Road Tripping Through Virginia’s Blue Ridge

Not long ago, I was driving on a forested country road so remote the only passersby I encountered were a running dog followed closely by three goats. Where were they going? Were they as lost as I was? (And who put the dog in charge?)

Actually, I wasn’t technically lost. I’d just taken a strategic turn onto a road I wagered would pass between Mount Rogers and Whitetop Mountain, the two highest peaks in Virginia, in the breathtaking Blue Ridge Mountains. I was on a road trip through the southwestern corner of the Old Dominion, a region abounding in outdoor recreational possibilities, quaint small towns and history, all with those hazy azure mountains as a stunning backdrop.

The route I chose took me partly through what’s called Virginia’s “Great Valley.” This was once the pathway of the Wilderness Road, blazed by Daniel Boone and used by pioneers heading toward Kentucky. Nowadays, travelers can take the “slow road” (US Route 11), passing through places like the charmingly named village of Rural Retreat. Or they can take the newer “fast road,” better known as Interstate 81. Myself, I did a bit of both, starting in the town of Wytheville, where Interstates 81 and 77 intersect.

Wonderful Wytheville

Wytheville is one of southwest Virginia’s not-to-be-missed gems. Its thriving downtown contains landmarks like the Log House 1776 Restaurant inside a log structure erected by a Revolutionary War soldier, a 30-foot pencil hanging above a former office supply store, and an elegant, white-pillared neo-classical hotel named for Edith Bolling Wilson, President Wilson’s second wife. Just across the street from the hotel, it’s possible to tour Edith’s childhood home in a modest second-story apartment.

I used Wytheville as a hub to explore the region, including a trip to the top of Big Walker Mountain, where a 100-foot-observation tower offers unparalleled views of five states. I also stopped at New River Trail State Park, called a “linear park” since it stretches for 57 miles from the towns of Galax to Pulaski along the banks of the meandering New River, which is actually one of the oldest rivers in North America (formed an estimated tens if not hundreds of millions of years ago) and arguably one of the most scenic with its deep valley lined with steep forested slopes.

If the weather hadn’t been cool and threatening rain, I might have rented an inner tube and floated downstream on the river’s leisurely current. Instead, I visited Fort Chiswell Animal Park, where I and several other visitors rode an open-air bus through 45-acres housing bison, wildebeests, water buffalos, llamas and even zeedonks (a cross between a zebra and a donkey), feeding them from a bucket or dropping dried food pellets directly into their mouths as they huddled against the bus. I fell in love with a persistent camel named Puff, who repeatedly stuck his head inside the bus window trying to grab my entire bucket of food.

Alluring Abingdon

From Wytheville, I traveled westward to the picture-perfect town of Abingdon, using both the interstate and state highways as my whim dictated. Abingdon’s historic downtown buildings span the centuries since the town’s founding in 1778 and feature a variety of architectural styles, including Greek Revival, Federalist and Italianate. Keep your eyes open for historic markers like one describing a nearby cave where, as legend has it, a pack of wolves once attacked Daniel Boone. 

A variety of walking tours are available, including an excellent ghost tour hosted by Donnamarie Emmert, a self-proclaimed “Haint [spirit] Mistress.” She told of a ghostly horse often heard clip-clopping through the streets in search of its missing rider and of a woman of the evening murdered by a gentleman caller inside a downtown tavern built in 1779. Nowadays, the establishment, simply called The Tavern, is an upscale dining destination where the female phantom still lurks, playfully pinching men she considers good looking. (I wasn’t one of them.)

A couple of miles outside downtown, I browsed the work of dozens of regional contemporary quilters, potters, woodworkers, jewelry makers and painters at the Southwest Virginia Cultural Center & Marketplace. That evening, I enjoyed a toe-tapping rendition of Million Dollar Quartet at the Barter Theater, the state theater of Virginia, just outside Abingdon’s downtown. If I’d been so minded, I could have returned the next day for a matinee performance of Hamlet.

My principal recommendation for those visiting Abingdon, however, is to rent a bike at the trailhead of a section of the Virginia Creeper Trail that runs 16 miles to the town of Damascus. The entire trail, which Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine has called the “most scenic bike trail on the East Coast,” is 34 miles long, but Hurricane Helene wiped out 18 miles of it in September 2024. Rebuilding of that 18-mile section is ongoing, as it is to the town of Damascus itself, which also sustained damage. The section between Abingdon and Damascus is lovely, though, with views of meadows, farmland, forests and streams, not to mention those alluring mountains almost floating above you. Its gentle grades make it an ideal ride even for beginners.

Hitting the Highlands

To see those mountains up close, there’s no place better than Grayson Highlands State Park, southeast of Abingdon. This is where the Blue Ridge soars to its highest points, and in fact both Mount Rogers and Whitetop Mountain are visible from this park’s Twin Pinnacles Trail, easily accessible from the visitors center.

Other popular hikes include the Rhododendron Trail, which connects to the Appalachian Trail itself, where ambitious hikers can branch off for a 9-mile trek to the top of Mount Rogers. In higher elevations, be on the lookout for the park’s wild ponies. To reach Grayson Highlands State Park, I’d taken the little-traveled State Route 600, which, by the way, is where I encountered the roving dog and goats. Inspiring views of the Blue Ridge abound in southwestern Virginia, so much so I’d like to suggest a twist on the state’s well-known tourism slogan: This part of Virginia, at least, is for mountain lovers.

Editor's Note: In September 2024, Hurricane Helene caused flooding that damaged parts of southwest Virginia and impacted several outdoor assets, including the section of the Virginia Creeper Trail between Damascus and Whitetop. The areas highlighted in this article, Wythe County and the towns of Wytheville and Abingdon, experienced minimal damage and remain fully open to visitors. Communities across the region continue to welcome travelers, and even those still rebuilding greatly value the support of local businesses.