| Grayson Highlands State Park | |
|---|---|
_(2).jpg) Along Highland Trail | |
  Map of Virginia  Grayson Highlands State Park (the United States) | |
| Location | Grayson County, Virginia |
| Coordinates | 36°37′45″N 81°30′52″W / 36.62917°N 81.51444°W |
| Area | 4,502 acres (1,822 ha)[1] |
| Established | 1965 |
| Governing body | Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation |
| Grayson Highlands State Park | |
| Designated | 1974 |
Grayson Highlands State Park is a state park located in Grayson County, Virginia, United States. It is adjacent to the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area and lies within the Jefferson National Forest. The park was established in 1965 and contains a total of 4,502 acres (1,822 ha).[1] The park hosts a number of outdoor activities including hiking, camping, mountainbiking, horseback riding, and backpacking. A 2.8 mile (4.5 km) portion of the Appalachian Trail runs through the park in addition to a number of other hiking and horseback riding trails. The state park is musically notable as the home for the Grayson Highlands Fall Festival as well as weekly jam sessions by local folk musicians, who draw upon the traditional styles of the Blue Ridge area. The park is also home to the Wayne C. Henderson Festival and Guitar Competition, a regionally important festival and guitarist contest named for local notable guitar-maker Wayne Henderson.[2]
The park also has a campground cabin store with candies and ice cream inside.
The park hosts forests like those on nearby Mount Rogers, as well as a number of mountain meadows or balds. These meadows provide excellent views of the surrounding area and present a striking change in scenery from the surrounding forests. The balds are dominated by large rocky outcroppings clear of vegetation excepting the occasional windswept tree and low grasses.
- ^ a b "Grayson Highlands State Park".
- ^ Fussell, pgs. 76 - 77