Category: Outdoor

Beerwerks Breweries with Sweet Mountain Views

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You’ve carved your pumpkins, stuffed your scarecrows, and hiked to an incredible overlook. You’ve posed for fall portraits, handed out snacks after the soccer game, and raked some leaves. After all that hard work, you deserve to kick back and enjoy a beer against an incredible backdrop. Here’s our round-up of Beerwerks breweries showcasing sweet mountain views. As you visit, make sure to get your 2024 Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail Passport stamped to earn a Beerwerks t-shirt!

Zone C

Rockbridge Vineyard and Brewery

Rockbridge Vineyard & Brewery offers plenty of outdoor space with excellent views looking over rolling hills and pastureland. You’ll see rows of grape arbors, a pond, and a pair of silos rising over the farm. Pick from a seat on the deck, at one of the umbrella-shaded picnic tables, or spread out blankets and chairs on the grass. There’s even an open-air pavilion to shelter you if it starts to rain. Rockbridge Vineyard & Brewery makes both wine and beer, so you have a lot of wonderful tastes to sample. For fall, try the Blood Orange Wheat ale or the Gold Rush cider. Catch live music on weekend afternoons, and buy a snack of local cheeses from the tasting room or from a scheduled food truck. 

Devils Backbone 

Devils Backbone Outpost Tap Room & Kitchen sits high on a hill, and the mountain views from the enormous deck should appear on postcards. There’s even more outdoor space in the separate beer garden with picnic tables and umbrellas. Celebrate fall with O’Fest Lager or malty Pumpkin Spice Lager, made with pumpkin pie spice extract. The exceptional menu includes appetizers, salads, delicious burgers, sandwiches, and entrees as well as a menu for kids. Check the schedule for live music every Friday and Saturday.

Great Valley Farm Brewery and Winery

You’ll be blown away by the incredible mountain views at Great Valley Farm Brewery and Winery. Relax at a shaded picnic table or in an Adirondack chair and watch the clouds drift over the Blue Ridge. Kid with you? Don’t worry, there’s lots of room for them to run and have fun while you taste your way through the ever-changing taplist. Upcoming releases include a freshly fermented IPA-Citra/Mosaic, the annual Oktoberfest, and the Belgian Golden Strong.  Plan a picnic, or grab something from a Saturday food truck. Check the schedule for upcoming musical events.

Zone B

The Alpine Goat Brewery

The Alpine Goat Brewery spoils visitors with tasty craft beer as well as beautiful views of the mountains from a variety of outside seating areas. You can also see the Valley’s scenery from inside the beer hall-like taproom. The brewery serves several European-style beers as well as regional favorites like IPAs, stouts, and hard seltzers. Try the dark German Schwarzbier while you listen to live music or play outdoor games like cornhole and giant Connect Four. Visitors can also enjoy fire pits, brewery tours, and small-batch beer releases. The brewery is kid-friendly and offers a sandbox and lots of open space for the kids to run and play. In addition, leashed dogs are welcome. Get some small snacks in the taproom or plan to visit during the weekend and evening hours when the rotating food trucks are onsite. Come for live music on the weekends, Saturday morning yoga workshops, and chances to meet the goats and make memories.

Stable Craft Brewing

Stable Craft Brewing’s extensive outdoor space includes a shaded patio, picnic tables, and Adirondack chairs, all featuring swoon-worthy views of the Blue Ridge. Play lawn games, volleyball, and cornhole golf, or stroll the property for more views of the mountains. As the fall weather deepens, pull up a chair near one of several crackling fire pits. Stable Craft’s signature fall flavors include a traditional Oktoberfest and the delicious pumpkin pie-inspired FUmpkin Ale. The brewery also dishes up an elevated bistro menu packed with appetizers, sandwiches, salads, and entrees. Stable Craft’s Friday Night Love series combines live music and cider releases, and as Halloween nears, tour guides from Ghosts of Staunton will be sharing spooky stories from the Queen City. 

