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The Parkway through Virginia offers spectacular views and interesting examples of Appalachian culture at places such as Humpback Rocks and Mabry Mill. The Appalachian Trail can be accessed from the Parkway at more than twenty overlooks and parking areas in Virginia, providing several opportunities to hike a section of this popular national scenic trail. For interesting driving, you're in the right place, because nowhere else on the Parkway can you see such a variety of countryside, dipping from ridge top to valley floor and proceeding through pastoral rolling farmland. For those who like to take their time while traveling, there are five visitor centers, four campgrounds, a lodge, housekeeping cabins, and three restaurants. From north to south, here are brief descriptions of the developed areas awaiting you.
Humpback Rocks
This "first stop" coming south down the Parkway offers a perfect blend of the natural and cultural history of the region. See a collection of buildings put together as a living, working rural Blue Ridge farm of the nineteenth century, or hike to the top of Humpback Mountain for spectacular vistas. At the Visitor Center, exhibits will challenge many of the stereotypes of European settlement in the mountains. Access to the US Forest Service's Sherando Lake is nearby, and a picnic area is located a few miles down the Parkway.
James River and Otter Creek
The James River has been a major transportation artery through Virginia for centuries. Although originally planned to provide a navigable waterway from Great Falls at Richmond to the Ohio River, the James River and Kanawha Canal was destined to extend no further west than Buchanan. When completed in 1851, it was the primary commercial route in the state. But civil war, floods, and railroads spelled disaster for the canal, causing it to fail within the next thirty years. Near the James River visitor center, visitors can see one of the restored canal locks. The James River/Otter Creek recreation area has a campground, restaurant, picnic area, and fishing in Otter Lake.
Peaks of Otter
For more than 8,000 years, people have traveled through the area searching for both their livelihood and recreation. Native Americans passed through the area while hunting, and the earliest European settlers began arriving in the mid-1700's. By 1834 the first inn had opened, and by the turn of the century the Peaks of Otter had become a popular tourist destination. Today the Peaks of Otter is still a major developed area on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The motor road follows the crest of the ridge into the Peaks area. In the valley formed by Sharp Top, Flat Top and Harkening Hill, there is a lodge and restaurant, visitor center, campground, picnic area and historic farm. The mountains all have trails ranging from less than a mile to more than four miles, and there is nearby access to the Appalachian Trail. In addition, the area is almost totally surrounded by the Jefferson National Forest, which only adds to its appeal as a destination for Parkway visitors.
The Johnson Farm and Polly Wood's Ordinary represent two historic periods at the Peaks. Polly Wood's cabin served as the first lodging for travellers through the area starting in the early 1830's. The Johnson Farm sheltered three generations of the Johnson family, and today it is a living history farm during the summer where you can play games, help work the garden, or just sit on the porch and relax in a rocking chair.
Roanoke Mountain
Roanoke, Virginia, is the largest city adjacent to the Parkway, and one whose popularity and growth has certainly paralleled that of the park. It grew rapidly from its origins as Big Lick when, in 1882 the railroad became the town's major industry. Roanoke offers many motels, bed-and-breakfast inns, and a downtown farmers' market surrounded by restaurants and museums. The Roanoke Mountain campground offers access to trails and Sunday evening music programs during the summer. Virginia's Explore Park, a living history and outdoor recreation area, is nearby. A four mile drive around the summit of Roanoke Mountain offers great views of the valley.
Rocky Knob and Mabry Mill
Rocky Knob offers many opportunities for visitors including hiking, camping, picnicking, and a visit to the most photographed structure along the Parkway, Mabry Mill. Three large picnic areas, lengthy hikes into Rockcastle Gorge, and the wonderful agricultural scenes along the roadway make this a truly unique portion of the Parkway. Mabry Mill was a community center for the Meadows of Dan area when it operated as a gristmill and sawmill. Today, the area becomes another kind of community gathering place each Sunday afternoon during the summer as musicians and dancers gather. Join in, or sit back and enjoy! The Rocky Knob Cabins, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, offer the only cabins for rent on the length of the Parkway.
Blue Ridge Music Center
Plans for the Blue Ridge Music Center began almost twenty years ago when the city of Galax, VA, long known for its link to traditional and old-time music, gave one thousand acres of land to the Blue Ridge Parkway for the purpose of building a music center devoted to the preservation and interpretation of regional music. The first phase of the project was completed three years ago, and, in 2005, the interpretive facility opened. Throughout the summer months, performances by national and regional bands have filled the arena each weekend. Doc Watson, Ricky Skaggs, Del McCoury and others have taken the stage of the Blue Ridge Music Center. The National Council for the Traditional Arts, the Parkway partner at this facility, keeps details posted about upcoming events at their web site, http://www.ncta.net.
Other Blue Ridge Parkway Activities
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