Grayson County, Virginia

Grayson County, Virginia is Ashe County’s northern neighbor. The beautiful Blue Ridge Mountain scenery doesn’t stop at the North Carolina border, so your search for the perfect mountain property shouldn’t either. There are countless additional options for adventure and entertainment if you don’t mind a 30-minute drive north from Ashe County. Take a look at our properties in Grayson County on our website, and check out the information below to learn more about the area.

Blue Ridge Music Center

The Blue Ridge Music Center is located at milepost 213 on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Grayson County, not far from Galax, Virginia. The facility offers an outdoor amphitheater venue, “Roots of American Music” museum, and a visitor center. It is operated through a unique partnership between the National Park Service and the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. The Blue Ridge Music Center is open from May through October. The music center features free midday mountain music acoustic sessions that showcase local musicians from noon-4pm every day. There is typically a concert every Saturday during the open season that features bluegrass, folk, country, and Americana performances.

The Blue Ridge Music Center is one of 9 major venues along “The Crooked Road”, Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail. The Crooked Road is a 330-mile driving route through southwestern Virginia that connects major music venues and many other affiliated facilities and festivals. The route takes travelers through nineteen counties and over 50 cities and towns. The Crooked Road, Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail is a non-profit organization, whose founding purpose is to foster economic development in the area by promoting southwestern Virginia’s rich history of mountain music.

Grayson Highlands and Mount Rogers

Part of the larger Mount Rogers Recreation Area, Grayson Highlands State Park is one of the most popular areas to visit in southwestern Virginia. Many of the mountains of the Blue Ridge are heavily wooded, but a large portion of the land at Grayson Highlands and Mount Rogers are open grassy balds. This unique vegetation allows uninterrupted long-range views of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

There are plenty of trails throughout the park enabling visitors to fully appreciate the scenery, and at 5,729 feet, Mount Rogers is the highest point in Virginia. Whitetop Mountain, the second highest mountain in Virginia, (5,525’) is also nearby. Many trails through this high-elevation recreation area are open to both foot traffic and horses. Some of the trails in Mount Rogers Recreation Area are even part of the VA Horse Trail System. Visitors to Grayson Highlands State Park may also be greeted by wild ponies, who roam freely throughout the park. If horseback riding or hiking aren’t your favorite activities, there are plenty of options for world-class trout fishing in the crystal-clear mountain streams of Mount Rogers Recreation Area.

Mount Rogers Recreation Area and the greater Grayson County area have several festivals throughout the year to showcase local flavors and music. The Maple Festival in March, the Ramp Festival (wild onion) in May, HoustonFest in June, and the Molasses Festival in October are just a few of the options. Visitors to these festivals will enjoy joy delicious seasonal foods and mountain music of southwestern Virginia.

Virginia Creeper and New River Trail

There are plenty of options for cycling in Grayson County, Virginia. The most popular portion of the Virginia Creeper trail spans from Whitetop, VA to Damascus, VA. This section of the trail follows an old railroad bed and is slightly downhill for the entire 17-mile stretch. It winds its way through beautiful Appalachian forests, along the pristine Laurel Creek, and next to old mountain farmland before reaching Damascus. There are multiple options for bicycle rentals and shuttles for a ride back to the start point.

Another popular option for cycling in Grayson County is the 57-mile New River Trail. Many cyclists take-on shorter portions of the trail, and simply start in Fries, VA to complete a 5.5-mile out and back portion (11 miles full trip). Visitors enjoy continuous views of the scenic New River, the second oldest river in the world.

Check out our properties in Grayson County, Virginia on our website, or give us a call to learn more. If you want to live the good life, the mountains of southwestern Virginia are a perfect place for your next property.