Doughton Recreation Area

This park is made up of 7,000 acres and has over 30 miles of hiking trails for visitors to explore.

Doughton Park is comprised of 7,000 acres and is situated along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Traphill, North Carolina. This is the biggest recreation area that the National Park Services oversees in the region, and you can find the park between mileposts 238 and 245. There are more than 30 miles of hiking trails to explore at Doughton Park as well as enchanting meadows of flowers and glistening streams to relax by or even fish in. Other activities available at the park include camping, picnicking, horseback riding, and birdwatching – to name a few. You can pay a visit to the Brinegar Cabin, which gives visitors a look into what mountain life used to look like in the 1800s.

There are hiking options for pretty much every level of hiker, from the shorter Fodder Stack Trail to the more difficult Bluff Mountain Trail, which is 7.5 miles in length. There’s the Northwest Trading Post (located at milepost 258) where you can pick up fun souvenirs and other locally crafted goods. There are 110 tent camping sites as well as 25 RV sites at the campground here so you can spend more than just a day in the truly incredible surroundings that Doughton Park provides. This is a place you can come for true peace and a deep breath of the freshest mountain air.