Fun Fact: Buchanan is the only county in Virginia that borders both Kentucky and West Virginia.

We visited Buchanan County and focused on dog friendly activities. We rated our impressions below based on diversity and quality of each category.

We awarded the highest rating of 5 stars to the recreation and sightseeing categories.

• Accommodations ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Dog Friendly ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• History ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Recreation ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Restaurants ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Sightseeing ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Elk Herd Restoration

When European colonists first arrived in Virginia, the area’s vast herds of elk outnumbered its white-tailed deer.

Unregulated hunting by early settlers decimated the elk population. By the mid 1800s, Virginia’s elk were gone.

Thanks to reintroduction efforts, Buchanan County hosts a herd of more than 200 elk and offers 2 options for elk spotting:

• Virginia’s Department of Wildlife Resources offers elk viewing tours. These have a 100% success rate for seeing elk but are not dog friendly.

• Southern Gap Outdoor Adventure provides wildlife viewing areas. Fido may accompany you but these areas are hit or miss for seeing elk.

To learn more about the story of Buchanan County’s elk restoration, check out the Virginia Outdoor Adventure podcast episode Appalachian Greatest Conservation Story: Elk Restoration in Southwest Virginia with Jackie Rosenberger, Virginia Department of Outdoor Resources. This podcast episode is so amazing that I listened to it twice.

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Buchanan County has a surprising secret weapon for its elk herd restoration: reclaimed coal mining fields.

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Jewell Coal and Coke Company, Buchanan County

Buchanan County’s economy has deep ties to coal mining due to its enormous coal seam, estimated at 30 billion tons.

Road signs along U.S, Route 460, Buchanan County

Ironically, the county’s most valuable resource has generally not enriched its residents.

This map shows the coalfield encompassing Buchanan County (from Virginia Coal: An Abridged History, written by Walter R. Hubbard, Jr. 1990).

Headshot of the statue dedicated to Buchanan County Coal Miners. Buchanan County Courthouse, 1012 Walnut St., Grundy.

During the mid-19th century, scheming businessmen arrived in Appalachia and conned local landowners out of their mineral rights.

Abandoned Coal Loadout, Buchanan County

Later, the landowners did not profit when coal mining brought enormous wealth to these unscrupulous businessmen.

Jewell Coal and Coke Company, Buchanan County

As coal mining companies became the region’s main employers, the wages and benefits came with hefty price tags: environmental degradation, deadly mining accidents and black lung disease, an incurable condition caused by coal dust exposure.

Jewell Coal and Coke Company, Buchanan County

Today, Mother Nature provides a glimmer of hope through the very land once ravaged by coal mining.

Wild Turkey, Buchanan County

The elk placed on former coal minefields have reclaimed their role as a keystone species. Their impact on the local ecosystem attracts other creatures from birds to bears.

Black Bear, Buchanan County

Tourists (like us) now visit Buchanan County to see the abundant wildlife.

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Other Cool Stuff

We loaded up the pack and drove around while listening to some Buchanan County musicians.

Our exploration yielded a few Buchanan County gems.

…a waterwheel at the Mountain Mission School in Grundy

…this roadside waterfall in Harman,

…the dog friendly Bull Creek trail in Harman (photo from Facebook),

and LOVE at Southern Gap Outdoor Adventure.

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Buchanan County Animal Shelter

Buchanan County’s Animal Shelter consistently fills to capacity. When we visited, the shelter was full.

The shelter’s dedicated staff reach out to rescue organizations for assistance, including All Fur One Pet Rescue & Adoptions and the Homeless Animals Rescue Team (HART) of Northern Virginia. Both rescue organizations frequently transport dogs and cats from the shelter and place them with forever families.

Located at the end of a long, winding road, the Buchanan County animal shelter is an important stop on the trip.

If you are considering a furry addition to your family, you will thank yourself for going the extra mile to this shelter.

Donations also provide crucial support to the shelter and can be made to:

• Buchanan County Animal Shelter, 1191 Dogpound Rd., Grundy, VA 24614
• All Fur One Pet Rescue & Adoptions
• Homeless Animals Rescue Team (HART)

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Know before You Go

• Download Buchanan County from Google maps and print a copy of this county map. We lost signal while out exploring.
• Southern Gap Outdoor Adventure provides pet friendly lodging.

• Bellacino’s Pizza & Grinders, 21956 Riverside Drive, Grundy, serves great food and provides dog friendly seating on their patio.

• Check out Buchanan County’s tourism website. Wild Buchanan lives up to its reputation with ATV trails, mountain biking, white water rafting, and more.
• Be sure to visit Buchanan County’s Walmart Supercenter, arguably the best one in the world, and an amazing 3-stories, including a parking garage and anything a consumer could need.

• Additional Buchanan County coal mining historical sites can be found at the Buchanan Coalfield section of CoalCampUSA.com.

Road Trip Reads

These books added context for our visit and can be found on Audible for easy road trip listening.

John E. Phillips teaches us how to hunt the smartest elk in PhD Elk – very handy info for Buchanan County’s elk hunting lottery.

Chris Hamby won the Pulitzer Prize for his work described in Soul Full of Coal Dust. This book is to Appalachian coal mines what Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle was to Chicago’s meat packing plants.

In Fair and Tender Ladies, author and Buchanan County native Lee Smith, describes the beauty, struggles, and heartache of early 20th century Appalachia. One of the most entertaining books we’ve read in a while, this historical novel and coming of age tale brings all of its colorful characters to life and I haven’t been able to forget them.

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