Rocky Knob Recreation Area is a

recreation area A recreation area is a type of protected area designated in some jurisdictions. By country Canada In the province of British Columbia, recreation areas are lands set aside for recreational use. These lands are also being evaluated to determine ...

along the

Blue Ridge Parkway The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. The parkway, which is America's longest linear park, runs for through 29 Virginia and North Carolina counties, linking Shenan ...

, which spans from mile markers 167–174. The park is home to 15 miles of hiking trails, 81 tents camping sites, 28 RV sites, and 72 picnic sites. The campground is open seasonally, typically from May–October. Rocky Knob is also home to Rock Castle Gorge, a gorge, and home to the Rock Castle Gorge National Recreation Trail. The trail drops 1,000 feet in elevation in 3 miles, and backpackers can request a backcountry camping permit from the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propert ...

History

Rocky Knob Recreation area was one of the first of five recreation areas developed along the Blue Ridge Parkway, and is one of the largest recreation areas within the entirety of the park. The backcountry campsite, accessible via a loop trail into the gorge, is on the cite of a former

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a major part of ...

(CCC) camp. By the summit of Rocky Knob is a trail shelter, which was one of the first buildings constructed along the entirety of the Parkway. The shelter was constructed for the

Appalachian Trail The Appalachian Trail (also called the A.T.), is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian ...

, which ran through the recreation area until its relocation to

Jefferson National Forest The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests is an administrative entity combining two U.S. National Forests into one of the largest areas of public land in the Eastern United States. The forests cover of land in the Appalachian Mountai ...

in 1952. The area was a large focus for the CCC, with very ambitions plans, including a swimming pool, a lodge, a car service station, campground, lake, and hiking trails. Only some of these amenities were built. Before the CCC camp closed in 1941, the corps planted several hundred

blight Blight refers to a specific symptom affecting plants in response to infection by a pathogenic organism. Description Blight is a rapid and complete chlorosis, browning, then death of plant tissues such as leaves, branches, twigs, or floral org ...

resistant Chinese chestnut trees to replace the American versions lost in previous decades.

Trails

There are four main trails, and of trails within Rocky Knob Recreation area. * Rock Castle Gorge Trail ( strenuous loop) * Black Ridge Trail ( moderate loop) * Rocky Knob Picnic area Trail ( easy loop) * Smart View Trail ( moderate loop), located south of the visitors center.

References

{{Protected areas of Virginia Blue Ridge Parkway Sculpture gardens, trails and parks in the United States Civilian Conservation Corps Civilian Conservation Corps in Virginia