The story below is from our March/April 2025 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
Photos by Ana Morales
From laid-back strolls and hikes to thrill-seeking water fun, Roanoke’s great outdoors has it all.
Outdoor thrill seekers and nature lovers travel the globe to enjoy Roanoke’s hiking and biking trails. Yet many locals are unaware of the beauty and fun beneath their noses.
Below, some friendly and enthusiastic outdoorsy Roanokers share some of their favorite spots for hiking, biking, watersports and more in hopes they’ll become yours, too. We know this is just a small taste of the outdoor fun you can have in Virginia’s Blue Ridge, but hey, you have to start your adventure somewhere!
Walking & Jogging
The one spot every outdoorsy Roanoker agreed on is the greenway. While the Roanoke Valley has over 400 miles(!) of greenway with varying levels of development, what most people are referring to is the 14.2-mile trail called the Roanoke River Greenway.
The flat and mostly paved trail can be anything from a beginner walk to a challenging one, depending on where you get off and on. You can walk it all if you want to make a day of it, but if you want a more active lunch break, you can enter and exit downtown or wherever is nearest your workplace.
The Community Arboretum, tucked behind Virginia Western Community College, is one of Roanoke’s hidden gems. Owner of Ollie & Associates HR & business consulting firm and dog mom Lynn Rogers enjoys it with her pups.
“I love taking them back there. It’s really walkable,” Rogers says.
Carilion physical therapist Lydia Leake says you don’t need to go far to find a good walk or a breathtaking view.
“One of the things I love about living here in Roanoke is from my front door, I can walk the trails on Chestnut Ridge, the trails on Mill Mountain, the greenway or in the neighborhood.”
Just down the road, Natural Bridge State Park Ranger Jeff Kneisley recommends shinrin-yoku or forest bathing for anyone who wants relaxation with their time outdoors. It’s the practice of being aware and noticing everything around you in a particular spot over time.
“We tend to think of outdoor recreation as all these big mountain tops, canyons and extremes. If you make it a routine… being observant of the small details is a way to appreciate what you have around you.”
Kneisley also suggests Natural Bridge’s Skyline Trail for beginners and families. During the day, you can watch bluebirds come and go and enjoy the children’s discovery area. At night, enjoy the dark sky programs.
Hiking
For some, it’s not a hike without a climb. For others, hiking is synonymous with a walk. This section begins beyond the beaten path of parks or the city, though there is some walking and jogging crossover.
Seth Moore and Drew Burch grew up just north of Roanoke in Rockbridge County. Both migrated to Roanoke for job opportunities, currently work in banking and love the outdoors.
Of Roanoke, Burch says, “It’s just amazing how much more there is to do outside. If you wanted to do an outdoor adventure, it’s never the same thing two days in a row.” And it’s possible they haven’t!
One of Moore’s favorite hikes is to Hay Rock from Daleville, right off exit 150 on I-81. Unlike so many outdoor adventures, one unique appeal of this hike is how nature intersects with the manufactured world.
“About a mile, mile and a half in, you go under some power lines, and you can hear the power in those power lines, and you can feel the electricity going through the ground. It’s surreal. It’s scary, but it’s also really cool.”
From the top, you can see another Roanoke outdoor destination: Carvins Cove.
Of course, if you’re more for forgetting the modern world and willing to take a half-hour drive, Sharp Top at the Peaks of Otter is another of Moore’s favorites.
“The very end is a straight-up scramble. You’re out of breath, but you feel accomplished … and at the top is 360 degrees of Roanoke, Botetourt, Bedford … it’s beautiful, especially at night when it’s lit up.”
It’s an advanced to intermediate hike, but in the summer, there’s a shuttle to take you close to the top, so your less adventurous friends or people with mild mobility issues can enjoy the view without the strain.
Moore says everyone should hike Catawba’s McAfee Knob “at least once.”
It’s longer but less steep, making it perfect for beginners upping their hiking game.
Closer to home but practically a secret, with its entrance tucked into a Roanoke County neighborhood, the Read Mountain Preserve has “something for everyone on those (trails).” You can spend the day on a challenging hike (or bike ride) or several easier ones.
For a more intense challenge, Burch says that Dragon’s Tooth, McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs reward hikers with bragging rights and some of the most spectacular views in Southwest Virginia.
While hiking the three summits individually will take four to six hours, some opt to take three days (plus two nights of camping) to hike this Appalachian Trail section dubbed the Virginia Triple Crown Loop.
Biking
Courtesy of Drew Burch
As the city and state continue to work to make Roanoke a safer place to commuting cyclists, recreational bikers have an embarrassment of riches.
Leake and her husband Gibson Barbee, a locomotive reliability engineer with Norfolk Southern, start with Mill Mountain’s 12 miles of trails, with more promised this year.
But if he were to pick a favorite, “Carvins Cove is really hard to beat.”
“They have different levels,” says Leake, from easy to advanced.
For an advanced mountain biking challenge, Barbee suggests the National Forest trails. They’re not as maintained, and many date back to the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Water
There’s no doubt that water fun can be enjoyed anywhere around Smith Mountain Lake. Whether you’re jetskiing, paddleboarding or enjoying a boat ride, the lake offers endless opportunities for adventure and relaxation.
Similarly, Concert by Canoe at Philpott Lake in Franklin County is another shot for water lovers to enjoy the water without heading to the beach or jumping into the rapids.
If you want more leisurely adventure, the perfect first step could be tubing. Drew Burch says it’s the ideal way for curious beginners to get “out on the water to literally get your feet wet.” Tubing is for folks of any athletic level.
Burch recommends Carvins Cove as a good spot for learning to kayak, canoe and paddle board or for somebody “looking for a relaxing time.”
James River has “some spots that are more intermediate and advanced. If you go through Twin River, they do have kayak adventures that are more for beginners.”
Here, he refers to Twin River Outfitters in Buchanan, who, in addition to rentals for people without their own equipment, also have information about suggested spots to begin and end your water journey.
One of the easiest ways to get started enjoying all the water Roanoke offers is with an event called the Summer Floatilla. No athleticism is necessary, just something that floats and a sense of play.
Marrissa Yi is a big fan. “Thousands of people show up at the drop-off point” at Roanoke Mountain Adventures, and “if it floats, you float.” She once enjoyed the July event in a giant pink flamingo.
No matter how you enjoy the outdoors, the key is to go out and do it and not to let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
Yi waited a decade to start hiking because people made it sound too hard. She doesn’t want you to make that same mistake.
“Don’t let fear stop you from exploring,” she says. “That’s a lot of time I could have been experiencing Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains. It’s easier than you think.”
The story above is from our March/April 2025 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
