GILES COUNTY, Va. – A $1.2 million project is boosting local tourism and serving outdoor enthusiasts.
The highest point in the New River Valley will soon be readily accessible to hikers of all skill levels.
Breaking ground on a new trail center is taking outdoor enthusiasts to the heights of the beautiful New River Valley mountains.
“Today’s a great day for Giles County and all of Southwest Virginia,” Giles County Administrator Chris McKlarney said.
McKlarney shows how the expansion of the trail center at Mountain Lake Lodge and a new four-mile loop trail to Bald Knob will take visitors to never-been-seen places.
“Part of the partnership with Mountain Lake is going to open up 20 miles of trails that are on Mountain Lake property to the public, so you can come here and spend the day hiking or several days hiking and just stay on property, or if you just want to come up and hike it’s a pretty iconic locations as far as the movie sets that were done here,” he said.
The trail center brings new amenities for locals, and a new attraction for tourists.
“In Giles County, tourism is about a $30 million business. So a county with 17,000 people — that’s a big business,” McKlarney said.
The project is expected to be complete in late 2023.