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Outdoor Recreation
Botetourt County is home to a wide variety of outdoor recreation opportunities. Whether you're interested in floating along the Upper James River Water Trail, mountain biking in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest, hiking to Hay Rock Overlook on the Appalachian Trail, or cycling a portion of the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail, we have something for everyone in Botetourt County!
Click here to view a map of popular outdoor recreation sites in Botetourt County.
Activities
Disc Golf
Fishing & Boating
- Upper James River Water Trail
- James River Public Access Points in Botetourt County
- Fishing Licenses
- Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources - Fishing Information
Hiking & Birding
- Botetourt County Cherry Blossom Trail (Botetourt Center at Greenfield)
- Craig's Creek Recreation Area
- Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club
- Roaring Run Trail
- Hay Rock Overlook Trail
- Andy Lane Trail
Hunting
- Hunting Licenses
- Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources - Hunting Information
Natural Resources
Opportunities for: bicycling, camping, fishing, hang gliding, hiking, hunting, photography, picnicking.
National Forests
The Jefferson National Forest and the George Washington National Forest have over 70,000 acres in three Ranger Districts in Botetourt County. The National Forests make up 22% of the county's land area.
The Jefferson provides most of the National Forest in the county. The Glenwood-Pedlar Ranger District oversees the national forest in the northeastern part of the county, while the Eastern Divide Ranger District manages the National Forest in the southern and western parts of the county. The James River Ranger District manages the George Washington National Forest in the northern part of the county.
The forests have two camping and picnicking areas in Botetourt, one on Roaring Run in the Eastern Divide District off Route 615 and Route 621 northwest of Eagle Rock, and the other on North Creek east of Buchanan in the Glenwood District off Route 614 and Route 618.
Maps and information about trails, camping, picnicking, fishing, forest roads, horse trails, etc. are available from each of the District Ranger offices: