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Grayson Highlands State Park and Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, Virginia (View Photos):
The achingly beautiful Appalachian highlands in Virginia's Mount Rogers National Recreation Area resemble a storybook oasis of lush greenery that could easily have inspired William Blake's poetic illustrations with their visions of earthly paradise and childhood innocence. This is Virginia's most lovely spot, especially in June when acres of Catawba rhododendron gardens burst out in colorful blooms. When the conditions are ideal, these Springtime blooms paint the understory in deep tones of pink and purple.
Verdant meadows sprinkled with wildflowers, wild ponies grazing in the distance, sharp, rocky outcroppings, and intensely green hillsides with treeless clearings that provide wide-open views of the rolling mountains: these are but some of the pastoral scenes that will cast a spell over those who venture into this corner of the Appalachian Mountains. Forests of red spruce and fir make their home in the highest elevations - a rare botanical leftover from the Ice Age. Mt. Rogers - the tallest mountain in the state - and Whitetop Mountain are the centerpieces of the region's alpine topography.
The famed Appalachian Trail cuts through the heart of this preserve and showcases its most attractive features. Even a simple day hike along the Appalachian Trail will reveal a bounty of rich and diverse flora. The best way to explore the area is to start off from Grayson Highlands State Park and then hike into adjacent Mount Rogers National Recreation Area from Massie Gap where many trailheads begin. Be sure to bring a topo map as the trail system can be quite confusing.
Recommended Day Hikes:
Mount Rogers (via the Rhododendron Gap and Appalachian Trails, including a spur trail to the top of Mt. Rogers) - Grayson Highlands State Park and Mount Rogers National Recreation Area
Round Trip Length: 9.0 miles
Trailhead location: Massie Gap in Grayson Highlands State Park
Level of Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous
Attractions: A gorgeous hike to the top of Virginia's tallest mountain through green meadows, mountain balds, heath
(rhododendron) gardens, and a rare spruce-fir forest. Views from the top are obscured by a thick canopy of trees
but the trail leading up to the summit is spectacular
Helpful travel tips and observations
Make sure to visit around the third week of June when the Catawba rhododendrons of Grayson Highlands explode with vivid
blooms of pink and purple. If you have the time, drop into nearby Damascas, VA, often referred to as the friendliest town
along the Appalachian Trail
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More Photos: Page 1 > Page 2
Rhododendron in bloom, Appalachian Trail, (June 2006)
Wild Ponies grazing in a mountain meadow, (June 2009)
Rhododendron, Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, (June 2006)
Rhododendrons, Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, (June 2006)
Appalachian Trail, Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, (June 2006)
Appalachian Trail, Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, (June 2006)
Rhododendron garden, Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, (June 2006)
Wild Pony grazing, Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, (June 2006)
Mountain vista, Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, (June 2006)
More Photos: Page 1 > Page 2
