Mount Rogers National Recreation Area Tour Preview

How to get there - Pat Jennings Visitor Center / Mount Rogers National Recreation Area headquarters is 6 miles south of exit 45 on I-81 at Marion, Virginia. Follow VA 16 south to 3714 Highway 16.

Things to do - This is a good starting point for getting additional information for your tour. The Visitor Center includes exhibits, brochures, maps, and information about the National Recreation Area.

This site also includes: Two Ponds Nature Trail, a short nature walk; the Appalachian Trail, passing through the parking lot; telephone; restrooms and picnic tables.

How to get there - From the Visitor Center, travel south 5.7 miles on VA16. Pass through the community of Sugar Grove and reach Raccoon Branch Campground on the right.

Things to do! Raccoon Branch Campground at 2,880 ft is nestled at the base of Dickey Knob - pictured above - and offers scenic mountain views, hiking trail access from campsites and cool mountain streams. The campground adjoins Raccoon Branch Wilderness. Dickey Creek and Raccoon Branch can be accessed from the campground, both providing places for wading and fishing.

Dickey Knob Trail leads to the top of Dickey Knob (pictured above), once the location of a forest fire tower and today offering spectacular views of Sugar Grove and Rye Valley.

Make campground reservations at www.reservations.gov

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How to get there - Follow VA16 for 3 miles to Dickey Gap, the intersection of VA16 and Comers Creek Rd and a sign indicating a right turn to Hurricane Campground. Follow Comers Creek Rd 2 miles to the campground entrance.

Things to do - Hurricane Campground is a great place to make your escape to nature! Located along a rushing mountain stream under the shade of hemlock and rhododendron, this campground offers a peaceful setting for those looking to relax as well as visitors looking for outdoor adventure.

Hikers can access many trails including the Appalachian Trail. The campground is perched along Hurricane Branch and Comers Creek, among colorful rhododendron. Visitors frequently explore the Hurricane Knob Trail. This 1.1 mile loop trail parallels Hurricane Creek for about half a mile, crosses two wooden bridges and ascends to the picturesque Hurricane Knob. The creeks are stocked with trout for a relaxing day of fishing.

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How to get there - Return to VA 16, turn right, and follow VA 16, 2.3 miles (down the mountain) to VA 603 (Fairwood Rd) on the right. At this intersection is an empty building marked "Jerry's Kitchen" and "Troutdale Trading Post." In the early 1900s, the Troutdale train station stood here.

For history lovers - The Town of Troutdale was chartered in 1906 and is still an incorporated town today. Take time to drive through Troutdale and then return to VA 603 to continue the tour.

In 1930 Callie Wright was elected Mayor, becoming the first female Mayor in Virginia. She also worked as a part time teller in the bank. The building in the old photograph above - constructed in 1912 - included the bank and the post office. The building still stands in Troutdale today. Can you find it?

The Marion & Rye Valley and the Virginia Southern linked to provide daily train service from Marion until 1930, making Troutdale an important shipping point for the area.

How to get there - From Troutdale, follow Fairwood Rd (VA 603) 2 miles to FS 1401 on the right. This short gravel road leads to the Fairwood Cemetery.

What to see - Established for the former town of Fairwood, this cemetery dates from the early 1900s. Burials still occur here and the grounds are maintained by relatives of the deceased. Enjoy beautiful views of the mountains from this site.

How to get there - From the Fairwood Cemetery, return to VA 603, turn right, and continue 1 mile to Fairwood. Pass a house on the right used for Forest Service volunteers and turn left on FS 613, a safe place to stop. (Travel up the mountain on FS 613 requires a high clearance vehicle.)

For History Lovers - The community of Fairwood was a logging village. The area was originally know as Fox Bottoms. A bandsaw was located here and the railroad was completed on March 1, 1905. FS #613 was a logging railroad that brought logs from the top of the mountain - most were Chestnut trees. After sawing, the lumber was shipped out by rail to Troutdale and on to Marion. As timber was depleted, production ended, and railroad service to Fairwood ended in 1920.

While the saw mill was operating, this community included a huge sawmill, houses, and doctor's office. Had you been here 100 years ago, you would have seen the commissary pictured above.

How to get there - From Fairwood, continue on VA 603 for 1 mile. Fox Creek Horse Camp is on the right.

Things to see - Fox Creek Horse Camp is a premiere destination for riding enthusiasts who are looking for the rare opportunity to ride from their campsite onto hundreds of miles of trails in the spectacular Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. Located at almost 4,000 feet, it serves as a welcome retreat for summer camping and horseback riding.The campground is adjacent to Fox Creek, a small rocky trout stream with large boulders and rhododendron and northern hardwoods along the banks. The campsites are located in open fields on either side of the creek.

