Peak Adventures: Exploring the Parks and Trails in Surry County, NC
Your home ground can also be your playground in Surry County, where outdoor recreation opportunities are found all around, even in the middle of town. The area’s geographical features provide plenty of highs (the peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains) and lows (the Yadkin Valley and its namesake river), creating a variety of outdoor offerings that are easily accessible for residents and visitors.
“No matter where you live in Surry County, you can get somewhere to enjoy the outdoors within minutes,” says Megan Stainback, an official with the Elkin Valley Trails Association. “We’re near the Blue Ridge Parkway. We’re centrally located between several state parks. There are numerous trails for hiking and biking. There are rivers and waterfalls. Having all these options so close to home greatly contributes to the quality of life here.”
Stepping Onto the Foothills Trail System
A good first step to enjoying the landscape is simply to log some miles on the exceptional area trails. For example, the Elkin & Alleghany Rail Trail (E&A) runs approximately 2 miles along Big Elkin Creek. Built on an abandoned historical railway bed, the E&A is wide, flat and easily accessible directly from Elkin Municipal Park. Much of the path is shaded by an old-growth forest canopy, offering plenty of scenery including a historic spillway-dam waterfall.
“And there are numerous access points where you can jump off the E&A onto other trails that take you into the forest,” Stainback says. “It’s rare to have that type of accessibility to so many different trails right from downtown.”
It is a similar situation over in Mount Airy, where the meandering 8-mile Granite City Greenway circles the town and connects multiple municipal parks – including Riverside, Westwood and Tharrington – directly to schools, local businesses, restaurants and residential neighborhoods.
For those seeking a more remote backcountry setting, Pilot Mountain State Park offers 14 miles of rugged trails for hiking and horseback riding, along with picturesque views from the famous Little Pinnacle Overlook. Meanwhile, the 4.5-mile Loop Trail at nearby Stone Mountain State Park takes ambitious hikers around a massive 600-foot granite dome, offering nearly 1,000 feet of rewarding elevation gain.
If you prefer two wheels to two feet, the Surry Scenic Bikeway offers cyclists more than 500 miles of clearly marked road routes mapped across several loops. The premier highlight is the 50-mile Dobson-Elkin Loop, which winds through rolling estate vineyards and quiet historic farmland.
Exploring the Blueways: Kayaking and Trout Fishing
Surry County also serves as a primary regional gateway to the Yadkin River State Trail, a designated “Blueway” that meanders for 163 miles through North Carolina. Popular launch points for kayaking, canoeing and tubing include Crater Park in Elkin and the Shoals Access at Pilot Mountain. Multiple professional river outfitters in Elkin provide convenient rentals and shuttle services for half-day or full-day floats.
This rich aquatic environment also supplies ample opportunities for world-class fishing, especially along the Ararat River, a renowned hot spot for trout. Water temperatures in the region remain cool enough for mountain trout while still offering traditional Southern catches such as river bass and channel catfish.
“With the amount of water we have around here, you can do just about any type of fishing that you want,” says Brett Mosley, founder of Flying Ties Guide Service, which takes anglers out for full-day fishing excursions. “We have state-stocked fishing waters, and private waters for trophy trout. We’re kind of the picture-taking place for catching fish.”
When it comes to trout fishing, Mosley recommends the Stone Mountain River. “It’s the type of river you’d see at high-elevation areas in the mountains,” he says.
For bass fishing, Mosley prefers the Yadkin River, which offers several access points for kayaks, canoes or drift boats.
And, like most outdoor recreation in Surry County, Mosley says the fishing opportunities are open and easily accessible to the public.
“The amount of public designated spaces around here is abundant,” Mosley says. “We go fishing next to or near a lot of the hiking trails. So, we’re basically in the same place, just doing different things.”
Get to Know Surry County
Want to learn more about living and working in Surry County, NC? Check out the latest edition of Livability Surry County, North Carolina.