Beautiful park with tree covered roads and lots of scenic pull off parking. One spot has picnic…read moretables with sealed garbage

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.

The park is pretty remote, with only occasional cell service (a good thing or a bad thing depending…read moreon one's needs). The parking really close to the mountain is handicap only, so the intention is for most people to walk a 4.5 mile loop that goes around the mountain and then up it on the way back. It is a substantial climb, both down into a gully with an impressive waterfall and up the mountain itself. The rock does offer wide-spanning views. The infrastructure was not in ideal shape at the time of my visit, with some water fountains down and other limitations in amenities. I also found the trail setup a bit confusing as following marks led me once to a dead end and in another case, I had to hike on a gravel road a bit to get back to the trail and that wasn't marked clearly as the right way to go. While these things could be improved, the park is an excellent resource and as is standard practice in NC (but not in SC or VA), is free to enter.

Great place to come hike. Lots to see & do. Downside is that kids are allowed to come here & make…read morenonstop noise.

A short drive and quick walk on the paved path to the top. Beautiful overlook of Boone. I wish I…read morehad gotten there at sunrise! We around 9am on Sunday and it wasn't as crowded as people say it can get. Quiet and chirpy birds, so relaxing!

Beautiful small park with excellent view below and above. Picnic area with two different camping…read morestoves. One was covered. Porta potties that appear to be temporary as the area is under construction.

The trailhead is to the right, as you stand in the parking lot looking out over the valley…read more It's a mostly uphill trail with a moderate plateau about halfway to the overlook. As you get close to the overlook, the trail will fork. To the right is the Mountain to Seas trail that goes all the way to Clingman's Dome. You probably don't want that. Veer left and the Overlook is another 200m ahead.

This is a beautiful trail anytime of year but I love it most…read morein Autumn. Short and sweet, so it's an easy one for littles.

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).

Due to an issue with another local canoe rental company, we stumbled upon Riverside Canoe & Tube…read moreRental. It was a true blessing in disguise as it turned out to be an incredible experience. The Owner's were welcoming, informative, and just plain nice! They told us what to expect on the trip, gave us locations to stop the canoe's so we could get out and swim and even gave us a few warning areas. The canoe ride (5 mile trip) was pure bliss and a great way to disconnect from the real world. They bus you to a drop off spot and then you canoe back to their office and where your car is located. Their closing time states 5 but the Owner mentioned that they are open as long as the last boat is still out and if you aren't back by 6, they will come looking for us. The conversation was great and all of their workers showed a true enjoyment to help others, all willingly open to questions and conversation. I would recommend this place to anyone asking. It is a bit further than some other rental companies, but the drive to that location was amazing, scenes were breath taking and I would drive even further to visit Riverside if I had to. Also, they are MUCH cheaper than the other rental company and have better customer service.

In May, Phil and I paddled twice. This trip, we tubed with the grandkids, and it also was GREAT…read more See you in October, we hope. The people, the place -- Riverside is excellent! We are grateful for them.

Great rv sites along the New River and mostly shaded. Very quiet campground and super people…read morerunning the campground. We used the tube rental at The campground and that was the highlight of our trip.

Every year our family brings a group of us here to canoe and they always accommodate us. Some of my…read morefamily was running late this year - and we were a 9 am group and I could tell they were frustrated (which was 100% our fault). But, they waited for all of us to go and drove us to our drop off location. The man driving the van was so kind and super helpful. We love using new river and will be coming back - just next year I'll tell my family an hour earlier than we actually need to leave

Doughton Park is the largest recreation area on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is located in Laurel…read moreSprings, NC, stretching between mileposts 238.5 and 244.7. It was originally named Bluffs Park but was renamed in 1953 to Doughton Park after North Carolina congressman Robert L. Doughton. He served for over 42 years but is better known for securing the funding for the creation of the Blue Ridge Parkway. If you are driving from Sparta to Boone, or vice versa, you will drive right through the park. It encompasses 7,000 acres of open meadows, rolling cow pastures, and sweeping scenic views. Wildlife like deer, foxes, and native wild birds frequently visit these beautiful areas. Both The Bluffs Restaurant--the very first restaurant to open on the Parkway--and the Brinegar Cabin, a beautifully preserved 19th-century homestead, are located right inside the park, which I have reviewed separately. In addition to these historic landmarks, the park also features an extensive campground, an RV park, and over 30 miles of scenic hiking trails to explore. Whether you are stopping for a quick scenic drive or staying overnight, it is well worth your time.