Blake Walsh

15 Best Things to Do in Montgomery County, VA

  • Published 2023/01/24

Montgomery County is nestled in the Valley and Ridge area of Virginia.

The population in this county reached 99,721 as per the 2020 census.

Montgomery County was formed on December 31, 1776, in some parts of Fincastle County.

This county was named after Richard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general who got killed in 1775 during his attempt to seize Quebec City, Canada.

Christiansburg is the seat of Montgomery County, while Blacksburg is the largest town.

This is one of the best counties to live in due to its peaceful atmosphere and a great number of shops and other important establishments.

It is also home to Virginia Tech University.

Aside from that, Montgomery County also has a lot of beautiful and exciting attractions.

Check out these best things to do in Montgomery County, Virginia.

Bask in Nature at Huckleberry Trail

Lush greenery view along Huckleberry Trail

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Huckleberry Trail is a 13.75-mile rail trail that connects Blacksburg and Christiansburg.

It’s an ideal place to exercise and relax while enjoying the fresh air.

You can visit this place by walking, running, or biking.

Daytime view of Huckleberry Trail

Vejlenser, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Huckleberry Trail also passes along the Jefferson National Forest and the Price Mountain.

This trail offers captivating views of the surrounding rural and landscape areas and farmlands.

Keep in mind that horses and motorized vehicles are not allowed at Huckleberry Trail.

Bridge part of Huckleberry Trail

Vejlenser, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Challenge Yourself at Crimper’s Climbing Gym

Crimper’s Climbing Gym is an indoor climbing gym on Central Avenue in Christiansburg.

This is where you can challenge yourself with some climbing and bouldering activities.

Crimper’s Climbing Gym features a large bouldering area, a lead climbing area, top-roping area, and a training area.

There’s also an un-roped bouldering area which poses more challenge, but don’t worry, as there are guides that will teach you proper climbing and concentration techniques before you start your climb.

If you’re not comfortable trying out the actual walls yet, you can practice and gain confidence at Crimper’s Climbing Gym’s training areas, complete with climbing-specific training equipment such as splash board, campus board, and adjustable Tension Board.

The gym also offers fitness classes like yoga and Pilates.

Go Hiking at Bottom Creek Gorge Preserve

Bottom Creek Gorge Preserve is a 1,657-acre natural area on South 10th Avenue in Shawsville.

This magnificent attraction is the second-highest waterfall in Virginia.

Plan your day and prepare for an adventure in Bottom Creek Gorge Preserve’s three hiking trails.

Each of these offers captivating and picture-perfect views of the surroundings.

These trails will take you to the most beautiful wonders of nature.

Bottom Creek is a mountain stream that also serves as home to several marine species.

Its water creates a stair-step series of waterfalls popularly known as “The Kettles.”

Keep in mind that fishing is not allowed at Bottom Creek Gorge Preserve.

Explore Coal Mining Heritage Park and Loop Trail

A mining equipment at Coal Mining Heritage Park and Loop Trail

Vejlenser, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Coal Mining Heritage Park and Loop Trail is located on Merrimac Road in Blacksburg.

The park, designed and built by a non-profit organization called Pathfinders for Greenways, opened on November 17, 2010.

Pathfinders for Greenways comprised 15 volunteers who spent 1,935 hours completing this project.

The Coal Mining Heritage Park and Loop Trail features a 1.5-mile loop trail that passes along relaxing green space, mining artifacts, and six distinct biozones.

The International Mountain Bike Association designed this trail.

Coal Mining Heritage Park and Loop Trail is also ADA accessible, so everyone can enjoy this destination.

This loop trail will also lead you to the entrance of the old Merrimac mining facility and its old foundation.

Satisfy Your Cravings at The Farmhouse

The Farmhouse is a casual fine-dining restaurant on Ridinger Street in Christiansburg.

It is situated in an 1800s home with a caboose annex and started operations in 1963.

Its unique ambiance will take you back in time and make you feel like you’re in a different era.

The Farmhouse serves traditional American fare, and its interior features rustic-style decorations.

Here, you can enjoy steak, seafood, chicken, salad, and more.

The Farmhouse’s desserts are also to die for!

Make sure to try the melt-in-the-mouth Belgian chocolate mousse cake, New York cheesecake, and flourless chocolate tart.

Be One with Nature at Heritage Community Park and Natural Area

Heritage Community Park and Natural Area is nestled on Glade Road in Blacksburg.

This 169-acre natural area comprises vast forests, streambeds, marches, floodplains, and meadows.

You’ll love its picnic shelters with a view of the creek.

Aside from sightseeing, you can also hike and bike here.

You can also spend the day bird watching, and you’ll be treated to the sight of more than 120 species.

Among these are yellow-breasted chat, whip-poor-will, pileated woodpecker, and more.

You’ll also get the chance to have an up-close encounter with other amazing creatures at Heritage Community Park and Natural Area, such as white-tailed deer, red foxes, eastern garter snakes, Northern dusky salamanders, and more.

Attend the Sunflower Festival at Sinkland Farms

People admiring the sunflowers at Sinkland Farms

Jason Lincoln Lester / Shutterstock.com

Sinkland Farms is situated on Riner Road in Christiansburg.

It started as a dairy farm in the 1980s, but as years passed, it grew into a popular destination for people who want to have a change of scenery and destress.

Sinkland Farms is also widely popular for its annual Sunflower Festival.

Pumpkin festival at Sinkland Farms

Jason Lincoln Lester / Shutterstock.com

You’ll love its eight-acre sunflower fields with more than 200,000 blooms.

