LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Monogram on Liberty Mountain is home to one of the best views in Lynchburg, and I set out to find it.
I parked in a lot just past the Snowflex Complex and checked out the trail map. I decided to do the Mike Donahue trail, which was about 1.2 miles. I walked across the parking lot to the sign and started my trek.
The path was fairly rocky and labeled with green signs, this trail was marked by the number 82. After the first few paces the trees open up to a taste of the skyline.
Then you’ll start to head down a small hill, the trail running along Candlers Mountian road. You’ll cross a quick gravel road and continue on the dirt path, and a few paces later you’ll come to a “T”, stay to the left and follow the signs.
The trail is pretty quiet and tucked away, allowing me to just enjoy nature. The mountain laurels were starting to bloom along the trail too and the trees were nice and green.
The hike took around 30 minutes but I still didn’t see the view I was hoping to. So I hopped in the car and checked out the map, trying to figure out how to get to the monogram.
There was a gravel road that crossed in front of the monogram, so I took it and parked at another trailhead.
It ended up being a short walk up the gravel road, opening up to a beautiful clearing overlooking the Liberty University campus and beyond. There was a little gazebo at the top, but I chose to enjoy sitting in the grass and taking in the view
While I didn’t crack the code on how to hike directly to the monogram, it’s nice to know there are a lot of quick options on the mountain, and an easy drive to a pretty view if hiking isn’t for you.