Pro Re Nata+

Pro Re Nata+ opened its new Staunton location last month, and while you can’t quite see the mountains, you can still take advantage of the fall colors and rolling meadow scenery from the large, dog and family-friendly beer garden. The brewery has taken over the old Skipping Rock location a short, scenic drive from Staunton. Try the popular Tapped Out pilsner or the seasonal Byers Street Brown. In addition to their beer, Pro Re Nata+ also serves several types of salads and creative, customizable pizzas. An onsite food truck prepared Southern-inspired apps, mains, handhelds, and sides. Finish your meal with an ice cream flight. Stay tuned for upcoming events like live acoustic music and silent discos, where the dance music is shared through headphones, but those who don’t want to listen can opt out.

Seven Arrows Brewing

As the leaves drop off the trees, Seven Arrows Brewing’s view of the distant mountain ridge to the east only grows more beautiful. Snatch your mountain peek from a variety of outdoor seating options on the deck, beer garden, and around the firepit. Don’t skip the toasty Fallen Timbers Oktoberfest, brewed with specialty malts and German noble hops. Nobos Kitchen complements the tap list with a tasty lunch, dinner, and late-night fare. Visit the taproom on Saturday nights for live music. Seven Arrows hosts Tuesday night open mic sessions and Saturday morning yoga. Looking for indoor views? Have a look at the art in the onsite Compass Gallery. You might find something you want to buy for your wall at home.

Zone A

Cave Hill Farms Brewery

The outside seating area at Cave Hill Farms Brewery has shaded tables and stellar views of the farm and mountains. For the best views around, climb the silo stairs to the balcony overlook. Fall beers to try include the Oktoberfest, made with German hops and malts and notes of toffee and caramel, and the Cocoa Kisses chocolate stout. The unique indoor taproom is a huge converted bovine loafing shed with a small farm museum. The museum has exhibits on the making of milk products, pre-electric farm tools, buggies, keys, and more. The Feedlot serves tasty bar food and has a kids’ menu. Catch live music each weekend!

White Oak Lavender Farm

If you haven’t sampled the beer at family-owned White Oak Lavender Farm, the fall is the time to do it. While the lavender blooms earlier in the season, the farm still smells amazing, and you’ll definitely relax as you sip flights of beer, wine, and cider. Toast your toes near a fire pit or enjoy a stroll around the landscaped grounds and pause to look at the mountains in the background. The farm hosts live music, wreath-making classes, and festivals. Kids will love the weekend small animal experience, chances to meet and groom the horses and goats, and lavender ice cream. The gift shop is stocked with great-smelling items like essential oils, candles, bath products, jellies, jams, and other good things to eat.

Make the most of the fall weather, craft beer, and mountain view experience. Plan your trip to a Beerwerks brewery today!

Fall Hikes and Nearby Breweries Along the Beerwerks Trail

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No, your eyes are not deceiving you: the leaves have already started to change. It’s still crazy hot, but autumn is right around the corner. If you’re fantasizing about fall things like sweaters, football, pumpkin-spiced anything, and leaf-peeping along the trail, this is the season for you. Here are nine hikes along the Beerwerks Trail that are especially nice in autumn. Better yet, they’re all a short distance from a Beerwerks brewery where you can refresh and toast the changing seasons.

Zone A

Hightop Summit Trail

15 minutes from Elkton Brewing Co.

You can choose the distance you want to hike to reach the panoramic views at the end of Shenandoah National Park’s out-and-back Hightop Summit Trail. Start at Swift Run Gap to tackle the entire 5.6 miles and a steep climb of 1,480 ft. Alternately, park at the Hightop Mountain pull-in on the Skyline Drive to do an easier 2.3 miles. Time this one right and score a big sunset. Both hikes are all downhill back to your ride. This hike is considered moderate and is one of SNP’s less-traveled trails.

