Brand new location. Staff very knowledgeable and helpful. Great materials for visitors. Stop here…read morefirst when visiting the area.

From the owner: State maps and guides, area brochures and maps, public restrooms, travel counselorsread more

At the visitor center, you can hike to both side of the gorge. Plunge basin is harder trail than…read morethe south side where overlook and upper falls is at. During warmer season, bathroom are open and there is a gift shop too.

Linville falls is a great, short hiking trail to see some cool looking falls. Look at my pictures…read morefor the falls. There are also a few short trails that are kind of connected. So if you do all of them you can cover a lot of ground. It is a nice stop at mile marker 316 on blue ridge parkway.

MLB and I stopped in while we were out looking for autumn colors to look at last autumn but…read moreapparently we missed by a week since virtually all the leaves were gone but the sky was still bright blue. The center itself has a carefully cultivated lodge-look to it. Inside were racks of brochures, pamphlets, and maps brimming with suggestions on how best to separate a tourist from a bankroll along with well organized souvenirs: glass ware, clothing, artworks, and assorted tchotchke. The ladys behind the counter were cheerful if not helpful (not their fault that colors were no longer available locally) offering suggestions about winter/snow activities and where to catch a meal. We should make it back out when it gets warm again, until then I'm staying closer to home

I can see why they don't call it the "Welcome Center." They weren't very welcoming. Super cranky…read moreman behind the counter. We didn't even ask the question we went in for because he was so rude

Restrooms were exceptional clean! No grime on the floors,…read moresparkling commodes and sinks, room was fresh smelling. So nice to see a job well done.

Welcome to Virginia as you cross over from Tennessee on I-81. This rest stop was welcome after my…read morecoffee started to kick in. Bathroom was super clean and the parking was easy. They have a bit of a curve at the entrance to slow people down, which I appreciate. It was still pre-dawn and the place was nicely lit for security. [Review 19570 overall - 1410 in Virginia - 541 of 2023.]

As a rest area, this was very nice. Clean men's room, lots of shaded parking, the sort of sweeping…read morecurved entrance that I love because it slows people down. They even have some walking trails through the woods if you want to do that. This rest stop is on Highway 421 near Wilkesboro and it's a great place to stop. The "No overnight parking" is a concern. Do they really expect people to keep driving when they're tired at night? That's a bummer and why I can't possibly rate it at five stars. [Review 1204 of 2025 - 4389 in North Carolina - 24756 overall]

Five stars. Definitely the cleanest and nicest rest stop bathrooms I've ever visited. Will stop…read moreagain when passing by the area.

I can't believe this place has no reviews, and now I totally regret not taking pictures. So, this…read moreplace is a wooden shack that looks incredibly sketch upon walking to it. As a minority, I was incredibly suspicious that something could go south quickly. But, I was just being a judgmental ahole and this place was pretty awesome. I mean, it's straight out of something you'd see in like My Cousin Vinny or Deliverance... well, maybe not Deliverance, but you get the idea. It obviously has tons of history and visitors who leave patches and basic campground needs, etc. They sell cheap hotdogs that taste as cheaply as what you paid for them, but in a good way. The whole place is a bit of a time capsule and if you're going to be hiking in the area, you have to stop here and have a hotdog and coke on the porch. It's pretty sweet.

Wish we had stopped here first but now we know for the future. The mech shop was so cute with all…read morethe local crafts and goods. The staff was great in helping with recommendations for things to do. And all the guide books really helped too.

Our group received a great informational session from the staff here at the Asheville CVB! It was…read moregreat to hear about the tourism sector impacts and everything that is going on!

Great place to stop, stretch your legs and read some actual history that does not come from TikTok,…read moreFacebook or Snapchat.

This is unexpectedly a pleasant spot in Abingdon. It's a very green, very hilly park full of…read morememorials and mature trees. It's a veterans park memorializing their service in all the wars American serviceman have participated in. A few gazebos and a whole lot of groundhogs too. I came here to eat my burger from PAL'S across the street and ended up wandering a bit here. Get to the top of the hill and you get a lovely view of the Appalachian mountains surrounding the area.

We've come for Thomas the Tank Engine Day for past 3 years. Always so much fun! They love getting…read moretheir picture taken with Sir Topham Hat and playing the activities under the Thomas Day tent. The kids love riding the big train, although the loud whistle scared the little one this year. But we had noise-canceling headphones, as a just-in-case, so all was well. The kids are still little and really enjoy the activities up at the top. We had a stroller, so took the free shuttle to the top, rather than the skylift. The mine train, gem mining, and the little-kid rides were a big hit. Feeding the animals (goats, llamas, deer, emus) is always super fun, too. Before you enter the animal area, you can buy ice cream cones filled with animal feed ($1 a cone). Once you've handed out all the feed, then you break the cone apart and feed it. We bought 3 cones; could probably have used a 4th. The animals were all very friendly and gentle. Even one of the llamas came over for some feed; they are usually a bit aloof. Look forward to coming back!

We visited Tweetsie Railroad over Christmas break. The Christmas lights were really pretty and the…read moreholiday décor was fun and festive. There were several rides and activities geared toward kids, which made it a nice family outing. The train itself is very loud for little ones, so that's something to keep in mind, but overall the kids loved it and had a good time. For a family of 5, tickets for the train (which includes admission and all the rides) is pretty costly.