There is a national forest area gravel parking lot, which gives way to a trail through a…read morerainforest-y ravine, at the top of which one joins the Appalachian Trail. Some of the longer distance hikers were complaining that they thought Virginia was going to be flat, which it most certainly is not in this area. To get from the parking lot to the actual dragon's tooth is about 2.5 miles, and the last 0.5 probably took me as long as the 2, as there is a lot of rock and not a lot of trail. The blazes combined with the twists and turns are somewhat confusing. It's a challenging area, but the reward is some nice views. The first time I tried it, I made it the first two miles and turned around because it was getting dark, which was probably a wise decision.

Incredibly, This is Such a beautiful, majestic and unique…read moretrail located just outside of Roanoke/Blacksburg VA. I accidentally found this place by randomly driving The Virginia byway outside from Blacksburg whilst doing a scenic drive. The Dragon Tooth trail is equipped with Glorious views, Moderate-High Terrain and a trail suitable for Moderate to Advanced Hikers. Strongly recommend! I'm glad I got this Virginia Trail of my bucket list of nature trail Wanders and hope you do too!! The views & Hike are worth it!!

My friend, Amanda and I went on April 17th and timed it just right. The pink azalea was amazing,…read morethe white quite beautiful and the lone orange was really cool. I saw several wild flowers, the wild geranium or "cranes bill" was my fave tho, seeing each vein running through the petals gives my heart a good feeling! I'm sure there are some stragglers but there is always beauty to be seen there. The red bee balm puts on an amazing display too. Mark your calendar now and enjoy every day from now to then!

Most of the area is private residences, but if you work your way up onto the hill, you can find…read morethis park. The parking area was not huge, but it's unlikely to be crowded outside of perhaps a few peak times. There wasn't a map and the trails weren't entirely well marked. Near the parking area was a nice boardwalk over the creekbed which eventually leads to a set of paths that cover hilly terrain. There are some interesting views and it's quality nature. I'm still looking for spots that have a better ratio of amount of trails to amount of time spent driving from downtown Roanoke to get to them, but the aesthetics here were worth a drive.

The residential streets you have to maneuver through to get to the parking lot are a bit of a drag,…read morebut the mountain itself is majestic. The trails are extensive and took several hours for me to traverse, and the views of the valley were expansive. There is no charge to get in and not a ton to interrupt you on the trails.

Visiting the area and wanted to do a quick hike. Great trail and view at the end. Large parking lotread more

We've been here many times over the years and it's always beautiful! We enjoy stopping here as we…read moretraverse the New Market Gap, as this is right at the very top, off of Crisman Hollow Rd. The only issue is that it can be busy, it's quite the popular place to visit! Another issue are the people who choose to vandalize the area and litter. The walk is less than ¼ mile each way, from the parking area to the deck that overlooks the rock face, allowing you to see the Luray valley below.

Took a little hike recently to one of the areas civil war battlefields. The Hanging Rock…read moreBattelfield Monument is on the north end of the trail heading towards Salem. A flat open parking area is at the entrance with easy access to the monument and surrounding signage. The trail is well marked going in but quickly disappears into the brush. There is an unmaintained path of sorts that goes a couple miles back into the forest. It follows the creek for quite a while and there are a few places to access the water back under the canopy. The "rocks" are back in maybe half a mile, even less and the outcropping is hard to miss. I followed the trail up to where it met the modern roadway and back through another section even more overgrown. Walking a part of history through an area that had more battles fought than any other state in our union. If you enjoy history, hiking, and getting outdoors. This is an easy access and fairly level spot. There is the Hinchee General store on the corner about 150' across the grass that has drinks, outdoor seating, etc. 3.5 Stars the monument and signage, along with about a dozen parking spots are right off the main road. 01027

This park is currently in flux due to a massive bridge project that has been under construction for…read moreyears. As such, the park access is not ideal, and the greenway trail running by the river is interrupted and requires a detour. The main section of park that is open has notable merits, including a fitness loop, a smaller pedestrian bridge, and athletic fields. I hope that eventually construction on both the bridge and park will finish and give way to a better facility, but it is a pleasant area.

Wasena Park is a big multipurpose park in a Roanoke subdivision called Wasena, and one of many that…read moreRoanoke River Greenway runs through (Smith Park is just to the east of Wasena Park). Roanoke River Greenway, in turn, is one of almost a dozen Roanoke Valley Greenways, and extends over many miles of paved trails. The park has several entry points along Wiley Drive SW with plenty of parking spaces to accommodate the locals and visitors here to enjoy what the park has to offer: the skate park is a clever use of bridge bases (pictured); the baseball and basketball courts seem popular and are often nicely crowded; several picnic areas have tables, bench seats, water fountains, and more; and the children's playgrounds are usually filled with little ones. The trails are paved all the way through, and the Roanoke River is never more than 20 metres away. Enjoy!

My 20-year old son and I were staying in Roanoke in May 2026 and decided to visit Carvins Cove…read moreNatural Reserve. When you drive into the main parking lot, a staff person will step out to collect a $7 per vehicle entry fee. Lots of pluses. First, the area has clean restrooms and a well-marked trail. Second, it's a peaceful and quiet setting as you walk along the Happy Valley trail. Third, we saw many kayakers on the lake and a few people fishing by the dock and along the left bank of the lake. However, I was surprised by the low level of lake water (you can see exposed rock). This is a family-friendly location to rent a kayak or take a peaceful walk along the reservoir.

We had seen this reservoir on a list of "natural" things to do in the Roanoke area so went to check…read moreit out. Fairly soon after crossing under I-81, the road becomes quite curvy and narrow. As you approach the park area, there's a $7/car fee, that goes to the Water Authority. (The reservoir supplies water for the city of Roanoke). We were there in mid-October, and the area was beautiful with the lake reflecting the colors of the changing leaves on the nearby hillside trees. There are many recreational opportunities from fishing on the piers, to renting single- or double-kayaks (through late October), and hiking the nearby trails. Clean restrooms are available.