Open fires are prohibited throughout the park from midnight to 4 p.m. through April 30 per the 4 p.m. Burning Law. This includes wood and charcoal. Gas is permissible. Campground fires are allowed during the restricted time if a camp host is on duty and signage to that effect is posted in the campground. Failure to observe the 4 p.m. Burning Law can result in a fine. Contact the Park Office for additional information.

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Shared by Clayton Hensley @knoxdaytripper, as Guest Blogger.

The words "Welcome to Fries: Where the Trail Begins" are painted on a sign along Highway 94 heading into this small “company” town in Southwest Virginia.

Years ago, you would have seen a towering textile mill behind that sign.

Fries Dam on the New River. Photo credit Clayton Hensley @knoxdaytripper

Fries Dam on the New River

The mill was once the lifeblood of this picturesque community along the banks of the New River. Today, a linear State Park runs along the old rail line, made famous in the song “New River Train” recorded by Fries native Henry Whitter back in 1924.

One of the things you are sure to notice at the start of the trail is the dam just a few hundred yards upstream. Built in the early 1900s, the dark stone dam provides a sharp contrast to the wall of white water usually flowing over it. In Fries, the trail passes through the “big bottom,” as locals call it. There are tables and benches along the river that provide a great place for a picnic or enjoying the tranquility and beauty of your surroundings. The “downtown” sits nearby, along with the Fries Recreation Center, home to a treasured “duckpin” bowling alley and the recently restored Fries Theater, where you can still catch live entertainment.

Fries (pronounced “freeze”) is just the first treasure you’ll find in Virginia’s longest state park.

Heading downstream, you can bike, hike or ride a horse along more than 25 miles of the New River (The entire trail is 57 miles long). There is also an old “spur” at Fries Junction that takes you into Galax, home to the world’s largest Fiddler’s Convention. The trek along the main “line” out of Fries takes you through an amazing stretch of farmland and forests, eventually passing Byllesby and Buck Dams, both built in the 1920s.Father of Texas Stephen Austin Memorial along the New River (Photo credit: Clayton Hensley @knoxdaytripper)

Lead mines, tunnels and the story of a Texas stateman all come together along the trail at Austinville.

Looking toward the river from the trail access parking lot sits a tall stone monument with the shapes of Virginia and Texas etched into the granite.

Stephen Austin, the “Father of Texas” was born here in 1793. His father and Uncle ran lead mines in the area before moving to Missouri.

About a quarter of a mile away, the New River Trail passes through a rough-cut tunnel carved out of the bluff jutting out toward the river.

Lead from the area fueled another enterprise that’s truly hard to miss whether you’re on the trail or speeding by on Interstate 77 near Wytheville. The 75-foot-high Jackson Ferry Shot Tower went into business in 1807. Operators used lead from local mines to make ammunition for several decades.

Today, visitors can take the steps to the top to get a better view of the New River Valley and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Inside, you can also gaze down toward a tunnel that leads out to the river, another 75-foot drop from the tower floor. (Please check with the Shot Tower State Park for tour dates and times).

Last but not least is the Foster Falls Area, where the New River Trail State Park headquarters are located. Once a thriving industrial hub along the river, only remnants of its heyday remain. That includes the old hotel, the depot and a historic iron furnace.

This part of the park stretches out along a spot in the New River where the water cascades in a diagonal pattern as it passes a rocky bluff on the other side.

From historic towns and places to stunning areas of natural beauty, the New River Trail is packed with treasures.

It also happens to be a trail where it is easy to avoid crowds and truly enjoy the adventure, peace and serenity the New River has to offer.  

Learn more about New River Trail State Park here. For camping information, click here or call 800-933-7275.


My name is Clayton Hensley  @knoxdaytripperMy name is Clayton Hensley (a.k.a. the knoxdaytripper). Born and raised in East Tennessee (with a few years spent living in both Fries and Emory, Virginia), I have been traveling the backroads and hiking in the mountains for as long as I can remember. Through my writing and photography, I hope to inspire people to experience places they might not have heard about before or look at familiar places in a new light.  

For more than 20 years now, my wife and I have called the Knoxville area home.  We have two children who (for the most part) love to travel with us.  My "real" job is working as a communications director for a large church. My travel writing has appeared in the Knoxville News-Sentinel along with other newspapers, blogs and websites. 

Website is knoxdaytripper.squarespace.com 
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube are all @knoxdaytripper

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If you have read the article and have a question, please email nancy.heltman@dcr.virginia.gov.

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