Doughton Recreation Area / Blue Ridge Parkway
Hiking & Camping in Doughton Recreation Area | Blue Ridge Parkway | September 2023
After leaving Uwharrie National Forest, we got on the road headed West to the mountains, stopping once to pick up groceries for the week. We then continued on US-421, and breathed a sigh of relief as we turned on to the Blue Ridge Parkway… only to be met with “road closed” signs on the Northbound side. A long detour later, we finally made it onto a short section of the parkway that was still open, which led us to Doughton Recreation Area, where we planned to stay for two nights. In order to continue driving North, we would have to go back South and take another detour to where the construction ended near the Virginia state line. At least we aren’t currently trying to complete the entire parkway, because that wouldn’t be possible this fall with these closures!
Much like our experience in August, we were met with a large campground that was mostly empty. I guess we may have had the road closures to thank for that! We picked a spot for the next couple nights, settled in, and then took Charlotte for a long walk around the campground.
When we arrived, we didn’t know what to expect for how much we could do in this area, especially since we were restricted by road closures. So on our full day here, we started by going to the visitor center, talking to a ranger, getting our cancellation stamps (including a limited edition ‘Destination Doughton’ stamp for those of us who braved the detour), then getting a bit of work done on their wifi. When we were ready for a walk, we went across the street to the Wildcat Rock Overlook. It was our intention to walk the trail here, but we only made it as far as the initial overlook when Charlotte decided she’d rather walk back through the parking lot. She led us back the way we came, but bypassed the van and continued down the road. After passing an abandoned resort building, we ended up finding another trail that Charlotte deemed acceptable.
The trail ended up being the perfect place to wander. The feeling of fall was in the air, but not quite in the leaf colors yet. The trail was surrounded by yellow and white wildflowers at the start, then after walking through a wooded section, we found ourselves walking through a wide open meadow, up a hill, and eventually to a rocky outcropping with a great view. It was so nice to walk without expectations and happen upon such a peaceful, quiet setting where Charlotte could walk safely and we could enjoy this corner of the Parkway.
We returned to the van where we enjoyed some lunch snacks, a couple work calls, and the mid-day sun. After which we drove another mile passed the campground to the only other open pull out before the road closure, at Brinegar Cabin. We enjoyed seeing the buildings here and reading about the family that lived here, and how they lived off the surrounding land.
Even though there wasn’t a lot to do in the area and we were somewhat trapped by the road closures, we were still glad we made time to stay in Doughton Recreation Area. It helped us slow down and gave us a peaceful day enjoying nature, the mountains, and each other, setting a good tone for the rest of our trip.
