June 8

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23 Hikes Near Roanoke - Under :59 

Whether you live here or are just visiting, the hikes near Roanoke will, in one way or another, make their way into your weekend plans. Whether you want to see McAfee Knob "The Most Photographed Lookout on the Appalachian Trail" or crawl up some epic rocks at Devils Marbleyard, this list has the 23 Hikes Near Roanoke Va you'll want to know about including #23 Virginia's Triple Crown.


Get to know each hike by its terrain, trailhead, overlooks, and summits, especially if it has an "Under :59" link underneath, allowing you to see the entire hike from trailhead to summit or from loop to loop in under :59.


Editor's Note: We try hard to be accurate in our reporting but please always use multiple references before driving to a trailhead as trail amenities and conditions can always change. All hike times are approximated using Naismith's Rule.

Best Hikes Near Roanoke Va

1. Apple Orchard Falls

 Medium Difficulty   Waterfalls    Blue Ridge Parkway       

2.4

Distance

990

Elevation Gain

Apple Orchard Falls makes the list of best hikes near Roanoke Va because it's a combination of a waterfall hike, a Blue Ridge Parkway getaway, and a stream-side nature trail, all of which Roanoke is well known for. 

Best Hikes Near Roanoke Va

2. Bottom Creek Gorge

 Medium Difficulty    Waterfalls    River       

4.8

Distance

900

Elevation Gain

Bottom Creek Gorge Preserve is located on Bent Mountain on your way to Floyd, Va. This preserve has a waterfall, a gorge, and 4.8 miles of scenic nature trail on the way to your destination...

Buffalo Mountain Trail

3. Buffalo Mountain Trail

 Willis, Va    Easy Hike    Out-And Back       

4.8

Distance

900

Elevation Gain

Buffalo Mountain Trail is located 20 minutes outside of Floyd, Va in Willis. My favorite part was to be able to see Sharp Top Mountain from the summit of Buffalo Mountain trail about 65 miles away as the crow flies. It was a bit of on incline and snow was on the ground at the time so it was highly slippery and my shoes haven't fully dried to this day. Click to see the entire hike from trailhead to summit in Under :59

Best Hikes Near Roanoke Va

4. Cascade Falls

 Easy    Waterfalls    Picnic      

4.0

Distance

700

Elevation Gain

Cascade Falls is one of the larger falls located near Roanoke. The trail also continues past the falls to get to Barney's Wall overlook.

Chestnut Ridge Loop Trail

5. Chestnut Ridge Trail

 Easy    Nature Trail    Picnic       

5.4

Distance

720

Elevation Gain

Chestnut Ridge Trail is centrally located near Downtown Roanoke and is a great nature hike near Roanoke Mountain Picnic Area. Click to see entire loop trail to and from the parking lot in Under :59

Best Hikes Near Roanoke Va

6. Devils Marbleyard

 Difficult    Panoramic Views    James River Face Wilderness       

4.5

Distance

1,460

Elevation Gain

Devils Marbleyard is a one-of-a-kind rock crawl hike that's as dangerous as it is scenic located in the James River Face Wilderness.

Dragon's Tooth

7. Dragon's Tooth

 Medium Difficulty    Panoramic Views    Appalachian Trail       

4.5

Distance

1,256

Elevation Gain

Dragon's Tooth is the first of three sections on the Virginia's Triple Crown Loop and is an iconic overlook on the Appalachian Trail. Click to see entire hike from Trailhead to Tooth in Under :59

Best Hikes Near Roanoke Va

8. Fallingwater Cascades Trail

 Easy    Waterfalls    Blue Ridge Parkway       

1.4

Distance

420

Elevation Gain

Fallingwater Cascades Trail is one of the lesser known waterfalls near Roanoke Va, in part I believe, because it is overshadowed by the incredible hikes near Peaks of Otter. This loop trail is well worth the drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Best Hikes Near Roanoke Va

9. Flat Top Mountain Virginia

 Medium-to-Difficult   Panoramic Views    Blue Ridge Parkway       

4.7

Distance

1,690

Elevation Gain

Flat Top Mountain Virginia is the second of three hikes at Peaks of Otter. The trail is a little more on the difficult side but has a great view of Sharp Top Mountain at the summit.

Hay Rock Hike

10. Hay Rock Hike

 Medium-to-Difficult   Panoramic Views    Carvin's Cove       

7.4

Distance

1,410

Elevation Gain

Hay Rock Hike is the best view of Carvins Cove Natural Reserve you can see without getting into a helicopter. It's a 7.4 mile hike to Hay Rock but it's not completely necessary to go all the way to Hay Rock as the views when you get on the ridge are about as good as it gets. Click to see the entire hike from trailhead to Overlook in Under :59

Harkening Hill

11. Harkening Hill Trail

 Medium Difficulty    Balanced Rocks    Blue Ridge Parkway       

4.3

Distance

900

Elevation Gain

Harkening Hill Trail is the third summit of the Peaks of Otter including Sharp Top Trail and Flat Top Mountain Trail. Managed in part by the National Parks Service, Harkening Hill is an easy-to-moderate trail which showcases many balanced rocks and a memorable overlook at the top. Click to see the entire loop trail in Under :59

