Chesnut Ridge Trail

The Chestnut Ridge Trail is located along the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is a wide and well-graded path lined with mountain laurel and rhododendron.
5.4 mile figure-eight loop trail that can be shortened to 2.5 and/or 3.4 miles

Easy to moderate
10 minutes from downtown Roanoke
Ideal for
a long, winding walk
exploring nature
horseback exploring
Directions to Trailhead
Take I-581S/220S out of Roanoke. As you begin to leave Roanoke you will see entrance signs for Blue Ridge Parkway
Drive north on Parkway to milepost 120.5
Turn right onto Mill Mountain Spur Rd.
Drive 1.1 miles to trailhead at Chestnut Ridge Overlook
Add On
Finish your day with a scenic drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway
Grab some picnic supplies and head to Valhalla Vineyards
Enjoy the view from the Mill Mountain Star, the world's largest freestanding illuminated man-made star, constructed in 1949.  Call your friends when you get to the star and have them check you out on the StarCam. 
Experience a dazzling multimedia show under a 40-foot planetarium dome at the Science Museum of Western Virginia
Visit the Mill Mountain Zoo
No visit is complete without a “cheesy western all the way” from Roanoke’s iconic Texas Tavern, open 24 hrs


Roanoke Outside Land Activities and Attractions visit the website.