ROANOKE, Va. – Roanoke has become an outdoor destination, attracting visitors from all over the country and the world.
“It’s where adventure begins,” said Alex North, marketing and administrative coordinator for Roanoke County Parks, Recreation and Tourism.
“Just the beauty of the area itself, it’s the people, it’s the hospitality,” said Catherine Fox, vice president of public affairs and destination development at Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge.
Roanoke is undoubtedly a special place, perhaps most special when you step outdoors.
“You have everything from the Appalachian Trail to just a hike up to Mill Mountain to the beautiful star and see this incredible overlook,” Fox said.
Roanoke is the largest city on the Appalachian Trail, America’s East Coast Mountain Biking Capital, the only International Mountain Bicycling Association silver-level ride center on the East Coast and has multiple access points to America’s favorite drive, the Blue Ridge Parkway.
“If you want to go out for a relaxing ride on the greenways, you can do that. If you want to go out and be competitive, you can do that too,” Fox said.
“We literally have everything that you need here for a weekend getaway or to start your adventure here at Explore Park,” North said.
Explore Park has taken full advantage of the natural beauty with hundreds of acres packed with adventure. They offer all kinds of activities, from Treetop Quest to tubing and everything in between.
“You can soar through the trees with some aerial obstacles and have a good time while doing that. We also have camping amenities if you want to make a weekend or spend a vacation here at Explore Park,” North said.
The outdoor amenities have proven especially important over the last year, as people sought ways to social distance with some fresh air during the pandemic.
“It really did make a difference. I think it kept us sustainable,” Fox said. “We’ve really done our part to make Roanoke stay viable and get people more interested in the area and keeping us attractive to visit time and time and even more so as we move forward into the summer.”
The amazing outdoor amenities in Roanoke attracted the Ironman triathlon here for the first time. That race will bring thousands of competitors here in just a few weeks on June 6.