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Roanoke River Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 61 Google reviews · Running trail in Roanoke, Virginia · Open 24 hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Not reported
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Open 24 hours
Confirmed from Roanoke River Trail's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Area for canoeing, hiking and rock scrambling, plus waterfalls and river rapids.
What runners say about Roanoke River Trail
“Very cool and a great view as well hiking trail and it's located right off the blue ridge parkway I enjoyed my time there.”
“Easy hike, very rewarding.”
One of my favorite trails in Roanoke. The beginning of the hike overlooks an enormous man-made waterfall which in and of itself is impressive, but if you hike down to the river you'll get to see some rapids and a lot of rocks.
Great small trail (20min easy) to go down to the river. Very hot in there with the sun. The trail is safe and short for families.
Beautiful and mostly easy. 10 to 15 minutes to hike the loop and overlook :)
My wife and I love this spot. One of our favorites. Great little home when you're short on time and just want to get moving and see some beautiful scenery. We like to picnic and hike here as often as possible.
Trail conditions & character
“Very cool and a great view as well hiking trail and it's located right off the blue ridge parkway I enjoyed my time there.”
Plan your run at Roanoke River Trail
The practical stuff
- AccessOpen 24 hours — no gate to beat, so a 5am or a 10pm run both work
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- Websitenps.gov
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | Open 24 hours |
| Tuesday | Open 24 hours |
| Wednesday | Open 24 hours |
| Thursday | Open 24 hours |
| Friday | Open 24 hours |
| Saturday | Open 24 hours |
| Sunday | Open 24 hours |
Running trails near Roanoke
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
Tinker Creek Trailhead
4.4 ★★★★☆ 87 reviews
Paved trail for walking, biking and running, plus a few non-paved trails.
Mill Mountain Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 3,365 reviews
Mountaintop hiking & biking trails with scenic overlooks, plus a zoo & discovery center.
Chestnut Ridge Trail
4.5 ★★★★★ 166 reviews
Popular trail through the woods, plus a campground.