Roanoke: Discover Hiking, Nature, and Culture

Explore Roanoke through a wide range of outdoor experiences, from trails and expansive views to water activities and cultural attractions. When planning your trip, it’s worth first considering which experiences you want to shape your stay. The area offers specific hiking routes as well as destinations for recreation, nature, and history.

Hiking Trails and Views

A notable starting point is Explore Park, located just off the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 115. It has 14 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, with historic buildings along a loop trail. Treetop Quest adds a family adventure course with ziplines and increasingly challenging obstacles high above the ground. A two-hour paddling trip takes you through the Roanoke River Gorge and includes Class 1 and 2 rapids. The park is also home to the Mayflower Hills Disc Golf Course.

At McAfee Knob, the view takes center stage: from there, a 270-degree panorama stretches west over the Catawba Valley and North Mountain, north to the Tinker Cliffs, and east across the Roanoke Valley. The trail to the overlook is rated moderate. The hike from the parking area on VA 311 to McAfee Knob is just under eight miles long, with 1,400 feet of elevation gain. This makes it clear that the impressive overlook is part of a lengthy hike, not a short walk.

The Catawba Greenway offers several options: a 1.2-mile, wheelchair-accessible out-and-back hike leads to a picnic pavilion. A four-mile hike connects two sections of the Greenway with a section of the Appalachian Trail. There is also an alternate route to McAfee Knob via the Appalachian Trail. At the McAfee Knob trailhead, a pedestrian bridge carries the Appalachian Trail over Route 311 (Catawba Valley Drive).

Other trails offer different highlights. Read Mountain Preserve has a two-mile trail to the summit of Read Mountain, known as Buzzards Rock. In wooded Hinchee Park, a two-mile trail connects the Hanging Rock Battlefield Trail with the Carvins Cove Natural Reserve. The Tinker Creek Greenway starts at the Hollins Trailhead parking area and also connects to the Carvins Cove Natural Reserve.

Water, Nature, and Recreation

At Green Hill Park, a mile of riverbank runs along the trout-stocked Roanoke River. The park also includes a paved, 10-foot-wide section of the Roanoke River Greenway. For water activities, the Carvins Cove boat area has a boat ramp used for fishing, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboarding. The riverbank trail and the boat ramp offer different ways to spend time by the water.

Protected areas also have their own distinctive landscapes. Hinchee Park is a wooded preserve. Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve has intact pine-oak forest communities and is home to the world’s largest known population of the rare Piratebush shrub. Those interested in plants and forest landscapes will find a different perspective here than at the area’s viewpoints and trails.

For water activities, Splash Valley has two 34-foot waterslides, a lazy river, and a children’s splash playground. Green Ridge Recreation Center is a public recreation facility covering 76,000 square feet. Its facilities include an indoor track with mountain views and an indoor pool with water features. Day passes are available; check the current admission terms before your visit.

Culture and More Experiences

At Explore Park, historic buildings line a loop trail, and the visitor center also houses a museum about the history of the Blue Ridge Parkway. At Hollins University, the Eleanor D. Wilson Museum presents exhibitions across a wide variety of media and genres. These stops add cultural and historical themes to the area’s trails and landscapes.

Camp Roanoke offers archery and an adventure course with a 44-foot climbing tower. The camp is right off Interstate 81 at Exit 132. Another distinctive place is the historic Twin Creeks Brewpub in Brugh Tavern, where local craft beer, wine, and cider are served along with a meal. When choosing a hotel, you can first consider whether hiking routes, nature, water activities, or culture will be the focus of your trip.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Roanoke, Hollins, Bent Mountain, Cave Spring, Vinton, Winchester, Nottoway County, Campbell.

For the broader travel overview: Virginia.