Here's a great camping experience you'll want to add to your bucket list - go camping on Deer Island at Philpott Reservoir.
Deer Island is located at Philpott Reservoir and is only accessible by canoe (or other boat). It is first-come, first-serve, no reservations. You must obtain a camping permit from the park attendant at Salthouse Branch Park.
Philpott Reservoir is a deep, clear-water, 3,000-acre lake in mountainous terrain with a beautiful natural shoreline. It's owned by the Army Corp of Engineers...which means there's little to no development along the shoreline.
From high-energy biking to snowboarding to breathtaking views in remote areas, Radical Reels will feature a variety of outdoor adventures.
The lineup for the free Radical Reels film festival on Sept. 12 at the Jefferson Center includes 11 short films. The festival begins at 6:45 p.m. Come early and check out the Outdoor Expo beginning at 5 p.m.
RSVP today and let your friends know you are coming by joining the event page on Facebook.
The group has proposed that the old incline site up Mill Mountain be converted into a trail. The former incline site is 0.4 miles from base to summit.
The Mill Mountain incline operated from 1910 to 1929 and took visitors from the current Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital location to the Mill Mountain Star.
The idea is modeled after a site in Manitou, Colo. (pictured), that includes a dirt trail with wooden steps where an incline used to be.
The Star City Vicious Randonnee bike ride features a 92-mile route, including 12 rated climbs and beautiful terrain. And if 92 miles is not enough for you, the course extends to 115 miles for a "suiride." Race organizers warn that the extended ride is tough. Riders will climb "The Wall," Cahas Mountain, descend into Blackwater Valley, and then ride to the top of Bent Mountain again along the Adney Gap climb.
Riders will start from East Coasters on Electric Road and the randonnee will follow a course with a total ascent of 8,211 feet and a top elevation of 3,290 feet.
Both rides are free. Riders will leave at 9 a.m. and return to East Coasters.
Ever feel your stomach rumble just as you hit the trail?
Clif Bar is betting on it and will help you earn a free snack bar (and possibly other prizes) in what the company says is the first geo-location Twitter campaign.
Here's how it works:
Hit a park, trail, or beach.
Send a location-enabled tweet to @CLIFMojoGo. (You will have to wait for Clif to verify the location.)
A new Facebook group, "
This is one ridiculous ride.
