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Be aware that due to sub-freezing temperatures lasting through the weekend, there are still areas of the park where ice is present, including our trails. Always check weather conditions to plan your visit, dress in layers, wear high traction footwear and have some sort of emergency supplies with you. This content takes priority over any other information provided on this park's webpage EXCEPT for the site alert. The Hickory Ridge Campground is currently closed for extensive renovations which began in November 2024. At this time, the campground is expected to reopen May 1, 2026, however, dates are subject to change. The park will remain open for day use, hiking, picnicking, and special events. Overnight parking for backpackers is available, reservations required.Backpackers must hike outside the park boundaries before setting up camp. The park is open daily from 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. The park office is open Mon. through Fri. from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. The Visitor Center is closed for the season. Country Store is closed and will reopen in May 2026 after the completion of the Hickory Ridge campground upgrades. Be sure to plan in advance for your trip: click here. The park offers full service camping May through October and reservations are strongly recommended. Primitive camping (no water or bath house) is available Nov., Mar. and April. Please review the Virginia State Parks Know Before You Go information before you visit. Your browser does not support JavaScript!General Information Near Mount Rogers and Whitetop Mountain, Virginia's two highest mountains, Grayson Highlands offers scenic views of alpine-like peaks more than 5,000 feet in elevation. Facilities include a visitor center, campgrounds, and hiking trails leading to waterfalls and overlooks. Scenic horse trails and a horse camping area with electric and water hookups, stables and parking for trailers are available. The park provides year-round access to the Appalachian Trail and the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail. Hikers on the highlands trails are likely to encounter wild ponies. They were introduced to the park in 1974 to prevent reforestation of the highland balds. The Wilburn Ridge Pony Association manages the pony herd. During fall roundups of ponies for an auction held in conjunction with Grayson Highland’s annual Fall Festival, association members check the herd for health problems. Visitors should not approach, feed or pet the ponies. They bite and kick when they feel threatened, and human food is bad for them. This page's has specific information about hiking the high country. Hours8 a.m. - 10 p.m. LocationThe park is on U.S. 58 midway between Independence and Damascus and is reached from I-81 at Exit 45 in Marion; turn south on Route 16 and travel 24 miles to US 58 in the community of Volney. Turn right onto US 58. Travel eight miles to the park's entrance. Latitude, 36.628322. Longitude, -81.496889. From I-77, take Hillsville Exit 14 to U.S. 58. Travel west on U.S. 58, 40 miles to Volney. Turn left to stay on U.S. 58 and go eight miles to the park entrance. Its address is 829 Grayson Highland Lane, Mouth of Wilson, VA 24363; Latitude, 36.628322. Longitude, -81.496889. Drive Time: Charlotte, 1.5 hours; Raleigh, 4 hours; Richmond, 5.5 hours; Roanoke, 2.5 hours; Northern Virginia, 6.5 hours; Tidewater, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, 7.5 hours; TriCities, Tennessee, 1.5 hours; Winston-Salem, 1.5 hours Park Size4,520 acres. Various elevation: Entrance - 3,698 feet; Visitor Center - 4,953 feet; Little Pinnacle - 5,089 feet. Share this page
Cabins, camping OVERNIGHT FACILITIES
Note: Due to adverse weather conditions, full-service camping is only available from May through October. Primitive camping is allowed in Chestnut Hollow campground during March, April and November; there are porta-johns only; water is unavailable at this location. Each site has 20, 30 and 50 amp electrical service. Drinking water is available in the park office. Camping fees are lower during the primitive camping season. No camping is available from the first Monday in December until the first Friday in March. Yurts
Check-in is 4 p.m. and checkout is 10 a.m. The rental season begins on May 1 and ends on the first Sunday of November. Cabin rental and cancellation policies apply. There's a two-night minimum rental during rest of camping season. Maximum occupancy 4. Sleeps 3 - One queen-sized and a twin-sized trundle pull-out. Guests must bring sleeping bags or linens. No smoking, cooking or pets allowed in the yurt. No electricity or water. Potable water is across the road from yurt 3. Dining table seats four. No heat or air-conditioning. Yurt 4 is accessible. Yurt 1 is 24 feet from the parking area and 463 feet from the bathhouse. Yurt 2 is 90 feet from the parking area and 730 feet from the bathhouse. Yurt 3 is 84 feet from the parking area and 500 feet from the bathhouse. Yurt 4 is 32 feet from the parking lot and 328 feet from the bathhouse. Bunkhouse Bunkhouse - Two-night minimum, no weekly requirement. This is not a full service lodge; it is a camping facility. The two-room trailer has seven bunk beds, a refrigerator, a