Wow! This hike was awesome! The stream that you follow was extremely active because of all the rain we have been getting, and I eventually stopped trying to keep my shoes dry since it was pointless! I did slip on one of the rocks during one of the many stream crossings, but it wasnt a bad fall. The uphill section following the stream was steep at times, with a couple of spots that were hand over hand, but there wasn't a ton of that, and my dog got up it just fine. Once we got onto the fire road we actually saw a young black bear up in a tree. Unfortunately, he was so eager to get away from us that he fell about 15 feet out of the tree! That was all a little scary, but he ran out of sight and seemed okay.

If you are going anytime soon, take shoes that you don't mind getting wet, and just walk across the stream crossings, it's much safer that way, and parts of the trail are actually in the middle of the stream so you'll get wet anyways. It took us just under three hours to do this hike, with a 15 min lunch break.

I have heard a lot about Little Devils' Stairs and was eager to finally get the chance to hike it. As soon as we pulled up the sky opened and the rain fell like a blanket on top of us. Not being undone by the rain we ventured up the trail. The trail itself is amazing with plenty of little waterfalls (of which the rain made much more viewable) and amazing views of natural beauty. About a quarter mile in the rocks begin to gradually climb and about a mile or so you will do a little hand over hand climbing of the rocks. After about close to two miles in the trail evens out with no more big rocks to climb over, however the trail becomes more steep as you walk the flat trail between high grass.

Once you get to the four way junction of Keyser Fire Road, you turn left down the gravel road and this is where the excitement of Little Devil's Stairs gradually disappears. There is only stop where you can really rest and get a view of the valleys below. Other than that, it is a long boring 3.4 mile walk back to the parking lot. You do pass an old cemetery that is worth visiting but other than that I could of done without the walk back on a gravel road. I would suggest going back down Little Devil's Stairs or going across the trail and hooking up with Piney Branch Trail whihch will loop you back about .06 miles from the parking lot.

Did this hike yesterday , it was a good time. Was a little short but the beginning climb was great fun. If you enjoy climbing/bouldering you might want to bring your gear with you. I was kicking myself for not having any with me. There are some great faces out there. The creek was frozen really solid in most places which made for some really pretty ice structures. I think when it warms up ill head out there agian and this time with some climbing gear.

Hiked this trail with Snappers and Steve on Sunday: Weather was great, we only passed 3 other hikers on the trail the whole day.  The first 2 miles of the trail are slightly challenging as you do have to use your arms to get up some tight spots, but nothing the average person can't do. This is a great hike for dogs, plenty of streams and rocks for them to play around on. You do have to cross the steam quite a bit so make sure you bring extra socks just in case. After you reach the fire road it is kind of a boring 3 mile hike back so make sure you have someone you like to talk to. We saw a black bear about 200 yards before the cemetery on the right side of the trail keep your eyes open. Overall a very nice hike for the 2 miles up but rather long and mundane for the 3 miles back.

My friend and I loved this hike! It was a bit more challenging on the way up. There was a lot of climbing and crossing streams involved (for about 2 miles), but that just made it more fun! Make sure your hiking boots are waterproof because there are many streams to cross, and I slipped on a rock and stepped into the water. And make sure you stop at the top of the mountain for some photos - we did not expect such impressive views!

The way down was a breeze (about 3 miles), since we walked on a gravel road most of the time. It was nice to pass by the beautiful "Bolen" cemetery, I recommend stopping and reading the blue plaque inbetween the headstones.

It took us 4.5 hours to finish this hike (30 minutes for lunch and photo stops). I would not recommend this hike for small children, because of the hike up and all the climbing we had to do. However, you could try to hike up to Bolen cemetery on Keyser Rud road (trail starts on the left side, gravel road) which is about 1 mile there and 1 mile back. I did this today (November 2) with my 7-year-old daughter, and she did very well (we also did a scavenger hunt which made it more interesting).

I highly recommend this hike.

Good hike. The first two miles is a climb, last three along the fire road.