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How to get there - From Fox Creek Horse Camp follow VA 603 for 1 mile to the Appalachian Trail crossing and a parking lot on the left.

Things to do - Here the Appalachian Trail crosses the tour route for the second time. Take a few minutes to safely cross the road and follow the AT a short distance to the bridge pictured above that takes the AT across Fox Creek. If you have never hiked on the AT, this short walk will give bragging rights! The AT is marked by white "blazes," a rectangle of white paint 2 inches wide and 6 inches high. Blazes are found on trees, posts and rocks.

How to get there - From the Fox Creek AT Crossing, continue on VA 603 for 0.8 miles. Look for the small “Lewis Fork” sign on the left and parking on the right.

Things to do - This trailhead provides access to the Lewis Fork Wilderness Area, one of four wilderness areas in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. The wilderness boundary is a short walk through the fence and across the open area. A wood bridge carries the trail across Lewis Fork of Fox Creek at the boundary. The trail up the mountain from the boundary was once the location of a logging railroad.

How to get there - From the Lewis Fork Trailhead, follow VA 603 for 1.2 miles to Grindstone Campground on the left.

Details - At 3,800 feet, Grindstone is surrounded by mixed hardwoods, hemlock and rhododendrons.

Things to do - The campground boasts a water play area in the creek, an amphitheater, and a playground. Grindstone offers camping sites for both tent and RV camping. Toilets, showers and a dump station are also available. Recommended hiking trails include the Mount Rogers Trail and the short Whispering Waters Nature Trail.

Make campground reservations at www.recreation.gov

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How to get there - From Grindstone Campground follow VA 603 for 3 miles to the Laurel Valley Community Church on the right. There are two drives that can be used for parking.

For history lovers - Originally the Laurel Valley Lutheran Church, this church held is first service in October of 1945. The Spruce logs were donated by Blakemore Land Company and were cut on White Top Mountain and Mount Rogers. The interior trim and chancel were made of white pine from the pastor's farm. Work on this church was a community effort. In 1959, the congregation of this church joined nearby St Matthew Lutheran Church. This building became the Laurel Valley Community Church with a board composed of local residents who maintain the building and make it available for weddings and special occasions. The church is usually unlocked so that visitors may see the unusual interior.

How to get there - From the log church follow VA 603 for 1.4 miles to a stop sign at Whitetop Rd. Turn left at the stop sign. Note two closed stores on the left. Safely stop on the shoulder in front of the second store. Straight ahead through the trees is Konnarock Training School; look for the historic marker at the driveway.

For History Lovers - Konnarock Training School, established in 1924 by the Women’s Missionary Society of the United Lutheran Church in America, educated children from isolated mountain communities. Lutheran missionary Kenneth Killinger and lay leader Laura Lu Scherer Copenhaver had advocated the school’s founding as a crucial step toward meeting the spiritual, intellectual, and physical needs of the people of Appalachia.

Built on land donated by the Hassinger Lumber Company, Konnarock was a regional boarding school for girls but also provided day classes for local children. In 1936 a medical clinic was added to serve the surrounding community. Konnarock Training School closed in 1959.

A unique feature of the school building and the medical clinic building is the chestnut siding on both buildings. Today the school building is being restored by the Lutheran Church in America through grants and contributions as a retreat center .

Continue the tour by safely re-entering Whitetop Rd and bearing right on VA 603 (Konnarock Rd) - or consider the side trip below.

Take a Side Trip to Whitetop

Consider a side trip to Whitetop. 9.2 miles one way. Includes 4 miles on an easy gravel road to the top of Whitetop Mountain, the second highest mountain in Virginia. Views are superb.

How to get there - If you parked in front of the second store, proceed on Whitetop Rd (VA600) bearing left. Travel 5.2 miles to Elk Garden, with a parking lot on the right. The AT crosses here and a toilet is available. Continue on Whitetop Rd another 1.3 miles to a right turn on FS89 at a historic marker. Follow FS 89 for 2.8 miles to the parking lot near the summit of Whitetop.

Things to do

Mount Rogers (5,729) is visible from Elk Garden. It is named for William Barton Rogers, Virginia's state geologist from 1835 to 1842. He later founded the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Whitetop Mountain (5,720) is the second highest peak in Virginia and the highest accessible by road.

From the parking lot on Whitetop, one can see nearby Buzzard Rock (short trail to the rock) and dramatic views in three directions.

The photo above is the view looking south from Whitetop.