microwave, a coffeepot, and heating and air conditioning. Just outside is a deck with two picnic tables and a charcoal grill. Cooking and smoking are not permitted inside the lodge. Four vehicles are permitted with rental of the lodge; all other vehicles must pay the park's daily parking fee. Because of the lodge's location, parking there is limited to three vehicles. Other vehicles may be parked across from the Country Store. This facility is not sold 11 months in advance; it goes online in January each year. It's available only during camping season, from May 1 to Oct 31 annually. Check-in is 4 p.m., and check-out is 10 a.m. The transfer deadline policy and cancellation and pet fees are the same as those for cabins. Linens are not provided. Guests must bring their own linens and pillows. Maximum 14 people allowed in bunkhouse. Guests are responsible for any damage. No bathroom, kitchen or fireplace. No cable hookup. Electrical outlets are available but limited to 50 amp service. No extra bed rentals. The camping lodge is located back of upper loop campground. Camping lodge guests use the upper loop bathhouse in campground. Camping Grayson Highlands allows guests to reserve specific campsites. Total sites of each type: Hickory Ridge Campground: Electric/Water – 38 sites No Hookups – 28 Bunkhouse – 1 Group Site – 1 Yurts – 4 Chestnut Hollow Equestrian Campground: Horse Site – 24 Wide Covered Stalls – 20 Wide Open Stalls – 5 Open Stalls - 19 Site types: Electric/Water sites; 20, 30 and 50-amp; various equipment. Up to 40 feet. No horses allowed. No Hookups- no electric or water at the site; various equipment. Up to 30 feet. One tent site is universally accessible. No horses allowed. Group Site - Please see below for details. Horse Site - Stable area campsites; electric and water hookups; 20, 30 and 50-amp; various equipment. Up to 40 feet. Horses are only allowed in this area. Equestrian campers get priority booking, but any camper may make a reservation beginning 30 days prior to arrival. This area is also used for primitive camping in March, April and November. Reservations for campsites and stalls in Chestnut Hollow can only be made by calling the reservation center at 1-800-933-PARK (7275). Wide Covered Stall - Covered stalls for horses, about 8 x 10 feet; stable area; park provides sawdust for stalls. Bring your own hay bag and water bucket. Wide Open Stall – Uncovered horse stalls, about 8 x 10 feet; some amenities in stalls. Bring your own hay bag and water bucket. Open Stall - Uncovered horse stalls, about 5 x 8 feet; some amenities in stalls. Bring your own hay bag and water bucket. Group Site: Grayson Highlands has a group camping area. Recreation View this video before you go.
Read more about it - Visiting Grayson Highlands — It's not just a walk in the park. TRAILSHiking, bicycle trails (mountain bikes only), horse trails, self-guided trails. Backpacking The park has long been a gateway to the state’s highest peak, Mount Rogers, as well as the Appalachian Trail and the Grayson Highlands. As the popularity of outdoor recreation has grown, so has the number of visitors to the highlands. As many as 6,000 overnight visitors and many day hikers visit the area a year. This increased usage has raised concern for protecting the fragile highlands by the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area (MRNRA), the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) and Grayson Highlands State Park. Please abide by the following guidelines when planning a visit to the backcountry. Here's more helpful information: Backpacker shuttle services: Bike rentals: Bridle trails: More than nine miles of bridle paths wander through the park. These paths also lead to bridle trails in Jefferson National Forest. Parking facilities for horse trailers and overnight stables are available at the park. The park does not provide horses for trail rides. Hiking trails: The park has 13 hiking trails, which vary from .5 to just over 2 miles in length. These trails lead to panoramic vistas, scenic waterfalls and a 200-year-old pioneer cabin. The park also offers access to the Appalachian Trail and trails in the surrounding Jefferson National Forest. Details about the park's trails are listed below. Grayson Highlands State Park Trails Note: A detailed map of all trails in the Mount Rogers area can be purchased at the park office. Key: F = Foot Traffic; H = Horseback Riding; B = Mountain Bikes; X = Cross Country Skiing Appalachian Spur Trail: mileage .8; F Appalachian Trail: mileage (within the park) 2.5; F Rhododendron Trail: mileage 1.0; F, X Cabin Creek Trail: mileage 1.8 loop; F Big Pinnacle Trail: mileage 0.4; F Twin Pinnacles Trail: mileage 1.6; F Listening Rock Trail: mileage 1.4 loop; F Haw Flats Trail: mileage .7 loop; F Split Rock Trail: mileage .3 loop; F Wilson Creek Trail: mileage 1.8; F Wilburn Branch Trail: mileage 2.3; F, B Stampers Branch Trail: mileage 1.7; F Rock House Ridge Trail: mileage 1.3 loop; F Horse Trail (east): mileage 3.2; H, F, B, X Horse Trail (north): mileage 2.0; H, F, X Seed Orchard Road: mileage 1.2; H, F, B, X Old Upchurch Road: mileage 3.3; H, F, B, X Wild Ponies Hikers on the highlands trails are likely to encounter wild ponies. They were introduced to the park in 1974 to prevent reforestation of the highland