Milepost 0 to Milepost 177

Milepost 0 to Milepost 177 on the Blue Ridge Parkway

To plan this Blue Ridge Parkway vacation, we used the “Blue Ridge Parkway Directory and Travel Planner”. We used this free book to plan the vacation, reserve campsites and as a directory while driving on the Parkway. You can order this free publication at http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/.

We started at Milepost 0 in Afton, VA on a sunny morning at 9AM. Our goal for this day was to reach Milepost 177 at Meadows of Dan by late afternoon. We are driving our Jeep and pulling a 1980 twelve foot Scotty Travel Trailer. A small travel trailer has a few advantages—including being able to take the travel trailer to some areas where RVs are either not allowed or would be cumbersome.

After taking a photo of the entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway, we were on our way south. Since we live in Nelson County, we have visited many of the parkway overlooks, hiking trails and attractions within the first 60 miles.

Some of our favorite stops include the Humpback Rocks area from milepost 5 to milepost 9.3. There is a Visitors Center and a mountain farm exhibit at mile post 5.8. There is also the very popular Humpback Rocks hiking trail at milepost 5.8

We passed milepost 13.5, which is near our home in Beech Grove. If you like to hike the Appalachian Trail, Reeds Gap is the perfect place to park to hike on the trail.

Mile post 27 is at Tye River Gap. If you go East on Route 56, you will soon arrive in the small community of Montebello and on to Crabtree Falls. Crabtree Falls is the highest waterfall east of the Mississippi.

We passed one of our favorite camping areas at milepost 60.8, Otter Creek. Otter Creek is open from May to the end of October. There is also a craft and gift shop as well as a restaurant with a view of the creek.

Our first stop was at milepost 63.7 where there is a Visitors Center by the James River. Take your camera on the self-guided nature trail along the James River. We stopped and took several photos. Also ran into a Park Ranger that we met last Summer camping at Otter Creek. There is a nice picnic area with ample parking at this location.

For lunch, we stopped at milepost 86 and Peaks of Otter. We had a nice lunch in the lodge with a great view. They also have a nice gift shop in the lodge. You can walk to the top of the peak or ride a bus from the Visitors Center to the top of the Peaks of Otter. If you are looking for a mountain retreat, consider staying at the Peaks of Otter Lodge or in their campground that is open May through October. Take a walk around the lake for some great photos.

At milepost 120.4, be sure to take the Roanoke Mountain Loop Road. This is a 4 mile one way loop around the mountain. RVs are not allowed on this loop; so, we skipped this scenic loop for this trip. I have driven this loop before and it is worth the trip. Even if you are traveling with an RV, be sure to stop at milepost 129.6 for a great view of the Roanoke Valley.

We drove past Rocky Knob near milepost 170. The campground will be open in May. Rocky Knob is a 4,800 acre area with a campground, visitor center at milepost 169, and 15 miles of hiking trails including the Rock Castle George National Recreational Trail. Bill spent a lot of childhood time visiting Rocky Knob and highly suggests a stop and camping in the area. If you are visiting the Parkway from May to October, consider at stop here.

The Chateau Morrisette Wintery is at milepost 171.5. They provide year-round tours and a gift shop. There is a restaurant open for lunch and dinner. Visit their web site at http://www.thedogs.com/ One of our favorites is the Blue Dog.

We stopped by the very popular Mabry Mill at milepost 176. This is one of the most popular places on the Blue Ridge Parkway. May through the end of October, the restaurant is open and serves some great buckwheat pancakes. (arrive early or be prepared to wait for a pancake breakfast) Cultural demonstrations are also offered from May through early Fall. Be sure to take a picture of the mill as it is one of the most photographed spots on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

We noticed that both sides of the Parkway are lined with Rhododendron. Those will provide a sea of pink blooms in late Spring.

We pulled into the Meadows of Dan Campground around 4PM and began setting up our Scotty Travel Trailer and making dinner. This campground has roughly 35 campsites. It was very quiet with only 4 campers in the campground. This campground is convenient to the Blue Ridge Parkway and has a very clean bath house. (one of the best that we have seen) This site is very quiet—not for those looking for game rooms and play grounds.

The community of Meadows of Dan has several shops including a market where you can pick up any supplies, including ice.