Hidden Rocks Trail

30 minutes from Restless Moons Brewing

Hidden Rock Trail in Hone Quarry Recreation Area is a moderate 2.5-mile hike that follows (and crosses) Rocky Run. Hikers will love looking at the pretty mountain stream, especially where a pool has formed under a waterfall. The trail climbs up Back Mountain to the Hidden Rocks. This cliff formation is a popular scene for rock climbers and you might spot someone mid-climb. The trail continues past the base of the rocks to an overlook on top of the cliff. Nearby Hone Quarry Ridge (5 miles) and Oak Knob (7.9 miles) also pay off with overlooks and opportunities to see migrating birds and autumn leaves.

Massanutten Ridge Trail

15 minutes from BrewHaHa Brewing Company

Massanutten Ridge Trail is a 4.5-mile out-and-back scenic trail that provides impressive views of Massanutten’s ski slopes and surrounding mountains from the top of the ridge. This is a quiet hike with some challenging rocky sections along the ridge. Enjoy the autumn leaf show or plan your upcoming golf or ski trip while you hike. It’s worth it to arrive at sunrise or sunset! 

Zone B

Blue Ridge Tunnel Trail

2 minutes from Basic City Beer Co.

Once the longest railroad tunnel in North America, the Claudius Crozet Blue Ridge Tunnel is now a 4.5-mile out-and-back hiking trail that delves under Afton Mountain. Visitors can hike or bike the trail, including the nearly mile-long tunnel section. The tunnel stays a pleasant 50 degrees year-round, and you might see underground dwellers like crawfish and salamanders. Signage along the trail gives background on the tunnel’s history (it was built in the 1850s and closed to trains in 1944) and the project to restore it, which took nearly 20 years. There is no interior lighting, so visitors should bring flashlights. 

Calvary and Chimney Rock

35 minutes from Seven Arrows Brewing Company

Located in Shenandoah National Park, the Calvary and Chimney Rock hike is a moderate 3.4-mile out-and-back hike with two impressive overlooks and large, interesting rock formations. Turn around and head back to your car or extend the hike into the 10-mile Riprap Loop.

Elliot Knob 

20 minutes from Redbeard Brewing Company

The tough 8.1-mile out-and-back Elliot Knob hike climbs to a fire tower on the highest peak in Augusta County. The hike begins gently, traversing woodland scenery and following Falls Hollow Run as it works through the forest. Rest and admire the pools and waterfalls. The final steep mile and a half, along a fire road, will have your quads crying…in both directions! The summit is open and grassy, and it offers wonderful views and a private place to rest and eat lunch.

Zone C

Chessie Trail

5 minutes from Heliotrope Brewery

You won’t have to drive along miles of switchbacks to get to Chessie Trail, which can be accessed from either Lexington or Buena Vista and connects the two. Ideal for strolling or riding your bike, the 7-mile (each way) trail follows an old railroad bed and hugs the scenic Maury River. The well-maintained gravel trail is flat and quiet and runs through forested and open land. There’s a good chance you’ll see some native wildlife.

Mt. Pleasant Trail

40 minutes from Devils Backbone Outpost Taproom & Kitchen

Mt. Pleasant Trail is a well-maintained 5.5-mile loop trail that’s loaded with interesting things to look at including two summits with beautiful views. This hike is good for a long day hike, but hikers hoping to stay longer can claim one of several established campsites near the mountain’s saddle. October is a wonderful time to visit and photograph the changing leaves.

House Mountain Trail

25 minutes from Great Valley Farm Brewery and Winery

The tough 8.2-mile House Mountain Trail follows an old Jeep trail up the mountain and splits when you get to the saddle between the two peaks. This spot was once a homestead and you can still see an old structure and some apple trees. From here, you can pick a peak to climb (or tackle both). Big House Mountain looks west from the top of a 100-foot high cliff, and to reach it, you’ll cover 1.7 challenging miles and climb 740 feet. Little House Mountain looks northeast, and the trail is 2.6 miles long and has a strenuous 940-foot climb. Many people tag both peaks for the full 8.2 miles.

