We met up with an old friend for a short hike in July 2024. The weather and the views were…read morespectacular. A wedding reception was to take place later in the day and I'd imagine it was amazing because the location was awesome. This park had various hike options with a range of difficulty levels. It was a great day overall.

Great views and hiking trail, at least before the storm. Great place to pack a lunch.read more

This is a beautiful trail that leads to a 250 ft waterfall, with some easy hiking, some steep…read morefootsteps. Was easy to moderate for little kids and adults alike. The total hike is 30 mins (to and fro) and has nice marked trees for identification, streams, creeks and bridges. There is some beautiful foliage and trees along the way. There are two sites (start of waterfall and midway) each making for a beautiful photo opportunity.

Paved, with packed gravel surface part of the way, then many steps to get to lower viewing area of…read morecascade falls. Some incline and decline (out and back trail).

We needed some time in the mountains. I had visited here before but mostly for shorter trails. This…read moretime we needed some Appalachian Trail in our lives. We did a couple of short trails but the monster was the Appalachian Trail to Mount Rogers Loop. It's logged at 14.3 miles but we ended up logging around 15.2 miles with various trips off trail to check out. The first part of this trail is fine. You walk through areas where some of the wild ponies hangout. Sometimes you can catch wild cattle too(which we did, but not until we were on our way out). The off trail to Mount Rogers is also fairly easy. If you're coming down from Mount Rogers and taking the loop around the mountain, make sure you have plenty of water and maybe some kind of snack for energy. There is a little section from mile 8-12 that almost put me down. It reminded me of a dehydration episode I had in Montana a few years ago. This time I had all the water I needed, but I'm so glad I had food for energy. There's a little section where you gain so much elevation in such a short amount of time... those types of sections always make my legs want to give up. I powered through with some breaks, but it'd help if that section were at the beginning instead of near the end. If I ever do that loop again, I'll take it counter-clockwise. Grayson Highlands is an amazing place that stands on its own in the area. The AT runs through it, but the ponies and cattle and any other animal you might run into make the place magical. Being at the top is also nice. You can see mountains and landscape for miles. It's also a decent place to camp in my opinion since it's so wide open. It can be a bit windy at the top, though. On our trail, there was a fair bit of downed trees, so be aware that you might have to climb, walk around, or whack your way through portions if any storms have rolled through. Watch the weather because it can change fast, but honestly, just prepare for it. You're going to have a unique experience, whether you have to battle fog early in the morning or once the sun comes out. We also hit a patch of drizzly rain, but it didn't last long. We were able to see it coming and adjust our speed to let it pass. Grayson is a state park, so it doesn't have all the amenities that a national park has, but it does connect to some national forests/parks, and it's a beautiful/well-maintained place. Good job Virginia for keeping this place pristine. I realize that not everyone seeks out the long trails. The good thing about Grayson is that there are various trails. You can find 2-5 mile trails, 5-9 mile trails, 10-15 mile trails, and I think there are 1 or 2 that are even longer! There's something for everyone here.

What an incredible experience! I won't even comment on the pics because they speak for themselves!…read moreThis park has several hiking trails, some more challenging than others, mainly due to all the loose rock and gravel, but it made for a great workout on a gorgeous day! They also host overnight camping and are part of the Appalachian Trail as well. $10 to park isn't bad, but there wasn't an attendant when we first got there. I doubled back after we did the first trail so I wouldn't get fined or anything. We heard parking fills up fast so we got there early, but there were actually still plenty of spots by the time we were ready to leave in the early afternoon (we arrived at like 8am).

Love it here ... this particular part of the park is my favorite. Lots of deer around and spots to…read morefish.

We were visiting the area and looking for an easy walking path. This path did not disappoint it is…read morea Beautiful, scenic, well maintained walking path. There are many places to sit and enjoy the views of the river along the way. It is Pet friendly with lots of pet waste stations. There was Plenty of parking at the Clawson-Burnley Park. Highly recommend for all ages.

It was an amazing day outside and so we wanted to take our two dog babies out for a walk. We went…read moreinto this facility and it was extremely clean and well maintained! The trail was very easy to find and it had a few different loops. Even though the distance isn't that far, the elevation was a little bit more of a hike than we bargained for. There were amazing views and it was a pretty easy trail to walk. 10 out of 10. Highly recommend! We will be back to hike next time here as well. The best part of it is that the trail ends the river which is a beautiful view and there are benches and tables if you want to sit down and have a snack and rest.

