Our Pack’s Corner of Paradise
Fun fact: More than 100 barns throughout Craig County feature a painted folk art quilt pattern.
Look at all this green space!
The green on this Craig County road map (provided by the Virginia Department of Transportation) indicates George Washington and Thomas Jefferson National Forest.
This corner of paradise, beckoned us to stay awhile and search out dog friendly adventures.
Based on our experiences, we awarded five out of five stars to the accommodations, dog friendliness, recreation, and sightseeing categories:
- Accommodations ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Dining ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Dog Friendliness ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- History ⭐️⭐️
- Recreation ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Sightseeing ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Our favorite sightseeing? Craig County’s ubiquitous barn quilts
With a map of Craig County’s barn quilts in hand, our pack embarked on a mini-road trip and we found quite a few.
16277 John’s Creek Rd.
These barn quilts aren’t just for looks. This YouTube video explains that the artist who paints them does so to raise funds for Craig County’s Public Library.
We also loved birdwatching.
Every corner of Craig County seems to be a birdwatcher’s happy place.
We used this guide for the word on birds.
Guide found at: CraigCounty.gov
As we drove through the Johns Creek and Dicks Creek area, I told Mack that, according to the guide, this is a good place to see bald eagles. “Yeah, right,” he replied.
At that moment, a bald eagle flew directly overhead.
Unfortunately, the bald eagle flew way too fast for me to take a photo.
Fortunately, I found this photo by photographer Frank Cone on pexels.com that perfectly captures that magical moment.
I did manage to photograph this well-camouflaged ruffed grouse at Shawver’s Run Wilderness Area.
New Castle
New Castle Farmers Market Mural
corner of Main and Middle Streets
We made New Castle our home base. This highly walkable town provided everything we needed—plus this stunning mural—all within barking distance.
Photo from AirBnb
We recommend staying at “Fred & Fanny’s,”listed on AirBnb. This dog friendly home (with a fenced-in yard!) served as one of the highlights of our trip. Its kitchen allowed us to dine-in which cut down on our costs. Of course, we treated ourselves to some goodies at New Castle’s dog friendly venues.
Lemon & Vale Cakery
457 Salem Avenue, New Castle
I did myself a favor and started my day with a chai latte and almond croissant from the Lemon & Vale Cakery.
As a dedicated mycophile, I was absolutely delighted by the wallpaper in the ladies room. (No word from Mack on men’s room decor.)
Mike’s
390 Market St.
We can vouch for both the soft serve ice cream and the milkshakes from Mike’s.
(These photos were taken at Mike’s former location before the establishment moved to a new, larger spot at 390 Market Street. In addition to the frozen dessert menu, Mike’s serves hot dogs, plus daily specials. And yes, they continue to offer outdoor dog friendly seating.)
Fenwick Mines Falls
Fenwick Mines Day Use Area
Not far from New Castle proper, Fenwick Mines Day Use Area features a stunning waterfall and hiking trail.
Of course, Mack also took this opportunity to do some fishing. That works for me as I could stay here and watch this waterfall all day long.
John Carlin’s Outdoors toured Fenwick Mines Falls for its “Blue Ridge and Beyond” series and researched the history of the Fenwick Mines.
Wilderness Adventure at Eagle Landing
11176 Peaceful Valley Rd.
What a serendipitous find! While hunting for barn quilts, we discovered Wilderness Adventures at Eagle Landing. We stopped by and didn’t want to leave.
This place has something for everyone. We were excited to find a dog friendly campground and hiking trails on Craigs Creek. They also offer mountain biking, yoga retreats, disc golf, summer camps, and the occasional music festival. We’re in!
LOVEworks
Three LOVEworks?!?! I LOVE this place.
210 Salem Ave.
11176 Peaceful Valley Rd.
Paint Bank
We headed to Paint Bank because we wanted to see some bison.
Hollow Hill Farm
16071 Paint Bank Rd.
On a good day, you can see a sizable portion of the bison herd at Hollow Hill Farm. Even on a not so good day, we were thrilled to see several of its more than 400 bison.
Swinging Bridge Restaurant
16071 Paint Bank Rd.
Photo of swinging bridge from Facebook-The Swinging Bridge Restaurant at Paint Bank
It’s not a misnomer. The Swinging Bridge Restaurant contains an actual swinging bridge.
Photo of Paint Bank General Store from Facebook-Paint Bank
Bison Burgers anyone?
If the answer is yes, you’ve come to the right place. To find the restaurant, enter the Paint Bank General Store, head to the stern, and look for the bison.
The restaurant does not provide dog friendly seating so we ordered our bison burgers and some veggie options to go.
Tingler’s Mill
16071 Paint Bank Rd.
After we finished eating, we walked behind the restaurant to Tingler’s Mill, a refurbished Civil War-era grist mill next to Potts Creek.
We also found some surprises.
Please feed the fish!
We were delighted to find feeding stations for the millpond’s resident trout.
We also found an artist’s rendition of what happens when you cross a cow with a chicken.
Roost Beef anyone?
Paint Bank Fish Hatchery
14505 Paint Bank Rd.
Here’s some cool trivia: Most of Virginia’s stocked Brook Trout started out here at the Paint Bank Fish Hatchery.
In addition to Brook Trout, we saw the hatchery’s Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout.
Hanging Rock Overlook Trail
Shawver’s Run Wilderness, Potts Mountain Rd.
The Hanging Rock Overlook at Shawver’s Run Wilderness gives trekkers a nearly 360 degree view and stands out for us as a highlight in a weekend full of highlights.
We used information from Only in Your State to find the trailhead along Potts Mountain Road, and thank goodness for this video by Smell N Roses which shows exactly what to expect. It helped us to know that the trail heads downhill, not uphill, before reaching the overlook.
We found the trail to be easy and short—only about half a mile to the summit.
Appalachian Trail
We did not explore any of the 20 plus miles of Appalachian Trail that meander through Craig County.
Our Appalachian Trail Fail occurred on the last day of our trip when we scheduled an AT hike for the grand finale. We planned to enter the trailhead located on Route 601 near John’s Creek and Rocky Gap but encountered a road block.
Already tired, we decided that this was a sign to call it a day and go eat dinner. Of course, with a little more planning, determination (and energy) we could have driven to another trailhead. This list of hiking trails in Craig County provides the locations of several local Appalachian Trailheads.
Animal Shelter
We like to stop in each county and say hello to all of the animal shelter sweeties, but Craig County does not have an animal shelter. If a dog is found in Craig County and its human is not located, the dog is taken to the Salem Animal Shelter in the adjacent county of Roanoke.
Know before You Go
We used the Craig County tourism site to help plan our trip and we used a printed copy of this road map of Craig County when we lost service while exploring.
Road Trip Reads
These books, all found on Audible, take a deep dive into some of our favorite things about Craig County.
Roving through Virginia with Rover 
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