| About Montgomery County, Va. |
| Quality of Life: Recreation |
Virginia Tech and Radford University
Virginia Tech and Radford University have much to offer sports fans. , Virginia Tech offers many ACC sports programs ranging from football and basketball, to baseball, soccer, tennis, golf, lacrosse, softball, volleyball, track and field, wrestling, and swimming and diving. For more information on Virginia Tech athletics and schedules, visit Hokie Sports.
Radford University offers NCAA Division I sports programs. Men’s teams include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis and track and field. Women’s teams include basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field and volleyball. For more information on Radford University athletics and schedules, visit RU Highlanders.
Shopping
The Town of Christiansburg is the retail hub of the New River Valley, with numerous shopping centers and national chain stores.
The largest, New River Valley Mall, with 465,000 square feet, offers stores such as Belk, JC Penney, Sears, the Gap, Bath and Body Works, and Victoria’s Secret. Other retailers include Best Buy, Old Navy, Bed Bath and Beyond, Petsmart and Banfield, Staples and Shoe Carnival. Other shopping areas in Christiansburg include national stores, such as a 400,000-square-foot Wal-Mart Super Center, Target, K-Mart, Lowe’s, Home Depot, TJ Maxx, Barnes and Noble, Michael’s and Grand Home Furnishings. Both downtown Blacksburg and Christiansburg have unique, locally owned shopping opportunities.
In Blacksburg, you can find a unique mix of local and national retail shops from art galleries to clothing boutiques and more. Find complete details at the Blacksburg Partnership web site.
Restaurants
Montgomery County and the Towns of Blacksburg and Christiansburg have numerous national and unique, local restaurants featuring all different types of cuisine. National chain restaurants include O’Charley’s, Shakers, Outback Steakhouse, Red Lobster and Applebee’s. A few of the local restaurants include The Farmhouse Restaurant, Boudreaux’s, The Cellar Restaurant, Beamer’s Restaurant and Grama’s Goodies Bakery. At the New River Valley Mall, there are Red Robin, Panera Bread and Olive Garden.
For more information on restaurants in the New River Valley, click here.
Golf
There are numerous golf courses within the County and surrounding areas. The newly renovated Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech features 2.5 miles around the New River. The course was named fourth among the 170 "Best New Remodel" golf courses in 2006 by Golf Magazine, the nation's leading golf magazine, in its January 2007 issue. This course is a daily fee public facility, and individual and family memberships are available. For more information on this course, visit rivergolfcourse.com or call (888) PETE-DYE.
Other courses include:
Recreation and Leisure Activities
For the outdoor enthusiast, the area's beautiful mountains, valleys and rivers offer excellent opportunities for scenic tours and hunting and fishing. Residents can enjoy a variety of recreational and leisure activities. Montgomery County has numerous outdoor and indoor tennis courts, ballfields, one bowling alley, indoor movie theaters, several fitness centers, and numerous playgrounds and local parks.
Of the 108,000 acres of Jefferson National Forest in the Blacksburg Ranger District, approximately 19,200 are in Montgomery County. The Jefferson National Forest offers many opportunities for hiking, backpacking, auto, tent and trailer camping, picnicking and automobile travel. Hunting for big and small game, as well as upland birds, is a popular sport. Warm water and cold water fishing are available to anglers. In the National Forest, nature enthusiasts can find a great diversity and abundance of flora and fauna, in addition to magnificent vistas and beautiful scenery along roadsides and trails.
The 110-acre Mid-County Park is off Route 460 between Blacksburg and Christiansburg. It has a community swimming pool, accommodations for the handicapped, a sun deck, an amphitheater, basketball courts, a nature trail, two playground areas and three sheltered picnic areas. Also at Mid-County Park is the Golden Hills Disc Golf Course. The course is the only 18-hole disc golf course in the region. The course boasts tight fairways, with severe elevation changes throughout and the wooded area makes for a very challenging course. Monthly meetings of the Hillbilly Huckers Disc Golf Club, as well as several amateur and professional tournaments are held at the course.
