Start of the Chestoa View Trail at the Chestoa View stop on the Blue Ridge Parkway
Length: .8 mile round trip from the parking area
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
The Chestoa View Trail leads to one of two overlooks at the Chestoa View stop on the Blue Ridge Parkway. From the parking lot, follow any of the paths that lead into the forest directly in front of you until you come to the intersection with a paved path. Regardless of where you began, when you hit the path take a right. In just a few minutes you will see a Chestoa View Trail sign.
This is a “lollipop” trail, meaning you walk out on a “stick” for a ways before coming to the actual loop portion of the trail. In this case, the loop starts about five minutes down the trail. You can go either way around the loop, and since the trail is fairly flat with one moderate climb in and out of a small valley-like dip, there’s no benefit of going one way or the other. For the record, I went to the right, counterclockwise. However, if you simply want to get to the overlook and don’t care to hike the trail, go to the left, for the overlook is much closer that way. The hike around the entire loop takes only about fifteen minutes.
Smooth terrain is typical on the Chestoa View Trail at the Chestoa View stop on the Blue Ridge Parkway
To keep you from taking a suicidal plunge off the mountain, the viewing area is bounded by a wood rail fence. A bench allows you to sit and enjoy the scenery. This is a somewhat unique view on the Blue Ridge Parkway in that not only are the mountains pretty close to the observation area, you aren’t looking at them straight on, which gives you the chance to see down the shoot of a valley. Without the leaves changing color it’s still nothing special, but it is different.
Viewing area of the overlook along the Chestoa View Trail at the Chestoa View stop on the Blue Ridge Parkway
Panoramic view from the overlook along the Chestoa View Trail at the Chestoa View stop on the Blue Ridge Parkway (click to enlarge)
The Chestoa View Trail can be commended for being one of the rare “leg stretchers” on the Blue Ridge Parkway that still has a view. So many of the scenic views along the Parkway trails have become overgrown that it gets discouraging hiking them, and pretty soon people tend to give up altogether, having endured one too many disappointments. The secret is to know which trails are still good to hike, which is the point of National Park Planner. I wade through all the crap so you don’t have to.
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Last updated on November 10, 2023
