Blacksburg is found among the Blue Ridge and Alleghany Mountains in the state of Virginia. Established in 1798, Blacksburg is the home of the Virginia Technical Institute as well as a number of galleries, museums and other points of interest, including many properties found on the National Register of Historic Properties.
Museums
Blacksburg is home to numerous museums including the Virginia Tech Museum of Geosciences (www.outreach.geos.vt.edu/museum), which features displays of assorted minerals, gems, fossils and a full-scale model of the Allosaurus dinosaur skeleton, which was discovered in Utah. The Blacksburg Museum (www.blacksburg.gov) is an 1897 Queen Anne Victorian home dedicated to the history and culture of Blacksburg. The Glencoe Historic Home Museum and Gallery (www.glencoemuseum.org), located near Blacksburg in the town of Radford, is the historic home of Gabriel Wharton, a Civil War general.
Trails
Hiking trails in Blacksburg, Virginia include the Cascades National Recreation Trail (no website; Little Stone Creek Valley; Blacksburg, VA), a scenic, four-mile round trip trail on along a shaded mountain stream that takes you to a 66-foot waterfall. Picnicking areas are available at the start of the trail. The Mountain Lake Conservancy Trail System (www.MtnLakeConservancy.org) features over 2,600 acres of terrain including 20 miles of fern-lined trails open year-round for hiking and biking. Part of the Appalachian Trail (www.appalachiantrail.org) goes through Blacksburg as another hiking option.
Galleries
Blacksburg is home to several galleries including the Perspective Gallery within Virginia Technical Institute (www.uusa.vt.edu/artgallery), a free gallery featuring a wide range of exhibits designed to "enrich" the lives of Virginia Tech students. The Amory Gallery is another gallery within Virginia Tech (www.gallery.vt.edu), whose changing exhibits have included those celebrating Charles Darwin's "On the Origin of Species." Other galleries include the Glade Church Fine Arts Gallery (www.gladeucc.org), a changing gallery for local artists to display their work
Additional Points of Interest
Additional points of interest in Blacksburg include the Smithfield Plantation (www.smithfieldplantation.org), the home of Revolutionary War patriot William Preston. The grounds also feature a garden and heirloom orchard. Pandapas Pond (no website; Jefferson Nat'l. Forest, 110 Southpark Drive, Blacksburg, VA) is an eight-acre man-made pond on the edge of the Eastern Continental Divide within the Jefferson National Forest. A one-mile trail encircles the pond with other Jefferson Forest trails connecting to it.
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About the Author
Kent Page McGroarty has worked as a writer since 2006, contributing numerous articles to various websites. She is a frequent contributor to the health and fitness sections of the online magazine EDGE Publications and holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Saint Joseph's University.
