Parking
Park at Basin Cove Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway, around Milepost 244.7; the trail begins from the overlook meadow.
Overview
About Flat Rock Ridge Trail
Why go
- Open meadow and mountain views give way to cooler creekside forest
- A true point-to-point route for hikers who can arrange a shuttle
Heads up
- A shuttle is useful; otherwise the return makes this a 10-mile day
- Steep, rocky sections and fog can make the route demanding
Flat Rock Ridge Trail is a 5-mile point-to-point route from Basin Cove Overlook to Basin Cove Creek, and it suits hikers looking for a long, quiet walk through Doughton Park. Allow about 4 hours for the one-way hike. Without a shuttle, plan on a 10-mile day and the full elevation change twice.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Blue Ridge Parkway map
Full mapElevation1,430–3,310 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Blue Ridge Parkway alerts
- ClosureNorth Carolina Helene-related closuresAvoid the closed Parkway section from MP 344.2–355.3; recreation of any kind is prohibited there.Official details
- ClosureVirginia Parkway closures and detourFollow the signed detour around the closed James River Bridge and avoid the closed Roanoke Mountain Loop. - James River Bridge (MP 63.5–63.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Blue Ridge Parkway Tour Guide
Your drive to Flat Rock Ridge Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Blue Ridge Parkway. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Blue Ridge Parkway audio tourRecorded for this area
Doughton Park: Views and Trailheads for Basin CoveListen
“You're approaching a pair of overlooks focused on Basin Cove. The Doughton Park Overlook offers that classic, wide-open view into the heart of the cove, a great spot for a quick photo.”
Plays near this trailhead in the Parkwolf Blue Ridge Parkway Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Pine That Needs Fire
- Grassy Gap Fire Road: A Quiet Downhill Hike
- Alligator Back Overlook's Jagged Ridge
- Bluffs Picnic Area: Lunch and a Mellow Hike
- 277 audio storiesacross Blue Ridge Parkway’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Elk, White-tailed Deer, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 112 trails, 232 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“…We knew we wanted to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway. The narration was impeccably timed. The facts and info provided were meaningful. Without it, the trip would not have been near as awesome.”
Trail guide
Hiking Flat Rock Ridge Trail
The routeStart in the open meadow at Basin Cove Overlook, then follow the ridge into mixed forest before…
Start in the open meadow at Basin Cove Overlook, then follow the ridge into mixed forest before finishing beside Basin Cove Creek near Grassy Gap Fire Road. The scenery changes steadily from broad mountain views to cooler, damper creekside woods. I’d keep this one for a clear day when you can appreciate the open start and the long descent.
What the effort feels likeMost of the route is easy to moderate underfoot, but a short steep section, rocky ground,…
Most of the route is easy to moderate underfoot, but a short steep section, rocky ground, roots, and more than 2,000 feet of elevation change make it a serious outing. Fog can make the ridge and junctions harder to read, so carry a map or GPS even though the trail is generally signed.
Practical planningPark at Basin Cove Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway, around Milepost 244.7.
Park at Basin Cove Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway, around Milepost 244.7. The lower end is alongside Basin Cove Creek and Grassy Gap Fire Road, so arrange a shuttle or turn around with enough energy for the climb back. There’s no potable water on the route. Carry what you need, keep pets leashed, and use only designated Basin Cove backcountry sites with the required permit. At the overlook, include a little of the meadow and the descending line in photos so the route’s scale and change in elevation come through.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Blue Ridge Parkway
1,208 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
1,020 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
2,257 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
200 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
1,126 sightingsWild TurkeyMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
255 sightingsRed-tailed HawkMost seen around 11 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Blue Ridge Parkway. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
