7 Blue Ridge Parkway Stops Virginians Still Love After Peak Color Passes

Nobody can pin down the exact day the leaves peak on any one stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

If your timing’s a little off, the road still has plenty to give you.

Here’s what many Virginians still love to stop for once the color fades.

1. Humpback Rocks

Humpback Rocks has a mountain farm that shows life in Appalachia during the 1890s, according to the National Park Service.

The buildings include a cabin, a barn and a spring house.

You can walk past them on the quarter-mile Mountain Farm Trail, a gravel path that can accommodate wheelchairs.

In summer, the farm is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In summer, the historic farm buildings are open for viewing.

In winter, visitors are still able to walk the short trail to tour them.

The Humpback Rocks Trail runs one mile to the rocks and is rated strenuous.

From the rocks, you can look out over the Rockfish and Shenandoah valleys, views the Park Service calls spectacular.

Humpback Rocks is at Milepost 5.8, just over five miles into the Parkway.

2. Yankee Horse Ridge

Yankee Horse Ridge has a restored section of the old Irish Creek Railroad.

It’s a reminder of the timbering that affected large parts of the Blue Ridge.

The South River Lumber Company ran the 42-inch narrow gauge line from 1916 to 1939.

Climax locomotives climbed the mountain slopes to remove timber.

Park at Milepost 34.4, then walk 0.1 mile along a gently flowing stream to the base of Wigwam Falls, which the Park Service calls one of the easiest waterfalls to reach between Waynesboro and Roanoke.

If you want more, you can stroll south along the old line for about half a mile to explore the re-growing forest.

3. Fallingwater Cascades

The Park Service lists the Fallingwater Cascades Trail as a 1.6-mile loop to a view of cascades on Fallingwater Creek.

The loop is rated moderate and listed as a National Recreation Trail.

The trail is listed at Milepost 83.1.

It heads 260 feet below the parking area.

Be prepared to climb that elevation on the way back.

4. Peaks of Otter

Peaks of Otter has Sharp Top Mountain, where the Sharp Top Trail climbs about 1.5 miles to a 3,875-foot summit.

The Park Service calls the climb steep and strenuous.

The top has a 360-degree view that takes in the Piedmont to the east and the Shenandoah Valley.

The Piedmont is the rolling country between the Blue Ridge and the coastal plain.

If you don’t want the full climb, concession-operated bus service to within a quarter mile of the top is available seasonally.

You’ll also find a visitor center and a lodge at Milepost 85.6.

The Park Service’s Peaks of Otter page, updated in June 2025, says the Peaks of Otter Lodge has 63 rooms.

The lodge is typically open from spring to late fall, as well as weekends in the winter.

5. Mabry Mill

Ed Mabry built the mill at Mabry Mill, where the Park Service says he and his wife, Lizzy, ground corn, sawed lumber and did blacksmithing for three decades.

Mabry’s original sawmill and blacksmith shop still stand as well, near Milepost 176.

The Mabry Mill Trail gives you views of the historic buildings.

The Park Service’s page lists ranger programs and mountain music concerts, plus cultural demonstrations on weekends in summer and early fall.

You can find the schedule on its website calendar.

The inside of the historic buildings is open seasonally.

6. Groundhog Mountain

A single flight of stairs takes you to the top of the log observation tower at Groundhog Mountain Picnic Area on the Parkway.

From the top, the views take in Buffalo Mountain, Rich Hill and others.

The Virginia State Forest Service put the tower up in 1942 to survey mountain ranges and watch for fires.

The picnic area also has several styles of historic log fences, first constructed in 1939 by Civilian Public Service enrollees.

An informational wayside explains the different styles.

The picnic area is at Milepost 188.8.

It has 28 picnic sites, all with grills.

The Park Service lists the restrooms there as seasonal.

7. Blue Ridge Music Center

Inside the Blue Ridge Music Center, you can explore the Roots of American Music exhibits in the visitor center and museum.

The Park Service’s page lists daily mountain music performances in the center’s breezeway, plus weekend concerts in the 3000-seat outdoor amphitheater during summer and fall.

The center is at Milepost 213, about 10 miles from Galax.

You can stretch your legs on the 1.35-mile High Meadow Trail or the moderate 2.24-mile Fisher Peak Loop.

The Fisher Peak Loop is also a designated Kids In Parks TRACK trail.

Color and Elevation

Fall color on the Blue Ridge Parkway follows elevation.

The Park Service says the road varies over 5,000 feet.

According to its fall color page, most trees typically change color during October, starting early in the month on the highest peaks.

The trees in lower elevations follow as the month passes, progressing down the mountainsides.

The FAQ gives you a window of mid to late October.

Exact peak dates at a given spot are impossible to predict in advance.

Closures and Seasons

Most visitor contact stations on the Blue Ridge Parkway are seasonal, typically open from May through October, according to the Park Service.

Facility operating schedules are subject to change due to adverse weather conditions and other uncontrollable factors.

The road status page, last updated October 1, 2026, lists Mileposts 63.5 to 63.9 as closed for bridge rehabilitation, with detour signs from Milepost 61.4 to 64.