Backpacking at Grayson Highlands State Park

What you need to know

Thank you for your interest in backpacking in the Grayson Highlands. In order to have the best backpacking experience possible while visiting the high country, we recommend looking over the following information:

Parking & Camping

Reservations are required year round for parking in the Overnight Backpacker’s Lot. Check in is 1 p.m., check out is noon. Spaces may be available before check in, but we cannot guarantee there will be a space for you before 1 p.m.

These reservations are for a parking site for your vehicle, but you must hike outside the park boundary into the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area to set up camp. You are not allowed to sleep in your car in the parking lot. The boundary is approximately 1 ½ miles southbound or just over 2 ½ miles northbound on the Appalachian Trail. The shelters on the AT should be reserved for section and through hikers and we recommend overnight hikers stay in tents or hammocks away from the shelters. Tent camping is not allowed at Wise Shelter because it is inside Grayson Highlands State Park, but there are several nice tent sites just across the border towards Scales.

Cell Service

Most cell phone providers do not offer reliable service for text, calls or data in this area. Don’t expect cell service on your way to the park after leaving the interstate. Please let those at home know you may not be able to respond to them until you are on your way home. Preserve your battery by putting your phone on airplane mode to keep it from constantly searching for signal and carry a portable charger.

Navigation

Visiting Grayson Highlands State Park and the surrounding Mount Rogers National Recreation Area isn’t your typical walk in the park. The high country encompasses over 50,000 acres of wilderness which is crisscrossed with hiking, equestrian, game, social and pony trails as well as old road beds and railroad grades. Signage and blazes are not always easy to spot and we recommend you have alternate means of navigation.

Without cell data, many map applications don’t work. We recommend everyone in your group download Avenza, which is a free app available for iPhones and Android. You can find links to download the app and a free map of Grayson Highlands, including the high country here. You’ll be able to follow your location using GPS, data not required.

If you prefer to navigate the old fashioned way, the park’s printed trail map does not extend beyond the park boundary, but National Geographic’s Trails Illustrated Map #318 can be purchased from numerous retailers online or in person at the park.

Weather & Gear

The weather at this elevation can change rapidly. We’ve had snow as late as May and as early as September. There is almost always a breeze and 50+mph winds are not uncommon. The National Weather Service provides a forecast for the high country and we recommend you check for updates frequently in the days leading up to your reservation. Regardless of the season or the forecast, plan to bring rain gear and multiple layers of clothing to safely handle the surprise thunderstorm or winter weather that is more severe than expected. The trails here are rough and it is not uncommon to turn an ankle. A good quality hiking boot with plenty of ankle support can make all the difference between an enjoyable hike and a painful hobble back to your car.

Bears

There are bears throughout the high country and we recommend all hikers take the following precautions. Do not store your food, the clothes you cooked in, any garbage you are packing out, or toiletries inside your tent. Use a bear canister or store your items in one of the bear boxes found near Thomas Knob Shelter, Rhododendron Gap, Wise Shelter and Scales. As a last resort, hang these items in a bear bag following these directions, but be aware that most of the popular camping areas do not have many trees appropriate for hanging bear bags. Do not camp within 200 feet of cooking or food storage locations. If you do encounter a bear, don’t run. Get loud, get big and slowly back away. Protect your pets by keeping them on a leash no more than 6 feet long at all times. Learn more about bears in parks.

Ponies

One of the big draws of Grayson Highlands are the herds of feral ponies found in the high country. While they may look adorable, please do not feed or pet the ponies. The food that people bring can cause significant digestive problems or even kill the ponies. After getting used to handouts, the ponies have become more aggressive in their attempts to obtain food from visitors, leading to an increase in people being bitten and kicked. It is safer for everyone if the ponies are enjoyed from a distance.

不留痕迹

Grayson Highlands and the surrounding high country have been called “The Jewel of Virginia”. Help us to preserve and protect this special place from the impacts of overuse by limiting group size to less than 10 people and following the 7 Principles of Leave No Trace. Because there are so many backpackers visiting this area, the amount of downed firewood at the higher elevations is minimal. We are now seeing evidence of live trees being cut for firewood which has caused significant damage to the Red Spruce forests found here. In order to protect the trees and animals found in this globally rare community, please plan to cook your food on a stove and refrain from building campfires during your upcoming visit.

We hope that this information will make your next backpacking trip an enjoyable experience. If you have any questions, you can respond to this email or call the park office at (276) 579-7092 daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.