I've been asked where Thompson Wildlife Management Area is.
About 65 miles out Rte. 66.
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wmas/detail.asp?pid=31
We exit 66 at the Markham exit. At the bottom of the ramp, turn right. Go PAST a small parking area on the left and keep going a few miles until you see a small lake on the left (it is behind the trees and down a hill, so not super-obvious). Just past the lake, there is a small driveway on the left going down to a parking lot. From the parking lot, walk up the gravel road to the lake. At the lake, turn right and go past the lake on the earthen dam. Continue up the hill. It will eventually bend around to the left and continue uphill to meet the Appalachian trail.
You will really want this trail map: http://www.hikingupward.com/ovh/grt_wildliferefuge/
The trails are not well-marked except the AT which is basically a straight line (though it does wiggle a bit when crossing the fire roads). But they are generally easy to follow if you have the trail map.
Some people park at the top (at the towers) and come downhill to the Trillium Trail but in our experience, you will miss a number of species by doing that as some are not nearly as common/reliable in that area.
This area is very popular during hunting season, so make sure you wear some blaze orange if you are hiking anytime from late November to the end of January. We generally go only on Sundays when hunting is not legal. And still wear blaze orange because people do things that are not legal. In any case, the hunting seasons/dates are on the WMA website:
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wmas/detail.asp?pid=31
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