For History Lovers - The Whitetop Folk Festival was held annually in the 1930s. Annabel Morris Buchanan, John Powell, and John A. Blakemore organized the event that featured banjo players, fiddlers, string bands, and ballad singers, as well as storytelling, clog dancing, morris and sword dancing, and theatrical presentations. In 1933 First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt attended. The festival was cancelled in 1940 because of heavy rains and floods and never resumed.

Return to the Konnarock Training School site.

How to get there - From the Konnarock Training School, follow VA 603 (Konnarock Rd) 1.8 miles to the village of Konnarock.

For history lovers - Konnarock was a sawmill community. The Hassinger family moved their sawmill equipment from Pennsylvania and operated a sawmill here. The last log was sawn on December 24, 1928. The white two story building was the company store (now a private residence). Several original residences survive. A spur railroad line connected the mill with the Virginia-Carolina Railroad at Creek Junction. The Virginia-Carolina is now the Virginia Creeper Trail, a popular cycling trail stretching from Abingdon to Whitetop.

How to get there - The St Matthew Lutheran Church is next door to the two-story white store building of the previous site.

For History Lovers - St Matthew Lutheran Church was founded in 1931. The present building was erected in 1950. In 1987, the Laurel Valley Community Church merged with the St Matthew Lutheran Church.

A Unique Feature - The rock exterior of this church includes a feature that can become a game! The building includes a rock from each of the 48 states at the time of construction. The abbreviation for each state is engraved in its rock. If you don't find your state, that rock may be inside the building.

How to get there - Leave St Matthew Lutheran Church and continue west on VA 603 which will shortly become US 58. Access to Creek Junction is on the left and is VA 728. The short (but narrow) gravel road leads to the former railroad bridge. Watch for approaching vehicles in the curves.

Railroad, Trestle, and Creek - The photo above is the trestle across Whitetop Laurel Creek. This trestle which once carried trains, now carries the Virginia Creeper Trail and the Appalachian Trail.

Creek Junction is a beautiful spot on Whitetop Laurel Creek with stunning views from the trestle. A spur track from the Konnarock saw mill joined the main line here. Today the site includes a parking lot, toilet, and access to the creek and train trestle.

Accessible decks for fishing are available or just stick your toes in Whitetop Laurel Creek! Follow the former railroad grade up a gentle slope to the trestle to enjoy the views.

How to get there - From Creek Junction return to US58. (Remember that VA603 has become US58 and we will follow that to Damascus.) Follow US58 west (left) 2.1 miles to the Beartree entrance on the right. Turn right into Beartree and then turn right into the parking lot for Beartree Lake.

Things to do - The Beartree Recreation Area features a 14-acre lake, a family campground, and a group campground. The lake offers fishing and a sandy beach for swimming. For those fishing, smallmouth bass, sunfish, rainbow and brown trout are possible catches. The lake is adjacent to US58; the family campground is 1.4 miles from US58.

Beartree Lake Trail, which circles the lake, is excellent for hiking. Half of the trail is paved. For an easy hike with good views of the lake, leave the parking lot and walk to the right on the trail. Continue until reaching a fishing pier.

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How to get there - From Beartree go west on US58 for 8 miles to Damascus.

Things to do - Follow US58 to the business district. Just at the far end of the business district and to the left is a Town Park that includes restrooms, a bandstand, and a former AT shelter. Within sight from the back of the park is a library (with WiFi) and visitor center.

Damascus is known as the "Trail Town." The Appalachian Trail goes along Laurel Ave (the main street) and the Creeper Trail is just a block behind the business area.

Damascus has the reputation as the "Friendliest Town on the Trail." Damascus Appalachian Trail Days is celebrated the weekend after Mother's Day with a parade, music, exhibits, and many people!

The Virginia Creeper Trail is a rails-to-trails conversion that has become a major attraction. Local shuttle services provide a ride for you and your bike (or a rental bike) to the "top" of the Creeper Trail at Whitetop Station. You may see vans pulling trailers filled with bikes leaving town for Whitetop. The Creeper Trail Club web site provides more information.

Downtown Damascus is a very walkable town. Take time to stroll on Laurel Ave and you may find yourself walking with AT thru hikers. You will find shuttle services, hiking/backpacking supply stores, restaurants, and coffee shops.

For history lovers - The first name given to this community was Mock’s Mill. That name changed to Damascus in 1886 when John D. Imboden purchased downtown Mock’s Mill from Henry A. Mock, Jr. Imboden believed that iron ore deposits were under the surrounding virgin timber. The iron ore deposits were minimal but the timber industry boomed for 25 years as the mountains were denuded.