Southwest Virginia – UPDATED 2/7/23: Bridge Washout – Lick Creek
va
|southwest-virginia
|closure
|hiking-safety
|Update
02/07/2023
The George Washington & Jefferson National Forests and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) have partnered with the Federal Highway Administration to design and construct a replacement for the Lick Creek footbridge in Bland County, Virginia (NOBO mile 563.8) as part of the national transportation infrastructure program. The new bridge is planned as a replacement in kind – it will be constructed in the same location as the former bridge, but elevated above the floodplain. The design effort is ongoing and includes surveying and geotechnical exploration at the site of the former bridge. These activities are coordinated and approved by the U.S. Forest Service.
Hikers should continue to follow the current route of the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) across Lick Creek, use caution while fording the creek, and be prepared to wait for water levels to go down following heavy rain.
Learn more about safety tips for rivers and stream crossings here. We will update this notice when we have more information.
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03/25/2020
The A.T. footbridge over Lick Creek in Bland County (mile 563.8) has washed out. Lick Creek is 5.4 miles north of the A.T. trailhead at Virginia Highway 42 (O’Lystery picnic pavilion), and 1.4 miles south of the A.T. trailhead at VA-625 (Poor Valley). Hikers should be prepared to ford the creek, wait out high-water conditions, or backtrack if needed. Lick Creek is typically no more than knee-deep at the A.T. crossing, but may become deeper and more hazardous after a heavy rain. Hikers are encouraged to familiarize themselves with standard safety tips for fording creeks and rivers before hiking this section. A new bridge is not expected to be completed until sometime in 2023 at the earliest.
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