One of the best ways to celebrate fall is with a beautiful hike followed by a cold beer. Make plans to hit the trail this weekend!

Water Fun Along the Beerwerks Trail

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Summer is here, and it’s time to get outside. Whether you’re mowing, barbequing, exploring, or having fun outside, you’ll work up a sweat. Here’s how to cool off with a visit to one of the Valley’s best water features for paddling, swimming, fishing, or hiking. Make sure you finish the day with an icy brew at a nearby Beerwerks brewery.

Paddling

The area’s rivers and lakes provide both calm water and rapids to explore!

The South River flows through Waynesboro, and the section from Ridgeview Park to Basic Park makes up the 4-mile Waynesboro Water Trail, which connects several parks with launch access for canoes, kayaks, and tubes. It’s also one of only two urban trout fisheries in the state, and anglers can take advantage of launches for small craft, a fishing platform, and habitats constructed for fish. Since the water trail runs through the city, visitors can beach their boats and easily access park and downtown amenities. Nearby Rockfish Gap Outfitters rents canoes and kayaks if you don’t have one of your own. 

The Upper James River Water Trail is one of only three east coast rivers named in Paddling Magazine’s “Best Places to Paddle in America.” Including parts of the James and Maury Rivers, the waterway offers 59 scenic miles with 12 public access points and extensive opportunities for canoeing, kayaking, and rafting adventures. The river trail includes smooth, family-friendly stretches and areas of whitewater for those seeking to practice technical skills. If you’re looking for an overnight adventure, hop out and camp at one of many riverside campgrounds. Several stocked trout streams feed into the UJRWT, providing some of Virginia’s best bass, catfish, and sunfish fishing. 

Swimming

Escape the heat and humidity with a plunge.

Sherando Lake Recreation Area beckons you for the day or weekend with an icy 25-acre spring-fed mountain lake. Not only is it incredibly beautiful, but it’s also a wonderful place to swim, paddle, fish, and play. Spread blankets in the shade as kids frolic on the big, sandy beach. A roped-off swimming area provides safety. The area also has a campground, bathrooms with showers, and miles of hiking and biking trails in the surrounding national forest. Anglers love fishing the lake from a bank, boat, or fishing pier. 

The Massanutten Water Park isn’t a natural body of water, but you’ll definitely have fun! Hit the slides and wave pools inside and out. The park, a top-ten favorite of Parents Magazine, Budget Travel Magazine, and USA Today, offers slides, pools, lazy rivers, and waterless arcade game fun. Rocket headfirst down the Rockingham Racer slide, avoid water cannons in the Massanutten Meltdown, or surf in a wave pool. New outdoor slides include the twisting double-tube Peak Plunge and the zero-gravity sensation, MASS Mayhem. 

Fishing

With its solitude, scenery, and numerous freshwater species, the Shenandoah Valley is an East Coast fishing hotspot. 

Stocked with brown trout, Mossy Creek makes a worthy destination for experienced fly fishermen. The creek flows through private property, but landowners along with The Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries and Trout Unlimited have made a four-mile stretch open to the public to fish from the bank.

Located in George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, Braley Pond boasts a beautiful, forested setting that’s easy to access. The pond is stocked with rainbow trout, and fishermen can also catch largemouth bass, channel catfish, and bluegill. Nearby, 54-acre Elkhorn Lake supplies water to the city of Staunton and is managed for both warm and cold-water fishing of largemouth bass, bluegill, sunfish, and channel catfish. 

One of our favorite locations for introducing kids to the sport is Staunton’s Lake Tams. This stocked 2.5-acre pond is home to largemouth bass, bluegill, and channel catfish. This site boasts ample parking, clear and gently sloping banks, and room to set up lawn chairs. It’s also close to playgrounds if the kids need a break. Lake Tams Is home to annual fishing derbies for youth and seniors.  