balds. The Wilburn Ridge Pony Association manages the pony herd. During fall roundups of ponies for an auction held in conjunction with Grayson Highland’s annual Fall Festival, association members check the herd for health problems. Visitors should not approach, feed or pet the ponies. They bite and kick when they feel threatened, and human food is bad for them. Bouldering Grayson Highlands is known as the best bouldering site in Virginia. On the park’s mountainous slopes are four main boulder fields and three smaller fields with more than 700 named climbing routes, also known as problems. The park’s geology, which is unique in the Southeast, makes it well-suited to bouldering. Climbers will find rhyolite at higher elevations as well as a metaconglomerate in a quartzite matrix elsewhere in the park. These provide steep faces with angular features, including rails, flakes and edges that ensure bouldering opportunities for climbers of all skill levels. Summer weather at the park is ideal for bouldering. Several boulder fields have an elevation of more than 4,900 feet, with temperatures in the 70s and cool breezes that allow climbing throughout summer. The park welcomes climbers to enjoy bouldering opportunities but requires that Leave No Trace ethics be followed. Ropes and the chipping of rocks are not allowed. Climbing is inherently dangerous; all safety precautions should be taken. Stop by the contact station or office to register as a climber in case of an emergency. The park has four crash pads for rent. It also sells chalk, chalk bags and the Grayson Highlands Bouldering Guidebook. For more information about the bouldering opportunities at Grayson Highlands, visit the Mountain Project. SWIMMINGNone at this park. FISHING, BOATINGNearly 10 miles of wild trout streams lie within Grayson Highlands State Park. Cool mountain streams offer anglers native brook and wild rainbow trout as well as breathtaking scenery. All the streams in the park are Special Regulation Wildlife Trout Streams, which require the use of single hooks and artificial lures, and all trout less than nine inches long must be released unharmed. All required state fishing licenses and creel limits apply to fishing within the park. A National Forest Permit is required when fishing national forest property, which borders the park along Wilson Creek. Big Wilson Creek, along the northeastern boundary of the park, offers 3.5 miles of fishable waters. From its headwaters to ¼-mile below its confluence with Little Wilson Creek, the stream is designated a "Special Regulation Wild Trout Stream." A sign marks the area. Below this point, the creek is designated a "Stocked Trout Stream" and requires a trout license in addition to the state fishing license. You can reach the creek via the Appalachian Trail at Massie Gap or by taking the Big Wilson Creek Trail from the main campground. Wilburn Branch, near the park's central area, provides 1.8 miles of fishable waters and is designated a "Special Regulation Wild Trout Stream." It can be accessed via the Stamper's Branch or Upchurch Road trail. Mill Creek, which has 1.1 miles of fishable waters, is the park's southeastern corner. It, too, is a "Special Regulation Wild Trout Stream." Get there by taking Highway 58 East from the park's entrance, then turning left on SR 742 (Mill Creek Rd.). Access to the park's portion of the creek is on the left near a grove of white pines, about half a mile down Mill Creek Rd. Quebec Branch, in the park's northern region, has 1.1 miles of fishable waters, all of which is designated a "Special Regulation Wild Trout Stream." This waterway sometimes has low water. Access it from the Appalachian Trail at Massie Gap or by taking the Seed Orchard Road Trail from Hickory Ridge Campground. Cabin Creek of the park's western area has 2.1 miles of fishable water, all of which is designated a Special Regulation Wild Trout Stream. Wild rainbow and native brook trout inhabit the waters here; it's not stocked. Take the Cabin Creek Trail at Massie Gap to get there. HORSESHorse trails and horse camping facilities are available here, but no horses are for rent. See the park's camping description for information about overnight horse facilities here. State law requires that visitors carry a copy of a negative Coggins report with each horse brought to the park. Park Trail Guide Click here for the park's trail guide. Download (external link for use with Avenza App) the geo-referenced map Download the geo-referenced map for this park Nearby Attractions Many festivals take place in the region throughout the year, beginning in March and ending in October. Ramp, Molasses, Maple, Fiddlers, Bluegrass and Fall Harvest festivals are the biggest attractions in the area. For information on happenings around Grayson County, call the Grayson County Tourist Information Center at 276-773-3711. Check our . Cities nearby: Two to three hours from Roanoke, Va., Charlotte, N.C., Winston-Salem, N.C., and Charleston, W. Va.; and about one and a half hours from Boone, N.C., Blacksburg, Va., Beckley, W.Va., and Bristol, Va. Learn about other camping and lodging opportunities in Grayson County. Picnic Shelters The picnic area is next to a rebuilt homestead site, complete with two log cabins, a spring-house and a cane mill. Picnic facilities