GRAYSON-HIGHLANDS STATE PARK

Well, it took the better part of 8-months, but cabin fever finally struck. For the past few weeks, I have been itching to hit the road for something more than an out and back day trip.  All summer long I had combated cabin fever with day trip that I used to capture footage for some up coming YouTube Video. Those little trips and my daily walks helped to fend off the fever.

But in the last couple of weeks, the leaves began to change and with cooler days, I really wanted to hit the road. So that’s what I did. Ove the last three days, I put close to 1,000 miles on the car.

I started out with a trip down to the Grayson Highlands State Park. I had never been that and it is remote and takes a little effort to get there. But once I arrived, I quickly found out it is one of Virginia’s Hidden Gems.

It does get crowded this time of the year as it is extremely popular with the leaf peepers.  The park is part of the Mount Roger’s Recreation Area. Mount Roger’s is the highest point in Virginia, standing about 5,728 feet tall.

The Appalachian Trail runs through the park and it is a popular jumping on/off sport for section and day hikers.  Probably the most popular spot in the Park is Massie Gap, as evidenced by the number of cars parker there.

Massie Gap has several hiking trails, but what really makes it popular is the wild ponies that live here. Back abut 1974 a herd of wild ponies were introduced to the area of Grayson Highlands State Park adjacent to the Appalachian Trail. The ponies are vital to habitat management and ack as natural lawn mowers.  Today, there are about 100-ponies in the park, and they are the parks most popular feature.

I managed to find a parking spot at Massie Gap and shortly after beginning my two-mile hike along the Rhododendron Trail I saw three ponies grazing in the meadow adjacent to the trail. The were not bothered by the large number of humans. For the most part the humans obeyed the many signs to no attempt to interact or bother the ponies.  They are wild and will kick and bite.

I spent several hours enjoying the beauty of the Park. The hike along a short part of the Rhododendron Trail was most enjoyable.

After leaving the state park I drove west on Route 58, through the bustling Appalachian Trail Town of Damascus.  This town is really cool, as it is one of the most popular spots on the Appalachian Trail and it is also the midway point on the Virginia Creeper Trail.

The Creeper Trail is a 30+ mile hiking and bicycle trail that runs from the top of White Top Mountain at the North Carolina-Virginia State Line all the way to Abingdon. A few years back a couple of friends and I rented bikes in Damascus and rode the 17-miles from White Top back to Damascus.  The bike rental company will shuttle you and your bike to the top of the mountain so you can ride back down.

Most of the 17-mile ride back to Damascus is almost all downhill, the only exception is the last 3-miles which is level.  We took about 4-hours to make the trip, as we stopped several times for pictures and to just enjoy the beauty of the trail. 

We also stopped for lunch at the Creeper Trail Café for lunch.  The café features basic sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers and fried. But what they are widely known for is their homemade chocolate cake.  I had a huge slice of cake and man oh man, it lived up to its reputation as being the “Best Chocolate Cake I the World.”

If you are ever visiting Southwest Virginia and have some time to kill, I strongly urge you to take a ride on the Creeper Trail and Visit Grayson Highlands State Park. I don’t think you will be disappointed in either.

After leaving Damascus it was back home to pack my bag, recharge my electronics and get ready to hit the road for a short trip up through the Shenandoah Valley. 

I am looking forward to hitting the road again. Stay tuned.