The town of Christiansburg has several public parks: College Street, Depot Street, Ellett Drive, Summit Ridge Road, Wayside (Roanoke Road) and Kiwanis. The town of Blacksburg has the following parks: Blacksburg Municipal, Shenandoah, Nellie's Cave, Tom's Creek, Primrose Lane, Westover Hills, Lark Lane, Seneca Street, Sunrise, Price House and Garden, DeHart, Owens, McBryde, and Crestview-Country Club.
Claytor Lake State Park is a 472-acre park which was originated in early 1944; five years after Appalachian Power Company built the dam that formed Claytor Lake. Located in nearby Pulaski County, the park provides camping, picnicking, nature trails, boating, fishing and cabins. Claytor Lake ranks consistently among the top three parks in the state for attendance.
The Blue Ridge Parkway is easily accessible to Montgomery County residents. It was originally conceived in the 1930s as a 469-mile link to connect the Shenandoah National Park with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Campgrounds, lodges and visitor’s centers are conveniently located along the Blue Ridge Parkway which offers scenic turnouts, hiking trails, walking paths, picnic areas, fishing, interpretive programs and various exhibits.
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Trails and Bikeways
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The Appalachian Trail is a continuous, marked footpath which traverses the mountains of 14 eastern Atlantic States. The trail begins in Maine at Mount Katahdin and continues south for more than 2,000 miles to northern Georgia. Virginia has the longest section with 462 miles or about 23 percent of the total trail mileage.
The Ellett Valley Nature Trail is a self-guiding nature trail which was used by local residents for farming in the early 1900s. Through the decades, the barren land has flourished developing an eastern climax hardwood forest. The trail includes: the earth awareness trail, the micro trail and an activity area.
The Blacksburg Bikeway and Walkway master plan was adopted in 1989 as a response to commuter, recreational and safety needs. The system is used daily by pedestrians and bicyclists for commuting to downtown and Virginia Tech and on evenings and weekends for recreation.
The Huckleberry Trail connects the Blacksburg Bikeway and Walkway System to Christiansburg and beyond. The path is hard surfaced and eight feet wide. The trail runs over an abandoned railroad bed which once provided passenger service between Blacksburg and Christiansburg. In the early 1900s, this train was the main form of transportation for Virginia Tech students coming to campus. The name "Huckleberry" was coined because the train ran so slowly that Virginia Tech cadets had time to jump off the train, pick wild huckleberries and jump back on.
Pandapas Pond is an eight-acre, manmade impoundment at the headwaters of Poverty Creek. In addition to an extensive system of trails radiating from it, a one-mile loop trail around the pond offers a leisurely hike. The trail is maintained cooperatively by the U.S. Forest Service and the Wildlife Society of Virginia Tech.
The TransAmerica Bike Route enters the northeastern part of Montgomery County at the Roanoke County line on State Route 785 and continues along this scenic route to Route 723 before entering Christiansburg. The route leaves the western portion of Christiansburg on Route 666, eventually reaching the corporate limits of Radford via Route 611. Identification signs are posted along the route at periodic intervals.
In June, the New River Valley Bicycle Club sponsors the annual Wilderness Road Bicycle Ride, which is a scenic and historical adventure in the splendor of the New River Valley. This is a social and recreational event that offers courses of 20, 50 and 75 miles each with the finest in panoramic views, pastoral scenes and quiet roads of Appalachia. Each takes in sections of the original "Wilderness Road," purportedly plotted by famous frontier explorer Daniel Boone.
Annual Rowdy Dawg
This classic mountain bike race is a must for local mountain bikers. Come out and participate on your local trails right here in Montgomery County. There will be many different classes of riders, so if you are just starting out on your bike or if you are a Brush Mountain veteran, you will surely have a great time on some of the best mountain bike trails in the state! This race is part of a doubleheader weekend that will be led off by the Brush Mountain Breakdown, which consists of a half-marathon, 10K and 3K trail run, in October. Stay tuned for more information, including online registration or call the Montgomery County Parks and Recreation Office, (540) 382-6975.
