grayson highlands state park

this is another great place to go for hiking,camping,picknicking,or sightseeing. It is a beautiful drive from all directions,just across the north carolina border(off hghy 58). You can hike to mt rogers,the AT and many other short hikes. To me the best is a hike up to where you can see beautiful views and on about any day the highland ponies. they are very tame and photo ops abound.On your way out a great side trip is to Whitetop mt. the views are awesome. Take 58 west. this is a trip in it's self. anywhere along this road from norfolk to damascus. ending up in damascus you find the virginia creeper trail and a cool small town. this is a great hiking or just looking out the car window trip

Very scenic Virginia State Park with good hiking trails for all levels of expertise. Also, great for horse back riding and camping. We did a moderate hike and saw lots of horses. Great for children. We will be back.

We went to see the Highlands and specifically the horses. After driving for an hour we discovered that the park was closed for the next two days because of a controlled cull. While I understand the necessity for this, I was not at all impressed with the attitude of the woman ranger at the guest center. When we walked in she scampered off to another room leaving an unknowledgeable receptionist to answer our questions. She would have to repeat our questions to the ranger whose response was to say the park is closed. She at no point apologized for the inconvenience or gave us any suggestions of where to go. She is a very poor public servant. We hope to be able to make it up there after the hunt, and have something positive to say about the park.

Grayson Highlands is a great pace to visit. Just $5 and your in a beautiful stat park in Virginia. This pace is visited year round. Lots of hiking trails take you along one of the most beautiful mountain ranges in the area. My family used to go up there on Father's Day and have a really big picnic. There was at least 60 of us. Good Times.

We camped here over a weekend in October. The temps were much cooler up here in the higher elevations. We didn't make reservations for camping so we got our spot in the only available area, which was where the people camped who had horses. It was a little more expensive (had to pay for a stall we didn't need) but it was a lot quieter and the other campers were really nice and friendly.We hiked over to Mt. Rogers the next day. It was challenging with beautiful views when the sun was out. The foliage was breathtaking this time of year. The wild ponies were an extra treat too. They were bigger than I thought they would be. And they appeared and acted like they were used to people.Very nice state park. I would visit again.

Visiting Grayson Highlands is like going to the Tundra. Great views of the area. Wild Horses and for the first time ever I saw Long Horn cattle. I did a 5 mile loop trail in a little over an hours. Beautiful area.

Let me preface this review by saying we are NOT a family of hikers. No experience. We do; however, enjoy beautiful scenery and the mountains. This place was recommended to us because my daughter is a horse fanatic. The Rhododendron Trail in the Massie Gap area of the park is supposed to be the prime spot for seeing the wild ponies and it did not disappoint. We made it to the park around 2:30 pm on a beautiful fall day. The views were amazing in every direction. The first part of the Rhododendron Trail goes up hill for quite a long distance. I will admit that me and the husband are out of shape. It was described as a "moderate" trail on the brochure. My friends said "it's not bad". We ended up having to stop several times on the way up to catch our breath and it did seem like the "up" part would never end. However; others were hiking by with ease. So if you are out of shape or handicapped, be warned. It was in NO way treacherous. ..just UP. Besides that, it was awesome. The trail flattens out at the top and the view is just indescribably beautiful. We saw a total of 5 wild ponies and were able to get very close. We sat at the top (the balds) for a long time just enjoying nature, taking in the views, and letting the kids roam around. My 8yo son loved climbing on the huge boulders.There are gift stores and a little museum. Picnic and camping areas. There are many other hiking trails and horseback trails.It is a very nice park. I would recommend it to anyone. What I wish I would have known:1. NO CELL SERVICE/NO 4G, ETC. Now, to some avid hikers this may be a big DUH....but we lost cell signal not too far off the interstate and the park is about 30 miles off the interstate. We have Verizon. We were depending on it for directions/GPS. Luckily, we found the park but had no idea where gas stations were or etc. The park employees were helpful and we got a map at the gift store. Next time bring a printed map and our Garmin GPS.2. Bring a backpack with water and snacks/supplies. Again, maybe a DUH for experienced hikers. We thought it would be a very short hike but we ended up spending much longer enjoying nature than we anticipated.

Grayson Highlands is a large and lovely state park. We enjoyed hiking the Twin Pinnacles Trail - great views and we enjoyed the interpretive guide. We believe it's longer than indicated on the trail map though. When we entered the park, the ranger gave us a quick overview of the trails and she told us that some of the trail map mileages were incorrect. We would have appreciated better trail descriptions as well. We also hiked the Wilson Creek Trail and the sign at the trail head was completely inaccurate - we found the trail to be much longer and more difficult than indicated. Because of that, we ran out of time and didn't get to hike the Rhododendron Trail where the wild ponies roam. We enjoyed the visitor's center and gift shop. Two very friendly and helpful volunteers were staffing it. We found them to be more knowledgeable of the park than the ranger we spoke with as we entered the park. Great park but we recommend seeking out a knowledgeable ranger or volunteer for info before striking out.

