Planning a visit to southwestern Virginia and/or Grayson Highlands State Park with dogs? Read my practical itinerary for the perfect short getaway.
I’ll admit, it’s been a while since our last dog-friendly trip recap; it’s also been a while since our last trip with the dogs!
Last year, I resolved to get outdoors and explore more, and I had every intention of doing that. And work, COVID, life, etc., got the best of us. So halfway through the year, I started randomly booking Airbnb reservations for the summer of 2022.
I completely forgot I had made some of these reservations. And low and behold, a week before, I received a lovely notification from Airbnb reminding me of my upcoming trip to Whitetop, Virginia.
For a few years, I’ve wanted to visit southwestern Virginia, specifically Grayson Highlands State Park. Scrolling through Pinterest and Instagram, I’ve seen incredible photos and videos of the gorgeous scenery in southwestern Virginia. So this area of Virginia quickly rose to the top of my travel bucket list!
Keep reading for an overview of our 2-day trip with dogs in Whitetop, Virginia and Grayson Highlands State Park.
2 Days in Whitetop Virginia – Itinerary Overview:
- Day 1: Virginia Creeper Trail, Buzzard Rock via Appalachian Trail
- Day 2: Grayson Highlands State Park, Straight Mountain and Beartree Lake
This itinerary is based on arriving on Saturday afternoon and departing Sunday evening.
Getting to Whitetop, Virginia & Grayson Highlands State Park
Whitetop, Virginia and Grayson Highlands State Park is about 5.5 hours and 350 miles from Washington, DC. Suppose you head about 15 minutes south of these areas. In that case, you’ll cross into North Carolin, and 15 minutes further southwest, you’ll enter Tennessee. The drive down from our home in Loudoun County, Virginia, was daily easy. If you are coming from D.C. or northern Virginia, you’ll take I-81S the majority of the way down.
Tip: Cell phone service is sparse to non-existent in the Whitetop and surrounding Grayson Highland State Park areas. Be sure to have your destination plugged into your GPS! It may even be worthwhile to download an offline map to help you navigate if you are prone to get lost.
DOG-FRIENDLY LODGING IN WHITETOP, VIRGINIA
Suppose you want to spend the night in the area and take advantage of the many outdoor activities. In that case, your best bet is to look for an Airbnb in the Whitetop or Mouth of Wilson, Virginia region. Unfortunately, we could not find any dog-friendly hotel options in the area.
We stayed at this lovely, affordable Airbnb. It was in the perfect location; it was (quite literally) just off the Virginia Creeper Trail and a short 20-minute drive from Whitetop Mountain trailhead and Grayson Highlands State Park. The home had a large yard for the dogs to run around, comfortable beds, a full kitchen, a grill, and an expansive screened-in porch to relax on.
Tip: There are few restaurants in the area. We packed a cooler and stopped in Marion, Virginia — approximately 45min out from our destination — to stock up on food for our dinners and lunches.
DAY 1: VIRGINIA CREEPER TRAIL & WHITETOP MOUNTAIN TO BUZZARD ROCK
We departed for our Airbnb later than planned, so we didn’t check in until closer to 4 pm. Luckily with the sunset being closer to 830 pm, we had plenty of time to explore! To stretch our legs, we walked to the Virginia Creeper National Recreational Trail and walked east on the trail for a few miles. The Virginia Creeper Trail is a 35-mile multi-purpose rail-trail in southwestern Virginia running from Abingdon to Whitetop, Virginia. Pets on a leash can enjoy the trail, though because this trail is popular for cyclists, I would recommend keeping your pet on a shorter leash to not get in the way of passing bikes.
Our Airbnb host recommended we drive to the top of Whitetop Mountain and hike to Buzzard Rock via Appalachian Trail. So we packed a picnic dinner and headed to the top of the mountain! The road to the top of the mountain is exceptionally rocky; take it very slowly. We took my little Chevrolet Cruze for this trip, and though it got us up and down the mountain, it was a struggle! Once you get to the top of the mountain, there are plenty of places to park. I recommend using the All Trails app to find the trailhead that will take you to Buzzard Rock; the trails were not well marked.
We took about 45 minutes to hike to Buzzard Rock and enjoy the sunset with our picnic. It felt like we were the only ones on the mountain. The view of the Blue Ridge Mountains was absolutely breathtaking. Virginia is beautiful.
DAY 2: GRAYSON HIGHLANDS STATE PARK & BEARTREE LAKE
Located within the Jefferson National Forest, Grayson Highlands State Park has access to the Appalachian Trail and is filled with 25 miles of hiking trails and access to the Appalachian Trail. The Park is near Mount Rogers and Whitetop Mountain, Virginia’s two highest mountains. It is a top-rated destination for hikers, backpackers, mountain bikers, horseback riders, and campers. In addition, it is known for its stunning views and wild ponies!
Hiking etiquette reminders:
- Leave no trace.
- Be aware of your surroundings.
- Stay on marked trails.
- Keep your pet on a leash.
- Do not feed or interact with the wildlife.
Because Grayson Highlands State Park is such an attraction, we made sure to get to the Park early! There is a $10 fee to enter the Park on the weekends. On a weekday, the fee is $7.
We parked along the road at Massie Gap. We followed the signs to lead us towards Wilburn Ridge via Appalachian Trail.
This is a dog-friendly, 4-mile, out-and-back trail. It should take you approximately 2 hours to complete. You’ll be surrounded by wild Rhododendron bushes as you reach the summit. We took a little longer than this to enjoy the views and traveled down some side trails to catch a glimpse of the wild ponies.
There were more trails within Grayson State Park I had wanted to check out, but we hadn’t packed a lunch and were eager to get back to our Airbnb to take a nap!
After a big lunch and a long nap, we drove to nearby Beartree Lake to try the Straight Mountain and Beartree Lake Trail Loop. The reviews for trails around the lake were not overwhelmingly positive. We were looking for a free, shaded trail close by that would allow Navy and Duke to stretch their legs after their dinners and before we drove back home.
The hike around the lake was short and quiet. Though I wouldn’t recommend this trail to others, it was what we needed to close our trip.
Have you ever been to the southwestern Virginia area? Let us know in the comments below. Want to read more about our dog-friendly travel adventures? Visit our travel category linked here.
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