Grayson Highlands State Park is one of those elusive, bucket list destinations that I had been longing to visit for ages. This 4,502-acre park is nestled in the gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains, adjacent to Mount Rogers, Virginia’s highest peak. Its elevation varies from 3,698 feet to 5,089 feet above sea level, which I believe makes it the highest park in Virginia’s State Park system. It is also one of only two Virginia State Parks that feature a portion of the Appalachian Trail (the other one is Sky Meadows State Park). With promises of spectacular vistas, unique and varied trails, and the famous wild ponies that roam the mountains, I knew Grayson Highlands was a park I didn’t want to miss.
The road to Grayson Highlands was a bumpy one, literally and figuratively. We took Route 58 from where we were staying in Damascus (Note: there is camping available for those who want to stay on the property), and this road winds back and forth as it snakes its way up the mountainside. My poor toddler got carsick when we were only about 10 minutes from the park, prompting a stop on a narrow side road so I could get her and the car seat cleaned up (thank goodness for wipes and changes of clothes!). Since that process took quite a while, she was fortunately feeling much better by the time I was done, and we were able to complete the last leg without any incidents.
Our first stop was the Visitor Center, located near the very top of the park. In addition to plentiful souvenirs, helpful employees, and multiple map options, the Visitor Center is home to exhibits focused on regional history.
An employee in the Visitor Center confirmed that the ponies can usually be found in the Wilburn Ridge area, and that we should park at the Massie Gap lot for the easiest access to to that section of the park. After a quick picnic lunch, that’s exactly where we headed.
From the Massie Gap lot, we walked through the field to the little gate next to the sign for the Rhododendron Trail. We took the trail up the rather steep hill, pausing along the way to take photos and observe the view. When we reached the crest of the hill, we stopped some returning hikers to ask if they had seen ponies. The other hikers said they had, and they told us to continue straight until we reach a fence. We heeded their advice, passing the Appalachian Trail access point along the way. Lo and behold, we came across several wild ponies!
I was surprised by how little the ponies cared about human presence, although to be fair, I suppose they’re used to people hiking up to find them. We tried to keep our distance, but they kept crisscrossing the path we were walking on! Still, we gave them a wide birth, attempting to stay at least 12 feet away (although I realize now that even that distance was too close). It is important to remember that touching or feeding the ponies is NOT PERMITTED. That goes for any other wildlife in the park.
The ponies’ presence in the park is an interesting one. Prior to the park’s founding, local farmers used the land for cattle grazing. Trees in the region also had to be logged due to a major chestnut blight, creating even more bare, mountaintop land (known as “balds”). Once the park was founded in 1965, the land was no longer used by locals to feed their livestock. In 1974, the park brought in hardy mountain ponies to take on the role of grazing and maintaining the balds. You can read more details here.
In addition to the appeal of the ponies, the views from this stretch of the park are spectacular. Even without climbing any of the rock outcroppings, we still feasted our eyes on the inky haze of the Blue Ridge Mountains all around us.
We spent a long time pony watching and taking in the views, but eventually, it was time to retrace our steps back down the Rhododendron Trail. By this point, we had been in the park for a few hours, and my little one was ready to go. The big kid and I squeezed in one last overlook on our way out of the park.
As we wandered back down the mountain (slowly and with multiple stops to avoid any further carsickness), I couldn’t help but think how there was so much more to see at Grayson Highlands. I would have loved to have scrambled up Twin Pinnacles Trail, or hiked to a waterfall, or taken my boulder-loving kids down to Split Rock. Yet I promised my girls we’d see wild ponies, and we saw wild ponies – with some gorgeous scenery to boot. Both my big kid and my little kid were happy, and the feeling was contagious. Thank you, Grayson Highlands, for an all-to-brief but truly unforgettable visit!
Old Dominion for Young Virginians 