I visited with my daughter in late June. Hoping to see the mountain laurel in bloom but a large storm wiped most of the flowers away. That did not make it any less special. We actually camped AR Hurricane campground,30 minutes drive away beside a creek. That was excellent also. We drove to GHSP each morning for 3 days to see the heard of wild horses. I was able to take many wonderful photos of horses,long views, and my daughter having the time of her life. Almost 5 hours from home but worth every second on the drive.

This summit of Mount Rogers, the highest point in Virginia, is a great hike in Grayson Highlands State Park.Be sure to really look at the trail map or better yet bring one because finding the right Trails can be tricky to reach the summit.Also be sure to get in early start. We started at 3:30 PM and got back after dark. This is not a hike you want to do in the dark.

Grayson Highlands is a beautiful state park in the mountains of SW VA off Hwy 58. The park boasts sweeping vistas, excellent facilities, and wonderful park staff. I went up for the Fall Festival to benefit the Rugby Fire and Rescue. There was an admission fee ($8.00). This covered the entire day within the park. You could leave and reenter without paying again. There was a great music venue down in the picnic area. This is also where the craft vendors set up. Parking was quick and easy and the variety of vendors was good. There was also a BBQ chicken lunch (I did not stay for this, but others said it was very good). Today was also the annual pony auction. If you're lucky, while hiking or riding on the miles and miles of trails you'll come across some of the wild ponies. They auction off about a dozen each year. This is a wonderful park that shouldn't be missed if you're anywhere near Hwy 58 in the SW VA mountains.

It is a beautiful drive along the improved Route 58 from Marion, VA to Grayson Highlands State Park, Mouth of Wilson, near Mount Rogers, this highest point in this state at the very top of Virginia. We visited here 25 years ago, and roads have definitely gotten much better. Winding country roads (The Crooked Road Music Trail) will take you to and into this very pristine area with wonderful views. The entrance to Grayson Highlands State Park is well marked with a large sign and large wooden park map welcome display.After making initial contact and paying the entrance fee (or using the honor system envelopes), you will find a nicely equipped and well maintained Visitor Welcome Center, featuring clean restrooms, and an interesting historic mountain cabin interpretive site across the street. We had understood there are supposed to be rental cabins here, but we could not find any available for just the two of us. We were told you have to make reservations on line in advance, and that these few group cabins are pretty primitive.There are also horses in some of the fields which are maintained by the Park, and first-come campsites available at very reasonable costs. Some camping and picnic supplies are available at the Visitor Center. There are no rental rooms, lodging, or restaurants in this Park ... just camping sites for overnight visitors. It gets pretty cold and windy at this elevation (about 4,750 - 5,000 feet) so be prepared, particularly in the popular but colder Fall Colored Leaf season.Continue driving for about 12 miles uphill to the Park Headquarters at the end of the road, where there is a full gift shop, Ranger programs, and some basic amenities. Unfortunately, there is really NO HANDICAPPED ACCESS; although there are reserved handicapped parking spaces located way down below the Headquarters Building, you have to climb a long flight of stairs and a steep hill to get up to the Headquarters Building....definitely NOT ADA COMPLIANT. We understand that there are some Ranger led programs and museum exhibits here, but we could not get to them.Coming back you will see just one brief view of Mount Rogers from the road (look for a sign noting this is the ONLY view of Mount Rogers from the park's roadway). There are some large picnic and parking areas for accessing the Park's many hiking trails and some overlooks as you return back about 35 more miles to Marion, where there are several good lodging and restaurant facilities available.Overall this State Park is really beautiful and best suited to active folks in good physical shape to take hikes over uneven terrain and rock trails to get to the best views. Unfortunately for us, we could not do so....nevertheless, we enjoyed our drive and the limited accessibility this Virginia State Park offered at Grayson Highlands.

Great views as you hike & fairly easy trails. Trails are also very clearly marked in case you forget your map! Perfect place to get breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains. The ponies are a bonus!

Great weekend get away. The views are excellent and the ponies are a definite bonus. Campsites are clean and facilities are well maintained.

We toured the Highlands State Park and visited the gift/museum on the top. Purchased some gifts. Learned a lot about the crooked trail in Virginia. Tried to see some wild ponies but didn't. The scenery was still worth it . By the way you have to go and find out about the ponies. They were really not wild. It was interesting to find out how they got there. Great place to go visit and stay. There is camping and also cabins. Check it out. One of Virginia's finest state parks.