Stumbled across a big black bear about 500 yards from the parking lot. I surprised him, he surprised me, We both walked away slowly

The day was absolutly perfect. We did not quite expect the difficuilty of the climb through the ravine. This climb does cross Keyser run many times and does require hand over hand climbing at points. It is very steep at points.

Over all the climb was very good and the old cemetary is intresting.

Highly recomend just make sure you are ready and in reasonably good shape.

I hiked Old Rag in the morning, ate some lunch and started this hike in the early afternoon.  Parked at the bottom at the end of SR 614.  I have done this hike a few times and always enjoy the views of the gorge, the sheer walls and the small waterfalls (which provide a nice breeze).  I think that this hike is most scenic in the winter when the trees have shed their leaves and you can better see the rock walls.  This time I decided to go up Little Devil Stairs and go past fourway on to Piney Branch Trail.  I enjoyed this route more than the shorter loop.  This way you get some extra stream crossings and are only on the fire road for about a mile.  Very enjoyable!

It hurts to say but, I am an over weight (20-30lbs) 41 year old male, who quit running about two years ago. (So you get some idea of fitness level).  My wife, a daughter (12), and I hiked Little Devils Stairs today.  We arrived at 1100: there were 7 cars in the lot.  We made the trip up around and back down the fire road in just less than three hours.  There were still 7 cars but several had changed shape and color.  We didn't stop to eat lunch however; several rest breaks were needed during the ascent.  We made the entire decent without stopping.  The walk down the fire road peaceful and the air was full of scents.  We could smell wild flowers near the top and as we enter the area with pine trees we could definitely smell them.  The water levels allowed for the nice babbling of water during the ascent. The decent was nearly silent, except for an airline that passed over. ***One thing we missed until the trail head notice was the entry fee requirement. We filled out the form and paid for the annual fee. The thirty dollars covers four family members for a year.

We got to the parking lot around 10:30 on a Saturday and there were 4 other cars in the lot.  When we left there were about 8...not too bad for a holiday weekend.  I liked the hike better in the winter; you could see more of the rock formations and cascades as you ascend the trail.  We ended up finishing the loop in about 3-hours.  As I mentioned in my previous review, I highly suggest following the loop as posted on this site.  Going up the falls and down the fireroad makes a lot more sense than the other way around.  The only notable event on this hike was the nice size bear tracks we saw on the fireroad, man I wish we could have seen him! 

This was my favorite hikes as of date.  It was bright and sunny, although the trees provided great shade, and a wonderful breeze ran through occassionally.  The first mile was on a dirt road, but pay attention not to miss the little marker pointing you down the little devil stairs (watch out I spotted some poison IV early into the hike)....after the second mile....the streams and waterfall started appearing....this was when the fun began...bring good shoes and a walking stick...there is lots of water crossing and rocks are everywhere....pay close attention to the trail markers, there were time, where the dog had to find our way. she loved it by the way....about 3 1/2 miles into the hike we spotted a big rock configuration and it was amazing ---natures AC--- the rocks were giving off the coldest air i've ever felt...so pay attention....it's the coolest thing ever....we finally make it too the trail border took a little while to soak our feet in the gorgeous stream (spotted some frogs and catfish) and headed back up...that's when the trail truley takes it's name "little devil stairs"...the hike back requires lots of climbing and strenous stretches.

Bring lots of water and a camera the waterfalls and crossings are amazing.  If you're up for a challenge this one is the one to take (we saw no one in 6 hours---the best part)

I highly recommend following the directions given on this page. Climbing up the rocks along the stream was much easier than it would have been to climb down. After that the rest of the trip is downhill; I felt sorry for other groups that were hiking up the service road, most looked out of breath and wore out. Besides the physical advantages to doing the circuit this way, by hiking up the river you are always facing the river and able to take advantage of the scenery. This is also true when headed downhill to view the vistas through the trees. Without the leaves, I would rate these views at least 2 stars.