Jack -O- Lantern Branch Trail

12. Jack -O- Lantern Trail

 Easy Hike    Animal Enclosures    Booker T Washington National Monument       

1.5

Distance

200

Elevation Gain

Jack -O- Lantern Branch Trail is an easy 1.5mi loop trail at the Booker T Washington National Monument. This is one of the few hikes that has a closing time, open 10-4p Wednesday through Sunday and closed on Monday and Tuesdays. Visit their site here for any closing time updates before heading to the Monument. Click to see entire hike from Welcome Center to Horse Stable in Under :59

McAfee Knob Hike

13. McAfee Knob Hike 

 Medium-to-Difficult   Panoramic Views    Appalachian Trail       

7.8

Distance

1,800

Elevation Gain

McAfee Knob Hike is a must-see if you're in the Roanoke region for any amount of time and easily one of the most iconic hikes in Roanoke if not the entire Appalachian Trail. Click to see the entire hike from trailhead to summit in Under :59 

Star Trail at Mill Mountain

14. Star Trail at Mill Mountain

 Medium    Panoramic Views    Overlooking Roanoke       

3.4

Distance

800

Elevation Gain

Star Trail at Mill Mountain  is located in Roanoke, Va and reaches the summit at the Mill Mountain Star. Also known as the Roanoke Star Trail it is managed by Roanoke Parks and Recreation and is probably among the few of trails in North America that has a animal zoo at the summit. Click to see the entire hike from trailhead to summit in Under :59

Best Hikes Near Roanoke Va

15. Poor Mountain Trail

 Medium Difficulty    Panoramic Views    Small Waterfalls      

3.9

Distance

940

Elevation Gain

Poor Mountain Trail is a great loop hike situated close to Bent Mountain. It has an incredible overlook and even a small waterfall at the base of the loop. 

Read Mountain Hike

16. Read Mountain Hike

 Medium Difficulty   Panoramic Views    Overlooking Roanoke       

3.8

Distance

880

Elevation Gain

Read Mountain Hike is often an overlooked when it comes to hikes around Roanoke. The trail to the peak has several spur trails and even talks of an expansion through Bonsack, Va. Click to see the hike from Trailhead to Summit in Under :59

Roanoke Mountain Overlook

17. Roanoke Mountain Overlook

 Medium Difficulty   Paved Road    Overlooking Mill Mountain       

4.0

Distance

685

Elevation Gain

Roanoke Mountain Hike is located just off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Mill Mountain in Roanoke. The road to Roanoke Mountain Overlook is closed to motorized vehicles so you would need to park on the Parkway and hike up a mostly paved road to the summit. Click to see the hike from Trailhead to Summit in Under :59

Roaring Run Loop Trail

18. Roaring Run Loop Trail

 Easy    Waterfalls    Loop Trail       

1.5

Distance

300

Elevation Gain

Roaring Run Loop Trail and Roaring Run Falls is located in Eagle Rock, Va and managed by the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service.  Roaring Run Falls reminds of a smaller scale Cascade Falls Va and has day use facilities such as a picnic area and walking trails leading to Roaring Run Falls. Click to see the entire loop trail in Under :59

19. Rock Castle Gorge Hike

 Medium-To-Difficult    Loop Trail    Picnic       

11.2

Distance

2,520

Elevation Gain

Rock Castle Gorge Hike is a one-of-a-kind hike located near Floyd, Va. One of the many Rocky Knob Hiking Trails operated by the National Park Service, Rock Castle Gorge Hike is a 11.2 mile loop hike that starts at the Blue Ridge Parkway, descends into the canyon and returns to the top. Click for more information about Backcountry Camping.  

Sharp Top Trail

20. Sharp Top Trail

 Medium-to-Difficult    Panoramic Views    Blue Ridge Parkway      

2.6

Distance

1,220

Elevation Gain

Sharp Top Trail is one of the three famous Peaks of Otter Hikes including Harkening Hill & Flat Top Trail. Operated by the National Park Service, this hike is a beautiful 50 minute drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway from Downtown Roanoke. Click to see the entire hike from trailhead to summit in Under :59

Best Hikes Near Roanoke Va

21. Tinker Cliffs

 Medium-to-Difficult   Panoramic Views    Appalachian Trail       

7.3

Distance

1,945

Elevation Gain

Tinker cliffs is the third of three sections on Virginia's Triple Crown Loop and has one of the better views of McAfee Knob.

Best Hikes Near Roanoke Va

22. Wind Rock Va

 Easy    Panoramic Views    Mountain Lake Wilderness       

1.0

Distance

400

Elevation Gain

Wind Rock Va is a package deal of a short hike and a great view located in the Mountain Lake Wilderness of Pembroke Virginia.

23. Virginia Triple Crown

 Difficult    Panoramic Views    Appalachian Trail       

27.7

Distance

n/a

Elevation Gain

Virginia Triple Crown is the collection of Dragons Tooth, McAfee Knob & Tinker Cliffs hiked in sequence. It can be finished by either exiting out at US 220, the Tinker Cliffs parking lot, or looping back along down North Mountain back to Dragon's Tooth...

Map to the 23 Hikes Near Roanoke Va

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