Devil's Marbleyard

The Devil's Marbleyard is a 3 mile hike located in the James River Face Wilderness area as part of the Belfast Trail. The marbleyard is a unique geological feature that can best be described as a huge rock field with boulders ranging from the size of coffee tables to those of large vans. The Belfast Trail passes through the remains of an old Boy Scout camp and follows Belfast Creek gradually uphill to the Devil's Marbleyard, which is an unmistakable jumble of huge white boulders to the left of the trail. Climbing onto the boulders opens up some good views of the area, but it is the boulder field itself that is the star of the show. This hike is probably not one of the most popular in the sense of having a parking lot crammed with 60 cars every gorgeous weekend, a la Sharp Top or McAfee Knob. It's more out of the way and the parking lot can't hold more than about eight cars. But this is a spot that every Virginian with even an inkling of interest in the outdoors seems to have been at least once and is fascinated by. It is one of the most talked-about natural wonders of Western Virginia if not one of the most-visited.