After moving to Western NC, I fell in love with the vast array of small Blue Ridge Mountain Towns to explore.
My wife Emma and I eventually built our little cabin and homestead near the towns of Wilkesboro, Elkin, Sparta, and West Jefferson. Each of them is close enough to call our own.
In the last few years, we’ve been venturing further north (around 20 miles) into the state of Virginia, and we’ve found that these towns are just as wonderful as those mountain towns in North Carolina.
The town of Floyd VA had been highly recommended to us, as two avid gardeners, lovers of locally grown/sourced things, and general hippie types.
We finally made time for a weekend getaway to Floyd recently, and we had a fantastic visit. We hiked. We ate and drank. We strolled and shopped. We did it all!
Read on for guide to the 10 Best Things to Do in Floyd VA, from great restaurants, shops, and wineries to places for outdoor recreation and other must-see attractions.
READ MORE: The 10 Best Small Towns in Virginia to Visit
Best Floyd VA Lodging
- Hotel Floyd (sustainable hotel off BRP, walk to restaurants w themed rooms & breakfast).
- Downtown Floyd Retreat (4bd 2ba pet-friendly historic home w/ fenced in yard)
- Boho Downtown Apartment (2bd 1ba cute clean quiet centrally located apartment)
- Funky on Main Street (3bd 2ba English Cottage good for families & groups)
Best Things to Do in Floyd VA Guide
- Browse the Antique/Gift Shops
- Drink Wine at Regional Vineyards
- Dine at Floyd Restaurants
- Get Artsy at Floyd Center For The Arts and Galleries
- Go on a Free History Walk around Floyd
- Hike at Rocky Knob Recreation Area
- Jam at The Floyd Country Store
- Shop at the Farmers Market & Farm Stores
- Take Photos at Mabry Mill
- Zipline with Buffalo Mountain
READ MORE: The 15 Best Things to Do in SWVA (Southwest Virginia)
1. Browse the Antique/Gift Shops
It’s difficult to visit any small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains and not venture into at least one antique shop.
Floyd has great shopping, including some fabulous antiques available at Chic’s Antiques.
There are also some cool gift shops, and thrifting at The Magic Bus is lots of fun for bargain-hunters.
Troiko and The Floyd Country Store are cool places to find local crafts and other cool stuff.
READ MORE: 10 Best Virginia Mountain Towns to Visit
2. Drink Wine at Regional Vineyards
Southwest Virginia has a host of good vineyards and wineries to sample.
And Floyd has a few notable ones that are located within an easy drive of the downtown area.
The two most popular (Chateau Morrisette and Villa Appalaccia) are south of town, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Other fine wineries nearby include the Dobbins Hollow Winery & Cidery, The New River Vineyard & Winery, and AmRhein’s Wine Cellars.
READ MORE: The 10 Best Virginia Wineries to Visit for Wine Tastings & Tours
3. Dine at Floyd VA Restaurants
Floyd is an awesome place for anyone who loves locally-grown and locally-sourced food.
We were disappointed that we didn’t have stomachs big enough to try every restaurant in Floyd, but that just gives us a reason to go back soon!
We highly recommend OuterSpace, which has a great weekend brunch, an attached smoothie bar, and a barbecue joint (Bootleg BBQ) that shares the eating space. The Floyd Country Store also has an amazing menu of sandwiches.
Buffalo Mountain Brewing Company has quality craft beer, while Chateau Morrisette has upscale southern fare, and Cocoa Mia makes chocolate the delectable experience it should be.
READ MORE: The 20 Best Blue Ridge Parkway Picnic Areas in NC & VA
4. Get Artsy at Floyd Center For The Arts and Town Galleries
Floyd has a huge arts (and artisan) culture, and the town has the galleries and events to back it up.
The Floyd Center for the Arts is a great place to start, offering classes, concerts, festivals, and other special events. But it’s not the only show in town.
There’s a bi-annual sale called 16 Hands held in early May, then again during Thanksgiving week. Bell Gallery and Garden is always good stop.
For big-time arts enthusiasts, The Floyd Artisan Trail is a 2-day tour across the entire county of Floyd.
READ MORE: The Top 10 Fall Festivals in the Virginia Mountains
5. Go on a Free History Walk Around Floyd
The town of Floyd is steeped in Virginia history, and surrounded by historical sites.
The Floyd Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and also appears on the Virginia Landmarks Register.
For those who time it right, the Floyd County Historical Society offers free guided history tours a few times in the summer.
Outside of that, there’s a self-guided driving tour of water-powered mills that are still standing throughout Floyd County.
READ MORE: 30 Fun Facts About Appalachian Scots-Irish History & Culture
6. Hike at Rocky Knob Recreation Area
Our trip to Floyd started off with a massive hike at the Rocky Knob Recreation Area on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
It was a grueling, but highly rewarding 10.8-mile trek, with beautiful cascades and expansive panoramas along the way.
Rocky Knob also has shorter hiking trails, a campground, and a huge picnic area just behind the visitor center.
Blue Ridge Parkway Overlooks in Virginia that are close by include the Rock Castle Gorge Overlook, The Saddle, and 12 O’Clock Knob Overlook.
READ MORE: The 10 Best Hiking Trails on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia
7. Jam at The Floyd Country Store
The Floyd Country Store is deservedly one of the most popular attractions found on The Crooked Road, Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail.
It’s famed for its festive Friday Night Jamboree, but there’s live music happening here pretty much every day they’re open (Note: it is closed on Mondays).
But the attraction’s deep Appalachian music roots don’t stop there: They also have dancing and instrument-building workshops, and kids’ music camps in the Summer.
We also love the fact that this is an actual store with cool crafts and souvenirs, as well as a beloved SWVA restaurant.
READ MORE: The Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol TN/VA
8. Shop at the Floyd Farmers Market & Farm Stores
Floyd (the town) is the hub of Floyd County VA’s awesome agricultural scene.
This region is teeming with small farms, food artisans, and food producers.
The beautiful Floyd Farmers Market is located in Downtown Floyd, and open on Thursday afternoons (May through November) and Saturday mornings (May through December).
If it isn’t a market day, locals recommend visiting some of the farm stores just out of town. Wildwood Farms General Store is arguably the most popular one.
READ MORE: The 10 Best Corn Mazes in Virginia to Visit
9. Take Photos at Mabry Mill
We had visited Mabry Mill on the Blue Ridge Parkway on a previous trip, not knowing just how close to Floyd we were.
This historic mill is considered one of the best stops on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and is easily the most frequently photographed of all the major BRP attractions.
Along with the mill and a super cool water channeling system, the stop has several historic buildings with unique features inside them, including a blacksmith shop.
There’s also a really nice gift shop here, and a great restaurant that typically packs them in (but is temporarily closed).
READ MORE: The 20 Best Blue Ridge Parkway Restaurants in VA & NC
10. Zipline with Buffalo Mountain
The town of Floyd is nestled among the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. So it’s no surprise that ziplining has become an increasingly popular thing to do there.
Buffalo Mountain Ziplines has 8 cables that include some of the longest and highest ziplines in Virginia.
In addition to their standard Blue Ridge Zipline Tours, Buffalo Mountain offers a Full Moon Zip & Smores, as well as a Nighttime Tour.
In peak season (Memorial Day through October), they offer 5 tours a day at 9 AM, 11 AM, 1:30 PM, 3:30 PM, and 5:30 PM. -by Jonathon Engels; lead image courtesy The Floyd Country Store