Waterfall Hikes

Spend a hot spring or summer day hiking to a waterfall. The icy dip will feel incredible.

Many Shenandoah National Park hikes pay off with waterfalls and shaded trails. Located in the southern portion of the park, the Jones/Doyles Falls hike is a 6.6-mile loop with places to dip your feet and some gorgeous spots to photograph the falls. Nearby, the 9.5-mile Riprap Hollow Trail is considered one of the best in the area. Explore the mountain streams as you navigate crossings and photograph a 20-foot waterfall and smaller cascades. The star of the show, however, is an incredible 50-foot-wide swimming hole. 

If you’re visiting the central region of SNP, try the 4.8-mile South River Falls hike. It will take you past two old cemeteries to the base of a striking 83-foot cascade. The popular and moderately difficult hike will get you in the mood for a cold brew. 

1,200-ft high Crabtree Falls is one of the highest vertical-drop cascading waterfalls east of the Mississippi. The up-and-back 3.8-mile trail offers close-up vantages of five major cascades and a magnificent view of the Tye River Valley from the top. If you want to swim under a waterfall, set your sights on St. Mary’s Falls. The out-and-back hike totals 4 miles with multiple water crossings along the Saint Mary’s River. The exhilarating payoff is an icy mountain pool and scenic waterfall, so pack a picnic and swimsuit and stay awhile.

Lakes and rivers along the Beerwerks Trail are ideal destinations when the weather gets steamy. Spend a hot afternoon enjoying one of our water features and follow it up with a refreshing visit to a Beerwerks brewery.

9 Ways to Keep Your 2021 New Beer’s Resolutions Along the Beerwerks Trail

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2021 is finally here, and not a moment too soon! You’ve probably made a list of resolutions to improve yourself and live your best life. Resolutions can be tough to stick to, but we’ve come up with ways to reinforce them by combining them with chances to drink beer! Read on for how you can live your best life with help from the breweries along the Beerwerks Trail.

#1 Exercise More/Lose Weight

The Beerwerks Trail stretches over three counties in one of the loveliest parts of the country. There is no end to excellent hiking, biking, paddling, climbing, and more. For an easy stroll, try out the Chessie Trail in Lexington or Waynesboro’s South River Greenway. Verona’s Trails at Mill Place, the trails through Staunton’s Montgomery Hall Park, Harrisonburg’s Hillandale Park or Edith J. Carrier Arboretum are also all just moments away from downtown areas. Reward yourself with a refreshing beer after your walk!

In addition, some of our breweries occasionally convert their spaces to Saturday morning yoga studios or organize community runs and races (that conclude with a brew in the tap room, of course). It’s also a known fact that wearing inspirational workout gear (decorated with the names of your favorite breweries, naturally) will actually help you work out even harder as you imagine the brewed treat waiting for you after you finish. Check out breweries’ taprooms and websites for what’s available.

#2 Get Organized

We know this is a tough one. One look inside the garage or the junk drawer, and many of us run for the hills. But spending so much time at home has made us realize that it’s imperative to get organized. How about fortifying yourself with some beer? With a growler by your side you can conquer anything…including your pantry or your closet. Most of the Beerwerks breweries sell refillable growlers, which will stay fresh for about 7-10 days before you open them.

#3 Learn a New Skill or Hobby

So you’ve always wanted to try home brewing, right? There’s no time like the present. Stop in at The Friendly Fermenter for Brew-a-Beer workshops, advice, and supplies. Want to see how the professionals work? Why not schedule a behind-the-scenes masked tour at a brewery and follow in the brewers’ footsteps through the fermentation halls and quality labs?  Learn about ingredients, packaging and inspiration. Several of our breweries will give you a tour of their facilities if you ask them nicely and make an appointment ahead of time. 

