Rocky Knob Recreation Area

Rocky Knob Recreation Area is a 4,500 acres (18 km2) recreation area along the Blue Ridge Parkway, which spans from mile markers 167–174.[1] The park is home to 15 miles of hiking trails, 81 tents camping sites, 28 RV sites, and 72 picnic sites.[2] The campground is open seasonally, typically from May–October. Rocky Knob is also home to Rock Castle Gorge, a 3,500 acres (14 km2) gorge, and home to the Rock Castle Gorge National Recreation Trail. The trail drops 1,000 feet in elevation in 3 miles, and backpackers can request a backcountry camping permit from the National Park Service.

Rocky Knob Recreation Area
Photo from Black Ridge trail in Rocky Knob Recreation Area
Map showing the location of Rocky Knob Recreation Area
Map showing the location of Rocky Knob Recreation Area
Location on the Blue Ridge Parkway within Virginia#Location in the United States
Map showing the location of Rocky Knob Recreation Area
Map showing the location of Rocky Knob Recreation Area
Rocky Knob Recreation Area (the United States)
LocationFloyd and Patrick counties in Virgnina
Nearest cityFloyd, Virginia
Coordinates36°48′N 80°21′W
Governing bodyNational Park Service
Websitewww.nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/rocky-knob.htm

History

Rocky Knob Recreation area was one of the first of five recreation areas developed along the Blue Ridge Parkway, and is one of the largest recreation areas within the entirety of the park.[3] The backcountry campsite, accessible via a loop trail into the gorge, is on the cite of a former Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp.[3] By the summit of Rocky Knob is a trail shelter, which was one of the first buildings constructed along the entirety of the Parkway.[4] The shelter was constructed for the Appalachian Trail, which ran through the recreation area until its relocation to Jefferson National Forest in 1952.[5] The area was a large focus for the CCC, with very ambitions plans, including a swimming pool, a lodge, a car service station, campground, lake, and hiking trails. Only some of these amenities were built.[3] Before the CCC camp closed in 1941, the corps planted several hundred blight resistant Chinese chestnut trees to replace the American versions lost in previous decades.[3]

Trails

There are four main trails, and 15 miles (24 km) of trails within Rocky Knob Recreation area.[6]

  • Rock Castle Gorge Trail (10.8 miles (17.4 km) strenuous loop)
  • Black Ridge Trail (3 miles (4.8 km) moderate loop)
  • Rocky Knob Picnic area Trail (1 mile (1.6 km) easy loop)
  • Smart View Trail (2.6 miles (4.2 km) moderate loop), located 14.5 miles (23.3 km) south of the visitors center.

References
  1. "Rocky Knob & Mabry Mill". Blue Ridge Parkway. Blue Ridge Parkway Association. Archived from the original on 20 June 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  2. "Rocky Knob Recreation Area, Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 169.0". www.virtualblueridge.com. Virtual Blue Ridge. Archived from the original on 16 September 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  3. "Rocky Knob | Parks to the Side". unc.edu. University of North Carolina. Archived from the original on 15 August 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  4. Service, National Parks. Visual Character of the Blue Ridge Parkway Virginia and North Carolina. Washington, DC: United States Department of the Interior. pp. 162–3. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  5. Mills Kelly. "Appalachian Trail Histories - Southern Virginia, Central Section (1940)". appalachiantrailhistory.org. George Mason University. Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  6. "Rocky Knob Hiking Trails - Blue Ridge Parkway (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
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