Driving back to NJ stopping in VA to hike for a day
 

Anyone have experience or information/suggestions with stopping to hike for a day near Blue Ridge Hwy, VA and stay the night on way back north to NJ area? Guessing we drive 12hrs or so and get room in VA for night then hike next day. thanks for your help in advance

Lived in Va and have done quite a few hikes along blue ridge parkway. You might consider stopping by Salem Va and doing the Appalachian trail especially Macafees Knob. About 7 miles round trip beautiful scenery at the knob

I saw that most if not all of the Blue Ridge parkway was still closed due to significant damage from Milton. I would contact the Virgina travel bureau for up to date advice.

We just drove back to NJ last week. We stayed at Harrah's Cherokee in NC.

Things to do nearby from there website

Great Smoky Mountains National Park: in Cherokee, we simply call it our back yard. Explore the rich biodiversity and cultural history of these age-old mountains.
Enjoy some of the best trout fishing in America on the thirty miles of pristine, freestone streams that run through the Qualla Boundary in Cherokee.

Sequoyah National Golf Club: play a challenging 18-hole round of golf on this magnificent course, complete with breathtaking mountain views.

Blue Ridge Parkway: bike, hike, fish, or simply enjoy the breathtaking view just off the Parkway at Cherokee.

Mingo Falls: take the short, steep hike to see this gorgeous 200 ft. waterfall, on the Qualla Boundary. A visit to Mingo Falls is always one of the most popular suggestions for what to do in Cherokee NC.

Stu, thank you for your reply. We drove 11 hours to Salem, VA and stayed on a hotel on Main Street. The old Salem brewery was a nice stop. McAfee knob was an excellent choice.
Thank you so much again for helping us to enjoy our trip back to New Jersey.!

Happy you enjoyed it.

Macafee and his knob offer superb scenery not to mention great exercise walking to it.

We typically drive between the Villages and Western Massachusetts in two days, but a couple years ago we decided to make it a three day trip and check out the Blue Ridge. Day one we drove to Fancy Gap, VA and stayed at a hotel near the entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Day two we drove both the Blue Ridge and Skyline Drive through Virginia (From Fancy Gap to Front Royal). We lucked out and had a beautiful sunny and warm day around November 1st. The fall foliage was beautiful and it was warm enough to drive most of the day with the top down on the Beamer. There are numerous scenic pullover spots throughout the ride with many great photo opportunities. At one pullover there was a sign showing an entrance to the Appalachian Trail so we stopped and went for a couple hour hike. It was a nice hike, but nothing like going through Vermont, New Hampshire, or Maine. Having hiked most of the Appalachian in New England, it was cool to hike a southern portion of the trail. The Blue Ridge through Virginia was beautiful and well worth the trip, and there were no fees. The Skyline Drive 105 mile northern extension of the Blue Ridge was beautiful as well, but offered little that we hadn’t already seen on the Blue Ridge and was a rather expensive toll (if you don’t have the America the Beautiful lifetime senior citizen National Park Pass which I left back up north in my truck). We spent the second night, after our exploration day through Virginia, in Winchester, VA before our day three drive to our northern home. Hope that helps with your planning and have a safe and great trip back north : )