1. Floyd County
(Floyd, Willis)
Located atop the magnificent Blue Ridge Plateau in southwest Virginia, Floyd is a haven of natural beauty renowned for small-town hospitality and for a vibrant, eclectic culture of music, arts, outdoor recreation and local foods, farms and spirits.
“Floyd is trending because there are so many small businesses—all birthed from inspiration and vision,” says Floyd County Tourism Director Pat Sharkey. “Folks are creative and trend-setting—in roasting coffee, making chocolate, growing food, in creating moonshine cocktails and craft beer, visionary art and memorable music. Community and creativity are alive here.”
2. Roanoke County
(and the cities of Roanoke and Salem)
As the largest metropolitan area along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia, and recently named America’s East Coast Mountain Biking Capital, Virginia’s Blue Ridge Region at Roanoke, Salem and Roanoke County is a premier destination for outdoor recreation, offering fabulous culture, cuisine and entertainment while delivering refined, authentic, metro mountain adventure.
“Virginia’s Blue Ridge is a destination with an energized mix of culture and adventure,” says Taylor Spellman, the public relations manager for Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge. “At the hub of amazing outdoor activities, find a Cheers Trail, renowned restaurants with outstanding flavors and a thriving arts scene with live music and world-class performances year-round.”
3. Montgomery County
(Blacksburg, Christiansburg)
This beautiful part of southwest Virginia is the home of Virginia Tech and a perfect mid-Atlantic destination for getting outdoors while staying connected to town amenities.
“Montgomery County joins with localities throughout the New River Valley to provide activities for all levels of adventurists,” says Lisa Bleakley, executive director of Montgomery County Virginia Regional Tourism. “Whether seeking outdoor recreation, arts and culture, or simply relaxation, this community welcomes you to enjoy the surrounding beauty and hospitality of Montgomery County.”
4. Albemarle County
(and the city of Charlottesville)
This is the most established wine region on the East Coast. The live music scene is disproportionately large and diverse, thanks in large part to the proximity to the University of Virginia.
“Even locals find it difficult to keep up with all the new ventures, experiences and developments in Charlottesville and Albemarle County,” says William Dozier, marketing coordinator of the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau. “There’s always more to see and do. Wineries and breweries, of which we have more than 50, are popular on beautiful days.”
5. Culpeper County
(Culpeper, Rapidan)
Culpeper is well-known as a foodie town, with rich history and modern charm. Engage in equestrian sport, cycle scenic byways, explore American history by visiting Civil War Battlefields, or discover the agricultural bounty of Virginia’s Piedmont.
“If I were to personify Culpeper, the top traits that come to mind are humble, surprising and delicately refined,” says Paige Read, the director of economic development and tourism for Culpeper. “We are a small town, filled with small businesses that support one another. Our shops, our chefs, our artists and producers all want to see one another succeed. It’s refreshing and noble.”
About This Story: Our coverage area—the mountain regions of Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia and Kentucky—is home to more great places to visit than you could shake the proverbial stick at.
The process of finding the full list of all 35 destinations presented here began with U.S. Travel Association data (for West Virginia, a Dean Runyan Associates study) assessing the increase in travel spending—2017 over 2016—in all geographically relevant counties and cities in each state.
We then determined the top eight in that realm for each state, listed them alphabetically, and offered online voting for our readers, toward creating the top-five lists presented here. The data affirmed increased visitorship to each; the reader input—voting for up to three destinations per state—narrowed those lists to voters’ favorite/hope-to-visit destinations.
Reader-poll voting took place between February 20 and April 7, 2019. Our thanks to all who took part.
Destinations in each state are listed in order of vote totals. For more details on each destination – including our editors’ picks for 175 can’t miss attractions and reasons to visit – subscribe now. Thank you!
