Hike to the Little Greenbrier School and Walker Homesite

Starting from the Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area, you'll cross a bridge and follow a well-packed dirt path that gradually transitions to a wide gravel roadbed — the kind of old mountain lane that once connected these remote homesteads to the outside world. The canopy of hardwood forest keeps things shaded and cool, and the grade is gentle enough that you'll barely notice you're climbing. Along the way, stone walls and foundations emerge from the undergrowth like quiet monuments to the families who carved out a life here. The one-room Little Greenbrier School, built in the 1880s, still stands with its original chalkboard inside. Beyond it, the Walker Sisters' cabin complex rounds out the story — one of the last families to hold out against the park's creation. This is the rare trail where history steals the show from the scenery, and anyone who loves Appalachian heritage will be completely absorbed.