New River Trail State Park
57 mi.
The New River Trail follows an abandoned railroad for 57 miles and follows the New River for 39 of those miles, across beautiful bridges and through tunnels. It is a primarily flat trail with the occasional incline or decline and has several parking lots and entrances meaning hikers can do it in a several day journey. The trail goes through the city of Galax and four connected counties nearby, and is accessible to hikers, bikers and horseback riders. Since this trail is technically a state park the Foster Falls parking area has a visitors center and offers a host of activities such as guided horse tours, a boat launch, and recreational rentals such as bikes, canoes, and kayaks. There are five restrooms located throughout the trail roughly 11 miles apart each. Pets are allowed but must be kept on a leash, and it is asked that you pick up after your pet. In 1986 Norfolk Southern donated the land to be used as a state park when they decommissioned that particular segment of railroad, and it is now one of the premier hiking trails in southwestern Virginia. Throughout the trail there are plenty of railroad history stops the most notable of which is the "Shot Tower" where iron was melted into ammunition during the times of early settlers. Due to the length of the trail the list of foliage is quite vast, but you can expect to see many of the wildflowers local to this area such as Rhododendron, Mountain Laurel, Pink Lady Slippers, and Large Purple Fringed Orchids. There isn't much wildlife you will likely see here as the trail is usually bustling with people but keep an eye out for snakes as they are the inhabitants least bothered by humans, they're also often the hardest to see.