Keep an eye out for special events at Beerwerks breweries including floral design and seasonal decoration workshops and painting sessions. Nearby businesses like Valley Pike Farm Market, JMD Market and Garden Center, and White Oak Lavender Farm hold events such as wreath-making and cooking classes. Beginning quilters can find inspiration in classes held at Harrisonburg’s Virginia Quilt Museum.

Other good places to learn a new skill or hobby include Rockbridge County’s Shenandoah Art Destination, an all-inclusive art getaway. Staunton’s Beverley Street Studio School and Waynesboro’s Shenandoah Valley Art Center also offer a variety of classes for adults. Harrisonburg’s Larkin Arts is officially in “hibernation,” but those interested in classes should follow on social media for pop-up opportunities. Be on the lookout, also, for the return of master classes at the American Shakespeare Center.

#4 Live Life to the Fullest

It’s been a long and quiet year, but there are many ways you can continue to eat, drink, and be merry. Here’s a sampling of regular events at our breweries. Check your favorite brewery’s events calendar for specifics about what’s on tap.

Trivia:

Skipping Rock Beer Company, Basic City Beer Co., and Redbeard Brewing Company all hold pub regular trivia nights. Redbeard also holds monthly Monday night movie nights and open mic nights.

Live Music:

#5 Save Money/Spend Less Money

While craft beer tends to be a bargain, keep an eye out on our breweries’ social media streams for specials on beer or food. Also check out our Trailblazer Beercation itineraries. These fun explorations of area lodging, dining, outdoor discovery, and entertainment target our best picks for different groups (like empty nesters or millennials). They’ll help you escape, but keep you local!  

#6 Spend More Time with Family and Friends

We’re always celebrating at the Beerwerks breweries. Keep an eye out for holiday events, parties, charity fundraisers, celebrations for new beer releases, football games, horse races, and more. Lots of our breweries are child friendly and many even offer games or activities to keep kids busy. Basic City Beer Co., Skipping Rock Beer Company, Seven Arrows Beer Co., and Three Notch’d Valley Collab House have board games. Stable Craft Brewing’s Pints and Ponies and S’mores events are especially appealing to the younger crowd. Stable Craft also rents igloos where small groups can stay warm, even in the coldest weather.

#7 Travel More

We admit that travel is tough this year, but you could put a local spin on this one. Check out one of our hikes or bike rides that fall into the Beerwerks Trail footprint. You might also work on your Beerwerks Passport by venturing out of your immediate area to get those stamps and earn your new t-shirt. Do you live in Harrisonburg? Take a road trip to Lexington for a day of history and shopping followed by artisanal pizza and delicious beer at Heliotrope Brewery. Natural Bridge residents might enjoy traveling north for some thrilling winter fun at Massanutten Resort and a warm-up brew at Elkton Brewing Co. 

#8 Read More

One of the great pleasures in life, especially after football season ends, is to curl up with a good book and a tasty brew. You can join the monthly Redbeard’s Readers Book Club and enjoy lively discussions on the chosen author, genre, or theme. Better yet, you can join in person or check in via Zoom.  Another, less organized, way to enjoy books with your beer is to cozy up in the taproom at Pale Fire Brewing Co. and grab a book off the shelves.

If none of this interests you, check out the Green Valley Book Fair or one of the independent bookstores located in many of our localities.

#9 Try Some New and Different Styles of Beer

Enrich your palate and your life by drinking a wider variety of beers. A good way to find out what’s out there and to keep track of what you’ve tried is to use the Untappd app. You’ll be able to read notes and reviews, find out what your brewery has on tap, and discover what new tastes your friends are recommending. Encounter beer terms you’ve never heard of before? Confused about the difference between ABV and ABW? Head over to Craftbeer.com and look up that unfamiliar word in their glossary. You’ll sound like an expert in no time!

So what are you waiting for? Improve yourself, enjoy yourself, and have your best year ever along the Beerwerks Trail.