Humpback Rocks (mileposts 5.8 – 6.0)

Excerpted from Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway by Randy Johnson.

Not five miles south of the Blue Ridge Parkway's first milepost, the Humpback Rocks Recreation Area provides a perfect introduction to the cultural and natural riches of this linear park. An interpretive trail through a hardscrabble farm explores the pioneer life still being led by mountaineers long after modern lifestyles had come to surrounding "flatlanders." The small visitor center (where water is available) focuses on life as mountain residents knew it. And just across the road, a short, steep trail lifts hikers to truly awe-inspiring vistas that stretch north and south along the Blue Ridge, east to the Piedmont, and west into the Shenandoah Valley. There's also a small picnic area.