Parks in Blacksburg
Include:
- Blacksburg Historic District
- English Field
- Mosely Practice Field
- Toms Creek Park
- Southeast Park
- Miller-Southside Historic District
- Lane Stadium
Nellie's
Cave Park
Seats 160 people, restroom facilities, 9 horseshoe pits,
playground, arboretum and walking trail, water and electricity
available, located at end of Grissom Lane.
Tom's
Creek Park
Seats 32 people, restrooms available with $10 key deposit,
playground, softball field (by reservation only) water and
electricity available, located on Tom's Creek Road, west
of 460.
Municipal
Park
• Shelter I - Seats 160 people, restrooms (in nearby
Municipal Park), horseshoe pits, volleyball court, water
and electricity available. Accessible to Hand-In-Hand playground.
Located on Turner Street.
• Shelter II - Seats 48 people, overlooks Hand-In-Hand
playground, restrooms in Municipal Park, no water or electricity,
located on Turner Street.
• Shelter III - Seats 24 people, next to Hand-In-Hand
playground, electricity, grill, water fountain nearby. Located
on Patrick Henry side.
Price
House Nature Center
107 Wharton Street
(540) 961-1133
The Center houses a collection of mounted native animals
as well as a selection of exotic and native live animals.
We also have several nature activities. For more information
please call 961-1133.
EllettValleyRecreational
Area
(Located Jennelle Road in Ellett Valley)
Is a vigorous 1-mile loop with varied terrain. Visit one
of the least known and explored trails of the Blacksburg
Parks & Recreation Department. Open from dawn till dusk.
Nellie's
Cave Park Arboretum
(Located on Grissom Lane)
A home to over 120 native species of trees, shrubs, flowers
and ferns displayed in stands that corresponds to their
physiographic area of Virginia. Open from dawn till dusk.
Brush
Mountain
BrushMountain has become, for nearly all off-road cyclists
in this area, the quintessential mountain biking haven.
Its proximity to town and campus -- the mountain is cycling
distance from the Virginia Tech campus -- makes Brush Mountain
an ideal place for busy students to ride. This mountain
is also home to some of the finest off-road bicycling trails
in the state of Virginia. The Brush and Gap Mountain multiple-use
trails have not gone under-appreciated. Local clubs practice
regular trail maintenance to preserve this mountain biking
mecca. There are numerous waterbeds strategically placed
along the steep descents that protect the trails form excessive
run-off and erosion.
This ride starts at the parking area for the Audie Murphy
Monument. Bush Mountain Road follows the top of the mountain
to US 460 where you can leave a second vehicle for shuttle
purposes. There may be a few mud holes along the hard-packed
roads but there will be no shortage of outstanding views
form this 2,900-foot elevation. Breezing across the top
of Brush Mountain is something any rider with basic bike
handling skills and endurance can handle
Jefferson
National Forest
Black Diamond is surrounded by Jefferson National
Forest.
The Jefferson National Forest is prize Appalachia country:
tumbling waterfalls, rare wildflowers, vividly colored hills
and Virginia's highest peak. Jefferson spreads 690,000 acres
of hardwood and conifer forest across west-central Virginia,
West Virginia and Kentucky, including the Ridge Province
of the Blue Ridge Mountains. |
The Jefferson National Forest has several
top-notch areas to explore. The Mount Rogers National Recreation
is a real hub of activity. It encircles Virginia's highest
peak, rocky Mount Rogers. The area was developed as a recreation
hub. You'll find over 400 miles of maintained trails, including
60 miles of the Appalachian Trail, 18 miles of the Virginia
Creeper National Recreation Trail, and 67 miles of the Virginia
Highlands Horse Trail. And Mount Rogers NRA has over 10,000
acres of wilderness. Virtually every type of outdoor recreation
activity you can imagine is available. Of course hiking,
fishing, mountain bicycling and camping lead the way, but
don't forget hawk watching, cross-country skiing, horseback
riding, nature photography, and cross-country racing.
SmithMountain
Lake
Why is there a gorgeous, 40-mile long, 20,600 acre lake,
with 500 miles of shoreline, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains
of rural southwestern Virginia? Because Smith Mountain Lake
was created to generate electricity, and to help manage
water flows downstream and nearby. The damming of the Blackwater
and Roanoke Rivers formed Smith Mountain Lake in a filling
process that began on September 24, 1963 -- and ended almost
2.5 years later on March 7, 1966.
Smith Mountain Lake's surface covers 32 square miles. Its
highest normal water level ("full pond") is 795
feet above sea level. There is typically very little seasonal
variation in the water level. The daily variation for electricity
production is 12-24 inches. During severe drought conditions,
lake levels have fallen by five feet. Under extreme flood
control conditions, the water level could reach the top
of the Smith Mountain Dam -- 802 feet above sea level Surrounded
by mountains, SML's deepest point is about 250 feet, near
the dam itself. Outside the lake's many coves, 100-150 feet
is typical. Smith Mountain Lake water purity is excellent.
Water temperatures invite swimming from May through September.
The west end of SML, including the town of Moneta, is closest
to Roanoke VA (population 100,000). The east end, including
the town of Huddleston, is closest to Lynchburg VA (population
70,000). Either Roanoke or Lynchburg is within 30-45 minutes
drive time for most Smith Mountain Lake residents -- and
both provide convenient "big-city" amenities like
shopping malls and commercial airports. The "Moneta"
weather forecast (above right) is actually Roanoke's, while
the "Huddleston" weather is Lynchburg's.
Smith Mountain Lake is home to about 18,000 permanent residents.
It covers parts of three Virginia counties: Franklin County,
Bedford County, and Pittsylvania County. Average air temperatures
are 73F in summer and 41F in winter. Annual rainfall averages
43 inches. Annual snowfall averages 10 inches, but the snow
usually melts in a day or two.
Johns
Creek Mountain Trail
(about 20 minutes from property)
Beginning on VA 601, the ascent on the Appalachian Trail
to the Johns Creek Mountain Trail is a steady uphill grade
for less than half mile. This is the most difficult section
of the trail. At the top of the grade, Johns Creek Mountain
Trail veers off to the east. The trail follows the ridge
line out to VA 658, crossing several peaks and saddles along
the way. There are a number of outcroppings and scenic vistas.
The mountain is an area of abundant wildlife.
New
River
20-25 min to the New River
Water and trails" are the essence of the New River
Valley Ranger District. Home of breathtaking Cascade Falls
and picturesque Pandapas Pond, and boasting more miles of
the Appalachian Trail than any other district in the country,
its easy to see how the New River Valley has become renowned
for its trail systems and waterside recreation sites. |