The Camp Host at the RV section shows up at my rv door about an hour into getting set up. I open…read morethe door thinking it's my people and this dude about gets his face ripped off by a Belgian Malinois! Maybe try to just leisurely chat with people outside if you don't like the fact someone is parked kinda in the grass. Would that really have been worth it dude? Anyways, the park is another amazing NC State Park.

Great spot for a casual walk or daytime outing!There's a playground at the upper parking lot along…read morewith a shelter and restrooms. We took the Eagle Scout trail down and walked around the paved track. Ran around with our dog in the field and took her to the river to cool off, near the lower parking lot. Definitely worth a visit if you're looking for a dog friendly park.

Really loved this park! Nice playground, covered picnic shelter and clean restrooms. Big field and…read moreeasy river access. But I most enjoyed the hiking trails and paved loop for walking. Not strenuous trails and no waterfalls, but full of quiet nature.

Have been to Laurel Creek Falls (Trash Can Falls) many times and we love it. It's beautiful every…read moretime off year. I've came when it's crowed and when it's empty. The parking is off on a gravel area on the side of the road and it's limited. To get to the falls cross the street and follow the path through the woods. It's a super short and really easy path but once you get to the falls you do have to do some climbing and maneuvering so I don't recommend for anyone disabled, small children, or older folks who have issues getting around. We recently went post hurricane Helen and it looks a little different. The wood planks for crossing are gone but the straps remain to help you get out of the swimming hole. There is a fallen tree we had to climb over. Still many people there having a great time just as before!

This place is awesome to jump into a fresh spring & clean water as well, the rocks are a bit high…read morebut once the fear of heights is gone you'll have a blast!!!!! :)

DO NOT VISIT THIS PARK IN A RV or LARGE VEHICLE! We came from Boone which from our Google map said…read more23 minutes or 5 miles. The road to park is very steep in sections and has two (2) hairpin turns not designed for large heavy vehicles. When we got to the state park, at what felt like the top of the mountain, the only thing we saw were a dozen or so new picnic tables surrounded by a field of leafless trees ~ mid April. Very disappointed to say the least. IMPORTANT: On the way back down to Boone our brakes started to fail at about an .08 of the way down and we had the pull over and let them cool down for 45 minutes to let them stop smoking. This was a very scary experience and a poor decision to visit. Absolutely would not recommend this experience in any car or in an RV!!! Hope this helps someone.

Well marked trails in a beautiful clean natural environment. Easy to find state park just 11 miles…read morenorth of Boone. There is no park entry fee. Signage and way finding are very good. There are 5.5 miles of trails. To the summit seems a straight uphill climb. You need to have good shoes on and be somewhat in shape. The view is supposedly spectacular. Our party didn't make it, we took a flatter trail. There is a Junior Ranger Program and an interesting hiking guide to search for fungi. Picnic areas are available. There is a fee to camp. Dogs on leashes are welcome to outside areas, but not inside buildings.

Not Too Bad Of A Hike. Very Rewarding Views At The End! Slippery When Wet. Wear The Proper Shoes!read more

You can't pay for views like this, and good news is... you don't have to!…read more Rough Ridge Overlook is a local *and* tourist hot spot for some of the best views in the state! I went there with some GFs for nature and the views, and it didn't dissapoint. Definiteluy put this spot on your map when planning a trip to Grandfather Mountain.

The New River is apparently quite long, because this is nowhere near the more reputed New River…read moreGorge National Park. However, even in Virginia it is quite majestic. The main park office lies in a historic hamlet surrounded by farms. A parking charge applied, and if you parked somewhere else along the extensive trail perhaps you could get by without it, but the sights were certainly well worth seeing. I made it maybe a mile down the trail to a riverbend overlooked by a bluff ideally suited for sunsets, but there was a lot more to explore. Some boating was available, and a horse seemed interested to meet me as I departed.

See my Review for Shot Tower. It's the same. I wish I was a cyclist. But I am a hiker and I can't…read morehike a gravel road for miles. All good. Beautiful area!! River is so nice.