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The Blue Ridge Parkway follows the Appalachian Mountain chain and provides views of many parallel ranges and scattered hills. From Shenandoah National Park, the Parkway follows the Blue Ridge Mountains, the eastern part of the Appalachians, for 355 miles. For the last 114 miles, it circles the southern end of the  Black Mountains and ends in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

 

SAVE THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY

 

 

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Trails Originating from the

Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia

 

 

Trail Description Milepost/Directions Distance (round trip miles)
Easy
Mountain Farm Trail Self-guiding 5.9  - From Humpback Visitor Center to Pioneer Farmstead 0.25
The Priest   17.6 0.1
Boston Knob   38.8 0.1
White Oak Flats   55.2 0.1
James River Trail Self-guiding to Canal Locks 63.6 0.2
Thunder Ridge Trail View of Arnold Valley 74.7 0.1
Onion Mountain Loop Trail   79.7 0.1
Abbott Lake Trail   85.7 1
Elk Run Trail   85.9 0.8
Stewarts Knob Trail   110.6 0.05
Roanoke River Trail Self-guiding river loop 114.9 0.35
Rocky Knob Picnic Loop Trail 169 1
Mountain Industry Trail   176.2 0.5
Moderate
Catoctin Loop Trail   8.4 0.3
Greenstone Trail Greenstone geology formation; oak hickory forest 8.8 0.2

White Rock Falls Trail Connection

   18.5 2.9
White Rock Falls Trail   20 0.9
Big Spy Mountain View of Shenandoah Valley 26.3 0.1
Yankee Horse To logging RR exhibit & small waterfall 34.4 0.2
Indian Gap   47.5 0.3
Otter Creek Trail   60.8 3.5
Otter Lake Trail   63.1 0.8
Trail of Trees Trail   63.6 0.5
Fallingwater Cascades Trail National Recreation Trail   83.1 1.6
Flat Top Trail Leads to highest of three prominent peaks in area 83.5 4.4
Johnson Farm Loop Trail Loop to restored mountain farm 85.9 2.1
Harkening Hill Trail elevation -3300 feet 85.9 - begin at Peaks Visitor Center 3.3
Appalachian Trail   91- VA 695 to Sharp Top Mtn. Overlook 1.9
Appalachian Trail Sharp Top Mountain. Overlook to Harvey's Knob Overlook 92.5 2.9
Appalachian Trail Harvey's Knob Overlook to Montvale Overlook 95.4 0.6
Appalachian Trail Montvale Overlook to Taylor's Mountain Overlook 95.9 1
Appalachian Trail Taylor's Mountain Overlook to Blackhorse Gap 97 0.8
Roanoke Mountain Summit Trail   120.4 0.11
Chestnut Ridge Trail   120.5 - adjacent to Roanoke Mountain campground 1.75
Roanoke Valley Horse Trail   121.4 - begins at U.S. Hwy 220 and parallels Parkway to Milepost 110.6 18.5
Buck Mountain Trail   123.2 0.53
Smart View Loop Trail   154.5 2.6
Hardwood Cove Self-Guiding Nature Trail part of Rock Castle Loop 167.1 0.8
Black Ridge Trail   169 - Rocky Knob Visitor Center to Black Ridge to Grassy Knoll and back to Visitor Center 3.1
Round Meadow Creek Loop Trail Walk through a stream bottom forest 179.2 0.5
Strenuous
Appalachian Trail   6 - Humpback Gap parking area to Humpback Mountain 2
Apple Orchard Falls Trail   78.4 - Sunset Field Overlook to view of Apple Orchard Falls; National Recreation Trail 1.2
Sharp Top Trail   86 - from camp store to summit of Sharp Top Mtn.; elevation - 3875 feet; 360 degree panoramic view 1.5
Spec Mine Trail   96 - USFS Trail begins near Montvale Overlook, to State Rt. 645 in Botetourt County 2.8
Rock Castle Gorge Trail   167.1 - loop from campground along ridge over Rocky Knob and into gorge for 7-mile return to campground 10.8

 

Trails Originating from the

Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina

 

 

Trail Description Milepost Distance
Easy      
Cumberland Knob Trail   217.5 0.5
Fox Hunters Paradise Trail   218.6 0.2
Little Glade Millpons easy loop stroll around pond 230.1 0.4
Jumpingoff Rocks Trail forest path to vista 260.3

1
The Lump Trail to hilltop view 264.4 0.3
Tompkins Knob Trail to Jesse Brown Cabin 272.5 0.6
Black Bottom Carriage, Horse, & Hiking Trail   294 .5
Bass Lake Carriage, Horse & Hiking Trail   294 1.7
Rock Creek Bridge Carriage, Horse, & Hiking Trail  

