My friend, Amanda and I went on April 17th and timed it just right. The pink azalea was amazing,…read morethe white quite beautiful and the lone orange was really cool. I saw several wild flowers, the wild geranium or "cranes bill" was my fave tho, seeing each vein running through the petals gives my heart a good feeling! I'm sure there are some stragglers but there is always beauty to be seen there. The red bee balm puts on an amazing display too. Mark your calendar now and enjoy every day from now to then!

Most of the area is private residences, but if you work your way up onto the hill, you can find…read morethis park. The parking area was not huge, but it's unlikely to be crowded outside of perhaps a few peak times. There wasn't a map and the trails weren't entirely well marked. Near the parking area was a nice boardwalk over the creekbed which eventually leads to a set of paths that cover hilly terrain. There are some interesting views and it's quality nature. I'm still looking for spots that have a better ratio of amount of trails to amount of time spent driving from downtown Roanoke to get to them, but the aesthetics here were worth a drive.

The residential streets you have to maneuver through to get to the parking lot are a bit of a drag,…read morebut the mountain itself is majestic. The trails are extensive and took several hours for me to traverse, and the views of the valley were expansive. There is no charge to get in and not a ton to interrupt you on the trails.

This is a really great park tucked in the back of a neighborhood. It is pretty accessible from most…read moreof Roanoke and a great option for hiking if you're not looking for something that is extremely long and strenuous! They have maps available and it was easy to follow the trail colors. We went to Buzzard Rocks and enjoyed an amazing view of the city below. The trails were well-maintained.

This huge park has a great view of the mountain range and at sunset, the sun was nearly blinding…read more Absolutely beautiful. The park features a 2/3 mile walking loop around the perimeter, which I enjoyed very much. On the way around, baseball fields, picnic shelters, playgrounds, a soccer field, tennis courts, picnic areas and tables and a building with restrooms. I saw their disc golf course and a boardwalk area over the Walrond Pond. Lots of parking and the picnic shelters can be reserved with the city. [Review 13804 overall, 1125 of 2020, number 1238 in Virginia.]

Walrond Park in Roanoke County, VA always conjures up nostalgic feelings of when I played…read morerecreational sports in elementary school. They have baseball, football, and soccer fields to host all the North Roanoke County recreational leagues that I so enjoyed as a child. In addition, they have a lot of tennis courts for enthusiasts to practice their shots. They also have several different sized picnic areas and shelters for cookouts with family and friends. My wife and I often enjoy walking the scenic trail in the evening. My only complaint is that the trail is showing a lot of over growth of weeds through the gravel. All in all, Walrond Park is a beautiful place for the local community to enjoy.

Whether you're a history buff or someone looking for a beautiful place to stretch your legs, this…read morenational monument is worth a stop. Booker T Washington was born into slavery on this plantation, later freed during the Civil War and went on to become an educator, author and political activist. You can learn more about his life inside the visitor center as well as from the information boards scattered throughout the property. I highly recommend a walk on the Jack o' Lantern loop trail which is about 2 miles long and takes you past old buildings and through the woods. Dogs are also allowed on the trail if they are on a leash. The visitor center is open from 10am-4pm and the grounds are open from 9am-5pm with the exception of some major holidays. And there is no fee to visit!

Booker T. Washington. If you attended 4th grade in VA public school system, then you were taught…read moreabout the Life of Booker T Washington. Born into slavery, in VA, to be freed and to create a better life for black Americans. I took a 2 mile walk here on the farm. I saw chickens, horses, tobacco houses and his home. A very nice peice of land. Glad to have seen and stopped at this National Monument!

All in all this is a great place to go, that is if you don't mind Hank he's racists. If you need to…read morefill your water tanks up make sure you don't use it long cause they will knock on your door. It's very peaceful other than that.

It was so fun and I love zip lining thank you so much for your service I had so much funread more

I like to call it "Panda Paws Pond" because I'm dumb sometimes, and also, doesn't it look like it…read morewould be pronounced that way? Whatever you call it, though, Pandapas Pond is pretty neat. This day-use pond is located in the Jefferson National Forest, just outside of Blacksburg. I visited this beautiful area to walk around the pond and explore. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes to walk around the whole thing, depending on how fast you walk. It's a one-mile dirt path that is stroller-friendly and wheelchair-friendly. Along the way, you'll see a dock where you can fish, a wooden boardwalk and some trails that go off to other places. I also saw lots of flowers, a wetlands area, lots of birds, fish and even some snails, but I was told that the snails are invasive and shouldn't be there. I don't believe you can get into the pond and wade, and but there are rocks along the edge that you can sit on and look out onto the water, so you can enjoy the pond that way. Pandapas Pond is a nice place to visit if you want a place to walk and enjoy nature and be around water, all at the same time. Bonus: There's a restroom on site, but be aware that it's primitive (more like a port-a-potty, but still).

In January 2026, I visited Pandapas Pond Day Use Area to find a dog-friendly park and walking…read moretrail. This place had several pluses. First, it's a clean dog-friendly park maintained by the U.S. Forest Service and offers an easy walking trail around the pond as well as a variety of longer hiking trails. Second, it's only a 10-minute drive northwest from the Virginia Tech campus. Third, Pandapas Pond has a free parking lot that is just a short walk to the pond. Finally, various signs noted the pond is stocked with trout at other times of the year. Hope to return on a warmer day in summer or fall.

I suppose if it is impossible or unable to walk a dog this is a nice solution. Tried to take mine,…read morebut felt it smelled, was dirty, with people not cleaning up after their dogs. The gravel seems dusty on dry days and smelly on wet days. Not worth the time. There is not a place for a medium sized dog, either tiny or big dogs seemed to be there. I have two dogs that are right in the middle.

I moved to Virginia from the San Francisco Bay Area, where I had visited numerous dog parks with my…read morepup. I have to say, this is one of the nicest, in part because there is such an active community of dog lovers invested in making and keeping this an outstanding site for doggy adventures. The site has fenced areas for small and large dogs, both of which have grass (a rarity in the Bay Area). The large dog side recently had new sod placed after the grass had been decimated by a year of four pawed madness; unfortunately it did not take particularly well, but it is certainly better than a dust bowl. There are several trees offering plenty of shade on those sweltering summer days with fireflys dancing around the grounds on warm summer nights keeping the human and canine patrons entertained alike. It is generally very well attended, particularly in the evening and on weekends of the spring and summer months. Of course, only the hardcore enthusiasts partake on those cold winter days. There is also plenty of seating for those that are weary after chasing their canine companion, who refuses to leave its favorite location, around the park. The only down sides from my perspective are: 1) One will regularly run across unclaimed piles of dog excrement , probably because the park is large and on a hill which can make keeping a track of a dog challenging. 2) When the grass dies (and I'm sure it will again) the dust and mud (when raining) become problematic. 3) There is a silly fake fire hydrant that only serves to butcher playing dogs as they careen into the object while gallivanting around the park. All around it is one of the best dog parks I have attended, and the number is considerable.

Really nice playground. Off the main road, I wouldn't even have known it was there if I didn't…read moregoogle it.

This inclusive playground was an amazing addition to our family vacation. Having a child right…read moreadditional needs this inclusive environment was a gift!