Southwest Virginia
Grayson Highlands & Mount Rogers Routes
- Distance
- 9mi
- Elevation gain
- 1,602ft
- Time (agency)
- ~6h
Moderate
- Rocky
- Ridgeline
Why goOpen balds, rock outcrops, and free-roaming ponies below Virginia's highest peak.
Appalachian Highlands · region
Southwest Virginia
Highland balds, wild ponies, spruce-fir forest, and the Virginia Creeper Trail.
Southwest Virginia holds the state's highest ground. Mount Rogers and Grayson Highlands feel subalpine — open balds, rock outcrops, and free-roaming ponies at 5,000 feet. Below them, the Virginia Creeper Trail delivers one of the most accessible long descents in the eastern United States.
- Trails
- 3
- Climb range
- 1,143–2,223 ft
- Distance range
- 9–57 mi
- Shaded · firm
- 67% · 0%
3 trails in Southwest Virginia
Southwest Virginia
Virginia Creeper Trail
- Distance
- 34.3mi
- Elevation gain
- 2,223ft
- Hiking time (estimate)
- Your call
Easy
- Crushed stone
- Shaded
- Riverside
Why goDozens of wooden trestles.
Southwest Virginia
New River Trail
- Distance
- 57mi
- Elevation gain
- 1,143ft
- Hiking time (estimate)
- Your call
Easy
- Crushed stone
- Shaded
- Riverside
Why go57 miles beside the New River.
Seasons here
Weather at elevation runs 10-15°F colder than the valleys with frequent fog. Snow and rime ice are normal from December into March.
General seasonal character, not a live report.
Terrain band
Appalachian Highlands
Virginia's highest ground: open balds, spruce-fir, and the state's longest rail-trails descending from the high country.
Compare bandsTowns and access
- Damascus
- Abingdon
- Marion
- Troutdale
- Bristol
Nearby regions