294

1
Figure 8 Trail short self-guiding loop nature trail 294.1 0.7
Trout Lake Hiking & Horse Trail loop 294.6

1
Linn Cove Viaduct Access Trail   304.4 0.16
Flat Rock Trail self-guiding loop 308.2 0.63
Camp Creek Trail   315.5 0.1
Duggers Creek Trail loop to view of Duggers Falls 316.4 0.25
Linville River Bridge Trail  view of unusual bridge 316.5 0.1
Chestoa View Trail 30-minute loop to vista 320.8 0.63
Deep Gap Trail (USFS)   351.9 0.2
Bald Knob Ridge Trail (USFS)   355 0.1
Buck Springs Trail Pisgah Lodge to view 407.6 1.06
John Rock Trail   419.4 0.1
Bear Pen Gap Trail access to Mountains-to-Sea Trail 427.6 0.22
Toy Taylor Overlook Trail paved trail to overlook 433.8 0.1
Moderate
Cedar Ridge Trail great for day hike; vistas and forests 238.5 4.2
Bluff Mountain Trail   238.5 7.5
Fodder Stack Trail   241 1
Grassy Gap Fire Road wide enough for side-by-side hiking 243.7 6.5
Basin Creek Trail access from back-country campground0 243.7 3.3
Flat Rock Ridge Trail forest path with vistas 244.7 5
Cascades Trail self-guiding loop to view of falls 271.9 0.5
Rich Mountain Carriage, Horse, & Hiking Trail   294 3
Flat Top Mountain Carriage, Horse, & Hiking Trail   294

3
Watkins Carriage, Horse & Hiking Trail   294 3.3
Deer Park Carriage, Horse, & Hiking Trail   294 0.8
Maze Carriage, Horse, & Hiking Trail   294 2.3
Duncan Carriage, Horse, & Hiking Trail   294 2.5
Price Lake Loop Trail loop around Price Lake 297 2.3
Beacon Heights Trail   305.2 0.22
Tanawha Trail Waterfalls, distant mountain views, wildflowers and wildlife (fox, rabbit, bear, wildcats & snakes). There are places to leave the trail to return to the road so you can do this beautiful trail in segments. 305.5 13.5 one way
Linville Falls Trail view of upper Falls 316.4 0.8
Woods Mountain Trail (USFS)   344.1

2
Lost Cove Ridge Trail (USFS)   350.4 0.6
Glassmine Falls view of Falls 361.2 0.05
Craggy Pinnacle Trail to panoramic view 364.2 0.73
Craggy Gardens Trail first portion is self-guiding nature trail 364.2 0.84
Rattlesnake Lodge Trail woodland walk 374.4 0.5
Mountain-to-Sea Trail/MTS Trail   382 7.5
Shut-In Trail/MTS Trail (Walnut Cove-Sleepy Gap)   396.4 1.7
Shut-In Trail/MTS Trail (Bent Creek Gap-Beaver Dam Gap)   400.3 1.9
Shut-In Trail/MTS Trail (Beaver Dam Gap-Stoney Bald)   401.7 0.9
East Fork Trail (USFS, access to Shining Rock Trail System)   417 0.1
Graveyard Fields Loop Trail (loop by a stream)   418.8 2.29
Richland Balsam Trail (self-guiding loop through spruce-fir forest)   431 1.47
Difficult
Gully Creek Trail   217.5

2
Bluff Ridge Trail primitive trail with steep slopes 241 2.89
Green Knob Trail (to Green Knob 295.9 2.3
Boone Fork Trail stream, forest, and meadows 296.5 4.9
Linville Gorge Trail view of lower Falls 316.4 0.5
Crabtree Falls Loop Trail loop to view of Falls 339.5 2
Big Butt Trail (USFS) (trail continues on USFS lands 359.8 0.2
Shut-In Trail/MTS Trail Bent Creek-Walnut Cove 393.7 3.1
Grassy Knob Trail steep trail to USFS area) 397.3 0.9
Shut-In Trail/MTS Trail Chestnut Cove-Bent Creek Gap 398.3 2.8
Shut-In Trail/MTS Trail Stoney Bald-Big Ridge 402.6 1.2
Shut-In Trail/MTS Trail Big Ridge-Mills River Valley 403.6 1.2
Shut-In Trail/MTS Trail Mills River Valley-Elk Pasture Gap 404.5 1.2
Shut-In Trail/MTS Trail Elk Pasture Gap-Mt. Pisgah 405.5 1.7
Mt. Pisgah Trail summit view 407.6 1.26
Frying Pan Mountain Trail   408.5 1.65
Devil's Courthouse Trail panoramic summit view 422.4 0.42
Waterrock Knob Trail summit view 451.2 1.18

 

 

Support the Blue Ridge Parkway through one of the following organizations:

 

Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation

Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway

Blue Ridge Parkway Association

Conservation Trust for North Carolina

Links:

Slackpacker - site is designed to provide quick access to informative, trail-specific hiking websites  

Carolina Outdoors Guide - guide to federal and state recreation sites in North Carolina, including parks, lakes, camping and hiking trails.