Outdoor amenities mean good times and good business for the valley.
Julianne Rainone Jacob
Dr. Audra Van Wart uses the region’s outdoor amenities when pitching students for a graduate program she directs on the Virginia Tech Carilion campus.
First, the sales pitch for outdoor diversions and recreation opportunities in the Roanoke Valley. Start with the growing greenway system of paved urban paths and natural surface trails ideal for walking, running and mountain biking. Float or kayak on the Roanoke River, or take a short jaunt to the James River for a more challenging experience. There are several outfitters along the Roanoke and James Rivers where equipment can be rented, and access points to the water.
Hike segments of the Appalachian Trail (including the photogenic McAfee’s Knob 7-mile roundtrip); hike, bike, walk or run at the Carvins Cove reservoir, where kayaks, canoes and paddleboats can be rented in season. Small outboard motors are permitted at the Cove for those that want to fish. Local cycling groups and retail shops like Downshift Bikes (Campbell Avenue) offer group excursions for riders at various experience levels.
Bicycle kiosks make renting a two-wheeler at various spots along greenways and busy streets easy and affordable with the Zagster app. The valley’s bike-friendly culture has now earned it the “Silver Level Ride Center” designation from the International Mountain Bicycling Association.
Roanoke County’s Explore Park makeover includes camping and cabin rentals, horseback riding, zip line adventures and a disc golf course. The Blue Ridge Parkway is a scenic, slow cruise with opportunities for picture taking and picnicking at overlooks. There are also hiking and horseback riding trails accessible along the parkway.
It’s hard to put precise numbers on it according to several local economic development experts but the Virginia Tourism Corporation says the average visitor to a region for sports, recreation and other outdoor-related activities will spend almost 900 dollars and 3.5 nights. The Outdoor Industry Association finds that residents in the 6th Congressional District alone covering much of the Roanoke Valley spend a staggering 1.5 billion dollars on outdoor recreation every year. Add almost another three billion dollars with the 9th and 5th House districts thrown in.
Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge makes outdoor amenities and recreation sports a major part of its campaign to attract tourists and groups looking to stage tournaments at venues like the Moyer Sports Complex in Salem and Roanoke County’s Green Hill Park. VBR Sports was launched as a separate initiative in recent years and can be accessed at visitroanokeva.com/sports. It features a calendar of events and outdoor adventure opportunities. A string of tourism revenue and hotel room occupancy records in recent years is fueled in part by outdoor/recreation amenities in the valley.
The get2knownoke.com website launched in 2018 by the Roanoke Regional Partnership is one more resource for those interested in outdoor recreation opportunities, as well as a whole slew of other cultural diversions. The Regional Partnership and its affiliated Roanoke Outside Foundation also launched the popular roanokeoutside.com some years ago. Site visitors can search for their outdoor passion; e.g. rock climbing or kayaking by name.
Pete Eshelman with the Roanoke Outside Foundation says marketing the outdoors “is part of our economic development strategy – our mountains, our lakes, rivers and trails – how do we use that to attract business and investment?” It’s been a major mission for the Regional Partnership and localities that use the outdoors and overall quality of life when making their own recruiting pitches to business prospects and potential employees.
Dr. Audra Van Wart is assistant Vice President for Health Sciences Education at Virginia Tech and a professor at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. A mountain biker and trail runner herself, Van Wart rides on Mill Mountain and Carvins Cove trails; she also treks to Pandapas Pond in the New River Valley and to nearby Jefferson National Forest mountain bike trails.
Now she uses the region’s outdoor amenities when making a pitch to students for a graduate program she directs on the Virginia Tech Carilion campus. “Part of the interview [process] is advertising the outdoors and outdoor amenities.” Van Wart says the annual “dog and pony show” for recruits is now scheduled during the Go Outside Festival weekend in October, the celebration of all things outdoors at the Rivers Edge Sports Complex. “I think it’s really great for showcasing of all the different things they can get involved with. And it’s all so close by.”
Rob Way is an executive recruiter for Carilion Clinic, where quality of life issues are also a major selling point – from cultural attractions and festivals to craft brew pubs and the outdoors. Way says candidates in various age groups are interested in everything from trail running to 5K road races, canoeing and more.
“We connect them with resources and point them in the right direction.”
The Appalachian Trail is a recruiting plus, as is nearby Smith Mountain Lake and opportunities for camping. “There’s so much going on here,” says Way.
That’s a declaration few can deny at this point.