I hiked this trail on Friday, July 3rd 2020 with my brother, mom, dad, and our dog.

The Devil's Courthouse Trail is a very short (<1 mile round-trip) but very steep paved trail just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Access the trail to the top by parking at the Devil's Courthouse Overlook at mile-marker 422.2 of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Because the trail is right off the Parkway, it will almost always be fairly heavily trafficked, but thanks to the steep incline of the trail, the pace of visitors is slightly staggered.

An interesting bit of local lore is that the Devil's Courthouse earned its name because legend said that the Devil held court and trials inside the big, exposed rock, which can be seen from in the view from the overlook in the picture below.

To the east of the parking lot is a narrow but paved trail. After following the road for a few hundred feet, the trail turns sharply to your right and begins a steep and rapid ascent. Though the trail stops being paved within a few hundred feet of the end, it still remains extremely easy to follow. Once you reach the top, you'll see a sign warning you not to cross the rock barrier to help protect local wildlife, as well as several stone and metal markers which help you identify the mountains within view.

To see more pictures from this hike, click here.