About this campground
A one-mile hike from the Hanging Rock parking area will take you to the raptor observatory, sitting high atop Peters Mountain on the Eastern Continental Divide. From this vantage point, visitors have a 360 degree view of the surrounding areas and an eye-level view of migrating raptors. The site is situated along a popular, southern migration path so raptor viewing is best in the autumn, but the hike and the view are great all year long.
Getting there
From Blacksburg, VA: Follow US 460 west for 17 miles. Turn right on Big Stony Creek Rd (SR 635). Go about 22 miles to Waiteville, WVA. (Note: SR 635 becomes Co. SR 17 in West Virginia. From Waiteville, VA: Take Gap Mills Road (County Route 15) 4 miles to Allegheny Trail parking lot on your left. There is a one-mile hike up to the tower from the parking lot. Total distance from Blacksburg: 43 miles.
Activities
- HIKING
- WILDLIFE VIEWING
Nearby federal campgrounds
- Interior Whistle Stop Day Use AreaGeorge Washington & Jefferson National Forest10 mi
- Cascades Day Use AreaGeorge Washington & Jefferson National Forest13 mi
- Potts Slope Shooting RangeGeorge Washington & Jefferson National Forest13 mi
- Blacksburg Shooting RangeGeorge Washington & Jefferson National Forest15 mi
- Pandapas Pond Day Use AreaGeorge Washington & Jefferson National Forest15 mi
- Eastern Divide Ranger DistrictGeorge Washington & Jefferson National Forest19 mi
Explore more Kentucky camping
Hanging Rock Raptor Observatory doesn't take campsite reservations — but plenty of nearby Kentucky campgrounds do, and we'll alert you the moment a sold-out site opens up.
Browse Kentucky camping →Details from Recreation.gov's official RIDB catalog. Conditions change — confirm with the managing office before you go. Not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.