New River Trail State Park — Attraction in Hillsville

We had such a great time bike-packing the New River Trail State Park. We took the Northbound route from Galax. We parked our car in Pulaski and got a shuttle from New River Outdoors. They were fantastic! Once we arrived in Galax its a short 2-3 miles to Cliffview Campground where we spent the first night. We stayed at site #3 which was possibly the best spot in the campground. The bathrooms were clean and there was drinking water there. They even had fire wood for $6 a bundle. Each site had posts for hammocks as well and site areas were large with a picnic table and hanger for food and bags. On day two we headed out toward Foster Falls. We stopped A LOT along the way to take in views and read signs. There are bathrooms and water sources along the way. It was a VERY leisurely ride. Most of the trail is very flat and had some low grade downhills. There are a few primitive first come first served campsites near Fries. Definitely stop off at Shot Tower and take a tour. They also have heated bathrooms there. Foster Falls Campgrounds were a little bigger than Cliffview. They have two camp stores with snacks, gear and more. Firewood is also available at the store. All the sites also included hammock posts, food hook and large areas for tents. We stayed at site #9 which was right on the river and had amazing views. Water and pit toilet were available but a little walk back up to the parking area. Day 3 we headed back to the car in Pulaski. This section doesn't have as many views or bridges but the bridges it does have are higher and have beautiful trusses. You are mostly riding through properties and towns on this section. If you have a chance you should stop off at Bryson's General Store in Draper for some snacks and BBQ. It was a nice treat. The last 7 miles or so have a slight incline. So just be prepared to constantly peddle. Up until that point the majority of the trip was downhill. The entire trail is extremely easy. Oh! Also if you like to mountain bike you should definitely plan to stop off at the new mountain biking trails as well. It's definitely worth the time. We only did the first 1 mile loop but we were glad we did! We are definitely planning to come back at some point with our wives...

This is a remarkably well-maintained and beautiful trail. I rode it end-to-end with my 8-year-old in late September 2024. We camped in the Cliffview Campground near Galax. On the first day, we set up camp and then rode 8 miles round-trip into Galax and back for dinner. On the second day, I arranged for Timmy at New River Outdoor Adventures to shuttle us (and our bikes) to the trailhead in Pulaski, then we rode the 45 miles back to his shop in Fries. On the third day, we rode the 17-mile round-trip from the campground to Fries Junction and back.

We were very lucky that 100% of the trail was open during the weekend of September 20 when we were there. There were maintenance closures at a couple trestles before we were there, and I'm reading online about more maintenance closures after we left. I strongly recommend that you call the park office to find out current/accurate information about trail closures, and don't depend on information that you might find on their website and/or facebook.

Although there are signs everywhere about bears, we never saw any. There are pit toilets every 10 miles or so, picnic tables and benches more often than that, and more extensive facilities at Foster Falls including a snack/gift shop.

There are some hills near the trailhead in Pulaski, for the first 10 miles or so until you get to the New River. Then it's a very gentle uphill grade (like, less than a quarter percent) along the river for the next 35 miles into Fries. If you're reading this and wondering whether you can do it or not, my 8-year-old had no problem with it - although we do a lot of riding.

The scenery and peaceful quiet of this trail and surrounding area definitely make this a must-visit. Many thanks to the park rangers and local volunteers that make it...

We stayed 3 nights at the campground. The setup is different from most campgrounds. You can not drive to your campsite, even to unload your gear. Wagons are available for schlepping everything from the parking lot to your campsite. Think ahead when you reserve your site, as the ones on the far end mean a longer walk when you discover you need just one more piece of rope to set up camp. The sites are large, level and have a surface of finely crushed stone. There are 3 4x4 posts with eyebolts, arranged to accommodate 2 hammocks and tarps. There is a lantern post, large picnic table and a fire ring with a grate. Maintenance is excellent. What's not available at each site is water and electric, and there are no showers, flush toilets, or flush toilets which service the campground. Near the parking area is the water source, and permanent pit toilets. Be ready for the unpleasant smell, as it seems that no one understands that odor is best controlled if all users close the lid before exiting. Biking, hiking, tubing, boating and fishing are the main activities. Livery services are available, and we took advantage of it for one ride, shuttling to Galax in the morning and riding 28 miles back to camp. We biked a total of 75 miles on nearly flat trail through mostly woods, crossing numerous bridges and going through 2 tunnels, almost always with the river in sight. It is rails-to-trails, so there's some history too. Plenty of deer to see. Whether you are camping or just parking for the day, there are fees to pay. Don't begrudge the state parks this income. The enjoyment of riding a well-groomed trail is simply the (inexpensive) price of admission. Carry along enough food and drink as there are long stretches where there's...