Parking
Park at Sims Creek Overlook, around MP 295.3, for this trail record. Sims Pond Parking Area around MP 295.9 is an alternate access point. Neither overlook has restrooms or water; the Julian Price picnic area has the nearest facilities.
Overview
About Green Knob Trail
Why go
- Creek crossings, meadows, and rhododendron keep a short loop varied
- Two Parkway access points make the hike easy to fit into a drive
Heads up
- Muddy or slick after rain, with tricky crossings when water is high
- Uneven footing and a few steeper sections, with no smooth accessible route
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Blue Ridge Parkway map
Full mapElevation3,427–3,886 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 Green Knob 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 trailhead
Sims Creek Overlook: A Classic Creekside LoopListen
“The pull-off ahead is for Sims Creek Overlook, which is really a trailhead for a nice hiking loop.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Blue Ridge Parkway Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Sims Pond Trail: A Compact Loop with Lots of Variety
- Trout Lake: A Quieter Lakeside Loop
- Julian Price's Creekside Picnic Spot
- Moses H. Cone Memorial Park and Flat Top Manor
- 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 Green Knob Trail
Why choose this loopThis is a 2.3-mile loop that usually takes about 1.5 hours.
This is a 2.3-mile loop that usually takes about 1.5 hours. It suits hikers who want a moderate workout with a lot of variety in a short distance: creek crossings, open meadows, rhododendron, and a little elevation without a long commitment.
The routeStart at Sims Creek Overlook and take the short steps down to the trail.
Start at Sims Creek Overlook and take the short steps down to the trail. The loop moves through mixed hardwood forest and meadow, crosses the Blue Ridge Parkway, passes Sims Pond, and works back toward the overlook through the creek corridor. Counterclockwise is the better choice for a gentler-feeling climb. You can also join the loop from Sims Pond Parking Area, so the same trail works from either Parkway access point.
What you will noticeThe appeal is close-up rather than panoramic.
The appeal is close-up rather than panoramic. Look for rhododendron tunnels, pastoral openings, and the sound of Sims Creek between wooded sections. At the Sims Creek crossing, the bridge and water make a useful photo frame, especially when you include the surrounding trees for scale.
Before you goExpect roots, rocks, mud, and several stream crossings.
Expect roots, rocks, mud, and several stream crossings. Water can make the rock hops awkward after rain, and the route is not stroller or wheelchair friendly. Dogs are allowed on a leash of no more than six feet. Park at Sims Creek Overlook for this trail record, or use the alternate Sims Pond access around MP 295.9; there are no restrooms or water at the overlook, with facilities at Julian Price picnic area.
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.