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Fishing, Canoeing and Tubing
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Montgomery County has nine streams which are important from the standpoint of existing or potential management for recreational fishing. Mill Creek and Spring Branch are listed by the Virginia Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries (VCGIF) as supporting a wild trout fishery. "Put and take" trout fishery streams in the County include South Fork Roanoke River (rainbow and brown trout), Tom's Creek (brook and rainbow trout), Craig Creek (rainbow trout) and Poverty Creek (rainbow trout). Elliott Creek and Smith Creek are recommended by the VCGIF for use as put and take trout fisheries, along with periodic fingerling stocking.
There are a number of popular recreational fishing areas on the New River. These are Claytor Lake Dam off Interstate 81, Radford City Park, Route 114 bridge, the Virginia Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries boat ramp near Whitethorne, and McCoy to the Montgomery County/Giles County line. Good streams for small mouth bass include the North and South Forks of the Roanoke River, Bottom Creek and Little River, especially near the Snowville-Graysontown area. There is a white bass fishery at the dam on the Little River near its confluence with the New River.
For canoeing, the New River in this area is not the whitewater giant it is in West Virginia. However, two exceptions are at McCoy Falls and Narrows Falls. These places have rapids that rank between Class II and Class III on the whitewater scale and can be tricky for a novice. The Montgomery County Department of Parks and Recreation runs and plans trips.
Floating on the New River in an innertube is called "tubing." Tubers can use their own rafts or rent a tube from the New River Junction Campground. Most tubers float down the river for a mile, then ride back up Big Falls Road on shuttle bus.
The Montgomery County Chapter, Inc. of the Izaak Walton League of America owns 118 acres of land, which include two fish ponds that are stocked with rainbow trout. Facilities include three trap-shooting ranges, a rifle range, a muzzle-loading range and two picnic shelters. While there are not organized hiking trails, members of the Izaak Walton League use the area for this recreational activity. Although primarily limited to members, the area is available for rental to groups.
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Stock Car Racing
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In nearby Pulaski County, the Motor Mile Speedway, a Nascar sanctioned track, opens April through October. This .4-mile, paved, oval track seats 10,000 spectators and includes 10 racing divisions: Ladies UCAR, Ladies Mini Cup, Late Model Stocks, Late Model Trucks, Limited Sportsman, Pure Stocks, Mini Stocks, Mini-Cups, Domestic UCAR and Import UCAR.
The Motor Mile Dragway is a 1/8th mile, 100% concrete dragstrip. For more information about the track and schedules, please visit their website.
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Swimming Pools
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Montgomery County Parks and Recreation, Christiansburg Parks and Recreation and Blacksburg Parks and Recreation operate swimming facilities that are open to the public. In addition, there are several private club swimming pools. The only outdoor public pool in the County is the Frog Pond at Mid-County Park. The Frog Pond is a beach entry outdoor leisure pool with water slides and geysers. The tot pool, beside the leisure pool, provides enjoyment for children under five. The pool area contains locker rooms, public restrooms, a concession stand and an eating area. The facility opens yearly the first week of June and closes on Labor Day, and is available for rental. The Blacksburg Aquatic Center is open to the public and provides one large indoor pool, a whirlpool, a hot tub and sauna. The Aquatic Center offers various membership packages. Construction is currently under way for a new Aquatic Center in Christiansburg. The facility will have three indoor pools: one 50 meter by 25 yard competition pool, a therapy pool and a leisure pool with walking lanes, water jets and a two-story water slide. The Center hopes to attract amateur, youth, high school and collegiate events; however, its primary use will be for Town residents. The facility should open in 2009.
Click here for a rendering of the new facility:
*Please note: This is only a concept drawing and is subject to change |
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Recreation Departments
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Residents are served by three Parks and Recreation Departments -- Montgomery County, Christiansburg and Blacksburg. Each department aims to fill the needs and desires of the local residents. Many popular activities, such as softball and aerobics classes, are offered by all localities. The parks and recreation departments' activities include: indoor and outdoor sports programs; local and regional travel activities; youth group and senior citizen group activities; arts and crafts; and programs for the disabled.
Contact:
Montgomery County Parks and Recreation: (540) 382-6975
Blacksburg Parks and Recreation: (540) 961-1135
Christiansburg Parks and Recreation: (540) 382-2349 |
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