4.4 miles
- Difficulty: Moderate. Flat at first, then some up-and-down.
- Camping: Doughton Park Campground (seasonal).
- Land manager: National Park Service.
- Volunteer Task Force Leader: Steven Joines, sjj1@skybest.com.
- Piggyback trail: Bluff Mountain.
- Connecting trails: Cedar Ridge.
The Brinegar Cabin, a reminder of pre-Blue Ridge Parkway times.
The Mountains-to-Sea Trail leaves the high country with a flourish, taking in more of Doughton Park before dropping down the Blue Ridge escarpment into Stone Mountain State Park for its journey east across the Piedmont and coastal plain.
The section begins with one last mile of meadow hiking before ducking into a healthy hemlock forest, then emerging at the Brinegar Cabin, which is worth a stop. Martin and Caroline Brinegar made their home here from around 1880 until 1930. They farmed 125 acres (purchased for $200), Martin also made shoes (which took two weeks to make and he sold for $1), Caroline also made clothes. It’s hard not to look at the idyllic setting and think paradise; it’s hard not to read the educational kiosks and think hardscrabble existence. Martin died of pneumonia after getting caught in a storm walking home from church; Caroline stayed on after the Parkway was built, but she didn’t stay long. The new road was too noisy.
The trail spends much of its remaining time in a fitting farewell to the Blue Ridge, tracing a ridge line, climbing into mature forest, dropping into lush coves. Devils Garden Overlook offers a scenic spot for saying goodbye.
For detailed hiking directions and parking information, download the Segment 5 guide from our Trail Guides page, using the “Primary Trailheads” section to pinpoint the location. You can also visualize the route on our interactive map; click “Day Hikes” to view the endpoints.