include drinking water, grills and restrooms. Picnic shelters are available by reservation on a first-come, first-served basis by calling the Customer Care Center at 1-800-933-PARK. Grayson Highlands State Park Picnic Shelters Two shelters are available for rent. They can be rented from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. (all day). Click here for park fees. Cancellation policy: No refund within 14 days before reserved date. Before then, there's a cancellation fee. Amenities: Both shelters have grills, picnic tables and access to restroom. Shelter one: Located in main picnic area. A water fountain and electric hookup is available at the shelter. Shelter can accommodate 100 people under the shelter. Additional seating is available around the shelter. Shelter two: Located next to homestead cabin. Shelter is referred to as The Barn. No adjacent parking is available; users must park only in designated areas. Shelter can accommodate 100 people under the shelter. Seating for another 100 people around the shelter can be arranged but must be requested through a special-use permit. Meeting Space and Facilities MEETING FACILITIES None at this park, but the park is a . VISITOR CENTER, GIFT SHOPThe visitor center is open daily from May through October Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Near the summit of Haw Orchard Mountain, the center has exhibits on pioneer life and plant and animal life of the area. RESTAURANTNone in park. The visitor centerhas candy, chips, drinks, ice cream and camping supplies. Nearby restaurants: These restaurants were impacted by Helene and hope to reopen soon: General stores: None. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTERNone at this park. SPECIAL FEATURESClick here to learn about popular wedding settings at the park. Other Info ACCESSIBILITY Tent site, upper loop of the campground Universally accessible toilet and shower at upper loop bathhouse Shelter one, picnic area Buzzard Rock Overlook Picnic area at Buzzard Rock Overlook Visitor center, parking in the back of center, bathrooms Office bathrooms Although motorized vehicles are not permitted on park trails, electric wheelchairs and electric scooters that meet the federal definition for wheelchairs are allowed to enable people with disabilities to use the trails. NATURE, HISTORY PROGRAMSGrayson Highlands offers a variety of programs from mid-May through mid-October. Visitor favorites include guided and self-guided treks, such as sunset hikes and owl prowls, during the day and evening. In the evening, visit the amphitheater to enjoy programs including old-time music, star gazing and storytelling. Learn about the world around you through plant and animal programs, such as the Salamander Meander. Junior Ranger Programs showcase the park’s historical, geological, cultural and natural resources and teach participants to be environmental stewards. Please contact the park for more information. Festivals in the Park (in picnic area) Events Nearby CONCESSIONSCountry Store carries clothing, snacks, drinks and camping supplies, The store is open from May through October. Days and hours vary throughout the season, call the park office for details at 276-579-7092. Visitor Center contains exhibits about mountain life and the history of the area in addition to a gift shop with clothing, jewelry, books and other items. The Visitor Center is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday through Sunday from May 1 through October 31. HISTORYGrayson Highlands, originally named Mount Rogers State Park, was established in 1965. The community overwhelmingly supported this park, beginning with a fund-raising effort for land acquisition and continuing with the donation of items on exhibit in the visitor center. Many areas in the park are named after early settlers. Massie Gap takes its name from Lee Massey, who lived in the gap with his wife and five children in the late 1800s and early 1900s. At that time, the present park area was thinly settled by people who managed to live off the land. They made, grew or gathered most of their necessities. Wilburn Ridge is named after the famed hunter Wilburn Waters. His reputation as a bear hunter and wolf trapper made him renowned throughout the region. FRIENDS GROUPFriends of Grayson Highlands State Park is a nonprofit group of volunteers dedicated to supporting the park. MASTER PLANMaster plans must be written for parks before they're built. The plans are updated at least once every 10 years thereafter. The plans cover the size, types, infrastructure and locations of facilities as well as the site's special features and resources. Three public meetings are held during the initial development of each plan. Click here for this park's master plan.
Events, Programs
Blogs
At a Glance The pictographs directly below show park offerings. Mouse-over the image for a short text description or view a legend in which each pictograph's meaning is expressed.
Amphitheater, Biking, Camp Store/Gift Shop, Campground, Camping Lodges **, Group Camping, Dump Station, Equestrian, Equestrian, Hiking, Nature/Cultural Programs, Ranger station, Visitor Center, Parking fee, Picnic Shelter Rentals, Picnic Tables, Playgrounds, Recycling, Restrooms, Self (interpretive) Trail, Shore, Showers, Yurt ** (责任编辑：) |
