Grayson Highlands in southern Virginia, a great place to hike (Charlotte: house, camps)
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For those of you in Charlotte with a free weekend next weekend I want to highly recommend you consider Grayson Highlands as your destination!
Whether you want to camp, backpack or just hike, you would really enjoy the color. And from my estimation they'll be peak there by next weekend
At 5000 feet in elevation the Grayson Highlands are Virginia's highest mountains.
To reach the park you just take I77 north out of Charlotte, take exit 83 to Sparta on hwy 21. In Sparta take hwy 93 to hwy 58. The park entrance is on hwy 58. You can make this drive in under 3 hours.
Here is what it looks like as of yesterday (Saturday, the 9th):
Last edited by lovesMountains; 10-10-2010 at 03:15 PM..
Nice photos! I live in southern Cal and was visiting in NC about 2 years ago in the fall. Here in Southern Cal, we don't get hardly any "fall colors" so it was nice to see the change of seasons in NC + SW VA. I spent several days around Damascus. Went hiking and mtn biking in Grayson Highlands and the adjacent Mt Rogers Nat'l Recreation area. I was surprised at how few people were on the trails, considering how close it is to Charlotte and other metros in NC. I was there mid-week, so that's part of the reason. It's a very beautiful area, and far less crowded and commercialized than visiting Great Smokies. For bike riders, there is a great rails to trails ride from Abingdon, VA that heads east for 30 or so miles through the mountains called the Virginia Creeper Trail. There's also a 50 mile rails to trails route along the New River. All of this is in SW VA, not far from Grayson Highlands State Park and Mt Rogers Natl Recreation area. Damascus or Abingdon make good "base camps" for exploration in the area.
Nice photos! I live in southern Cal and was visiting in NC about 2 years ago in the fall. Here in Southern Cal, we don't get hardly any "fall colors" so it was nice to see the change of seasons in NC + SW VA. I spent several days around Damascus. Went hiking and mtn biking in Grayson Highlands and the adjacent Mt Rogers Nat'l Recreation area. I was surprised at how few people were on the trails, considering how close it is to Charlotte and other metros in NC. I was there mid-week, so that's part of the reason. It's a very beautiful area, and far less crowded and commercialized than visiting Great Smokies. For bike riders, there is a great rails to trails ride from Abingdon, VA that heads east for 30 or so miles through the mountains called the Virginia Creeper Trail. There's also a 50 mile rails to trails route along the New River. All of this is in SW VA, not far from Grayson Highlands State Park and Mt Rogers Natl Recreation area. Damascus or Abingdon make good "base camps" for exploration in the area.
Thanks for posting! Even though there were plenty of cars in the main parking lot yesterday, we were able to hike one trail without ever seeing another soul (the Rock House Ridge Trail). In fact, our car was the only one in that lot!)
In addition, at the highest point in the park, Little Pinnacle (on the Twin Pinnacles trail), with the best 360 degree views, we had the place to ourselves as we ate our lunch. It's really nice to go to such a beautiful area and not have it be overcrowded!
The Virginia Creeper is my all time favorite bike ride
Glad you were able to sample some of the beauty over on our end of the country!
Nice photos! I live in southern Cal and was visiting in NC about 2 years ago in the fall. Here in Southern Cal, we don't get hardly any "fall colors" so it was nice to see the change of seasons in NC + SW VA. I spent several days around Damascus. Went hiking and mtn biking in Grayson Highlands and the adjacent Mt Rogers Nat'l Recreation area. I was surprised at how few people were on the trails, considering how close it is to Charlotte and other metros in NC. I was there mid-week, so that's part of the reason. It's a very beautiful area, and far less crowded and commercialized than visiting Great Smokies. For bike riders, there is a great rails to trails ride from Abingdon, VA that heads east for 30 or so miles through the mountains called the Virginia Creeper Trail. There's also a 50 mile rails to trails route along the New River. All of this is in SW VA, not far from Grayson Highlands State Park and Mt Rogers Natl Recreation area. Damascus or Abingdon make good "base camps" for exploration in the area.
Forgot to say, I love Damascus! It's especially fun to visit during Trail Days, always the weekend after Mother's Day
We love Grayson Highlands! Connects to the Appalachian Trail, which is nice, and I can't remember which section of the park they're in, but you can see wild ponies there. It's been a while - I think we need to head back up there!
We love Grayson Highlands! Connects to the Appalachian Trail, which is nice, and I can't remember which section of the park they're in, but you can see wild ponies there. It's been a while - I think we need to head back up there!
By coincidence there is an article in todays Observer that talks about the wild ponies
ooooo nice pictures! Glad to see some color happening - someone posted awhile back that the leaves wouldn't be as nice this year b/c of the dryness and warm weather. I was worried!
ooooo nice pictures! Glad to see some color happening - someone posted awhile back that the leaves wouldn't be as nice this year b/c of the dryness and warm weather. I was worried!
Thanks! I think we're at least a week from peak, there is still plenty of time to see the colors if anyone wants to head up to the higher elevations
I hope others will come back after this weekend and post more pics of the fall colors in the mountains!
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