It also houses over 20 unique varieties of flowers.

Aside from that, the Sunflower Festival is also packed with other fun activities like music performances and food vendors.

You’ll also have fun at Sinkland Farms’ Pumpkin Festival, which has been rated as number one in the Commonwealth Year-After-Year by Virginia Tourism.

Decorated pumpkins at Sinkland Farms

Jason Lincoln Lester / Shutterstock.com

Bring Your Kids to Wonder Universe: A Children’s Museum

Wonder Universe: A Children’s Museum is a non-profit children’s museum on New River Road in Christiansburg.

Its goal is to educate children through play and discovery.

Wonder Universe: A Children’s Museum inspires educators and caregivers to learn with their children side-by-side.

Your little ones will have a fantastic time exploring this museum’s over 18 different exhibits.

Visit the Amazing AirPlay! exhibit where your kids can learn how the body’s circulatory, digestive, and other systems work.

They can also learn new skills at an early age at Build It Toolbox, where they can build a mini house or skyscrapers from real tools.

Moreover, they can experience planting, harvesting, and selling produce at the Farm to Table exhibit.

Visit Pandapas Pond Day Use Area

Pandapas Pond Day Use Area is an eight-acre pond on Unnamed Road in Blacksburg, perfectly situated on the Eastern Continental Divide.

Pandapas Pond Day Use Area is surrounded by rhododendron and a forest of hardwoods.

It has an ADA-accessible one-mile trail perfect for sightseeing.

This attraction also has a wooden boardwalk that separates the pond from a small wetland area which serves as a habitat for turtles, dragonflies, waterfowl, and songbirds.

However, biking and horseback riding are prohibited here.

If you wish to do that, you can access the 17-mile Poverty Creek Trail system located near the area.

Learn about Plants and Flowers at Hahn Horticulture Garden

The grounds of Hahn Horticulture Garden

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Hahn Horticulture Garden is a six-acre teaching and display garden on Garden Lane in Blacksburg.

It is located on one of the campuses of Virginia Tech.

Hahn Horticulture Garden was established in 1984 by the school’s Horticulture faculty.

This is where you can learn about plants, planting, landscaping concepts, and environmental awareness.

Pretty flowers at Hahn Horticulture Garden

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The Hahn Horticulture Garden features water gardens, perennial borders, a meadow garden, a shade garden, and the Peggy Lee Hahn Garden Pavilion, which houses more plants and flowers and water fountains.

Hahn Horticulture Garden is also ADA-accessible.

You can also bring your furry friends here as long as they’re on a leash.

Marvel at the Displays at Blacksburg Museum and Cultural Foundation

Blacksburg Museum and Cultural Foundation is located at Southwest Draper Road in Blacksburg.

Its goal is to preserve and promote the rich culture of the town.

This is a perfect destination for an afternoon getaway and if you want to take a break from nature tripping and park visits.

Blacksburg Museum and Cultural Foundation is home to a wide variety of exhibits, such as sculptures, fashion, and more.

Make sure not to miss out on the famous Blacksburg Museum and Cultural Foundation Haunted House called the Black House.

This attraction also hosts other events like concerts and lecture series.

Take a Quick Trip to Stadium Woods

Stadium Woods is an 11.3-acre urban forest on Warren Street in Blacksburg.

It is located near Lane Stadium inside Virginia Tech.

The Friends of Stadium Woods, a volunteer group dedicated to the protection and preservation of the woods, manages it.

This old-growth forest is home to a great number of white oak trees.

Some of them are aged 200 to 350 years or even older.

Stadium Woods serves as a quick destination for students as well as locals and visitors who want to enjoy the fresh air and relax and appreciate nature.

See Fossils and Minerals at the Museum of Geosciences

Exterior of the Museum of Geosciences

Rui Serra Maia / Shutterstock.com

The Museum of Geosciences is a small museum inside Virginia Tech on West Campus Drive in Blacksburg.

It houses a collection of fossils, specimens, gems, and minerals.

These collections were gathered from Virginia and other areas nationwide.

Science enthusiasts will have a memorable time here.

Check out its full-scale cast of an Allosaurus dinosaur skeleton and OmniGlobe display.

This OmniGlobe can project plate tectonics, weather, and other fascinating things related to our planet.

Go for a Walk at Downtown Park

Downtown Park is a grassy city park on College Street in Christiansburg.

It has a playground complete with slides, swings, and other equipment.

Picnic tables and charcoal grills are also available.

It also has paved walking trails suited for an afternoon walk or jog.

You can also use Downtown Park’s basketball court and pavilion shelter.

Go on a Picnic Date at Nellies Cave Park

Swing set at Nellies Cave Park

Karl Cox / Shutterstock.com

Nellies Cave Park is a beautiful urban park on Grissom Lane in Blacksburg.

This is a perfect picnic spot where you can also explore the surroundings by walking or biking.

Nellies Cave Park also boasts a basketball court, a soccer field, a T-ball field, horseshoe pits, and a spacious playground for kids.

Picnic shelters with barbeque grills and benches can also be found inside this park.

Prepare to get a little wet, as this park also features a gorgeous waterfall where kayaking, canoeing, and paddleboarding are allowed.

Nellies Cave Park was originally built for railroad workers that pass through the area, but over the years, it has transformed into a picnic destination for families and visitors.

Final Thoughts

With its parks, nature preserves, and museums, Montgomery County in Virginia provides an extraordinary vacation.

If you want to take a break and escape from the city, this place is the one for you.

Make sure to visit and experience all these best things to do in Montgomery County, Virginia, on your next trip.

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