Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 14, 1994 TAG: 9408160008
SECTION: DISCOVER PAGE: 4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN OUTDOOR EDITOR
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
It is called the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, and the scepter is the crest zone that rises above the 4,500-foot mark south of Marion.
Much of it is roadless - even wilderness - and open only to hikers, backpackers, horseback riders, mountain bikers and cross-country skiers. Without question, it is the finest horseback riding area in the state, and you can make much the same statement about the backpacking and cross-country skiing. Yet, many Roanoke Valley residents haven't discovered it.
The high country offers big-sky views in every direction, with wild ponies grazing in alpine meadows where the grass is flattened by the wind and accented by red spruce and huge rock outcroppings.
Most of it is set in the Jefferson National Forest, headquartered in Roanoke County, but the 6,000-acre Grayson Highland State Park is connected to the southwest end. It is so much a part of the package, the casual visitor isn't concerned where one begins and the other leaves off.
In the foothills are family campgrounds, including Beartree on U.S. 58 east of Damascus, and Grindstone on Virginia 603 west of Troutdale.
Backpackers can hike on the 60 miles of Appalachian Trail that winds across the area, or they can leave trails behind and bushwhack across the open country, letting the setting sun decide where they peg their tent. A popular hiking spot is the 5,700-acre Lewis Fork Wilderness area, one of three wilderness designations in the recreation area.
The region is so spacious for horseback riding that it can make riding elsewhere in the state appear as anemic as a child's bridal path. The Virginia Highlands Horse Trail stretches nearly 70 miles from Elk Garden Gap on Virginia 600 east to Virginia 94 near the New River. There are several public horse camps along the way.
New this season is a livery service that offers horseback and wagon rides from the old Fairwood Livery on Virginia 603 west of Troutdale.
The high country has three major access points:
Elk Garden Gap: Located on Virginia 600 north of U.S. 58. You can get onto the Appalachian Trail here and a northwest hike will put you into the alpine country. Virginia's tallest peak, 5,729-foot Mount Rogers, is a four-mile hike. The trail offers access to Lewis Fork Wilderness. This also is a trailhead for the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail. Whitetop Mountain is to the west.
Massie Gap: Located in Grayson Highland State Park, reached off U.S. 58. This is one of the quickest routes to the most spectacular portions of the crest zone. Nearby is scenic Wilburn Ridge and Rhododendron Gap Trail, which leads to the Appalachian Trail. The park has a family campground and visitors center nearby. The Mount Rogers summit is about 4 miles.
Pine Mountain Jeep Trail: A rough, 3-mile road for four-wheel drives leads from Fairwood, located on Virginia 603 west of Troutdale, to Pine Mountain and a spot called the Scales. This is a favorite route of four-wheelers and horseback riders seeking access to the high country. It also is popular with deer hunters.
Maps and other information on the area can be obtained at Mount Rogers National Recreation Area headquarters on Virginia 16 south of Marion, (703) 783-5196. Information also is available at Jefferson National Forest headquarters at Valleypointe Parkway, off Peters Creek Road in Roanoke County.
by CNB