Humpback Rocks Visitor Center and Picnic Area

The visitor center features a little history as well as some items for sale, such as books, toys and t-shirts.
Public bathrooms are located there as well.
The historical cabins/cottages are right next to it with a bare minimal distance to walk- for those of us who are not fans of long walks - this is perfect!
Due to the fact of not being able to walk much, I was disappointed that there weren't any benches to rest- not even by the cabins.
The little self guided tour is FREE. 😊
Past these cabins is a hiking trail that goes into the woods and up the mountain - if you like longer hikes.

We were there to listen to the Bluegrass life music, but apparently it was canceled and nobody really knew why. Staff at the visitor center told us that there is a new park ranger and a turn around in staff- sounded to me that it was an organizational issue....

Great place for a rest stop while traveling on the Blue Ridge Parkway, plus a little store, friendly and knowledgeable rangers, and a little walking tour of what mountain living would have been like a hundred years ago - cabins and descriptive plaques!

We visited in late May 2023 (memorial day weekend). It was Friday around noon and it was pretty busy while we were there. Lots of people coming in and out of the visitor center. We think they had just opened that week for the season. They had a small exhibit area inside the visitor center and it was well staffed with multiple rangers. The area outside had shaded areas and bathrooms. There was a hiking path outside to see old farmstead buildings that had been moved onsite and also our kids did the junior ranger program for the blue ridge parkway. Apparently each visitor center has it's own mini junior ranger which is slightly different. We were able to have them completed the badge requirement in about 30-45 mins. If you completed 4 visitor centers there is a patch and then a pin if you do all 10. At each location you complete the activity they give you a sticker that goes into the book.

The park store also located inside the visitor had a great selection of park specific merch for it's size. Focus on humpback rocks. Lots of pins, patches, hiking medallions, key chains shirts and hats etc. They had snacks to. The National Park passport stamps are located on the left as you walk in. They have 3 different stamps.

So much fun! Definitely advanced, and I had to stop a bit, but it was so worth it!

Motorcycling through Blue Ridge Parkway is awesome. The temp is about 10 degrees cooler and the lookout points are many. The visitor center was very helpful.

Loved this hike. Went on a Monday. Hiked the long side up. This is an intermediate to difficult hike depending on experience. Lots of gain in elevation. Descent is steep (went down the short side). Overall a great day & hike. The hike went pretty quick, but it was a weekday. Ranger was super nice, we hiked from the ranger station to the trail head- added about an extra 1/4-1/2 mile. Rock is fun & views are definitely worth the hike. Strongly recommend doing this hike during the week as parking is a premium

This was an awesome, scenic little place to stop and stretch our legs before continuing down the Blue Ridge Parkway. We stopped to use the bathrooms(clean, good shape!) and wound up staying over an hour by walking the beginning of their trail, taking photos, and interacting with the Park Ranger on site.

Awesome place with some nice all area and a chance to see deers. One can also do the humpback hike.

Great stop for a picnic or hike. There was plenty of parking in the lot and on the field. Bathrooms were great. Several picnic tables available as well

Nice, out of the way surprise!
1850 to 1950 -a time of settling the Blue Ridge mountains. A small farm with unique old buildings that are not often seen on tours, such as a spring house. Anne, a park ranger, was very informative and friendly. She had a lot of information to share.

Great place to learn, by phyiscal representation, of the western frontier from pre revolutionary times; Land Grants. Also amazing programs to learn about music, arts, crafts, farming, economy, history, and way of life of mountain range populace of the Appalachian Virginia. Go National Park Service!

Only a few short miles south of the northern terminus of the Blue Ridge Parkway at Rockfish Gap, Humpback Rocks offers not only one of the best views of the surrounding area but also a look back in time at the life of the early Blue Ridge pioneers as carved their small farms out of the mountain wilderness.
A visit to the old Carter cabin and out buildings here is well worth the visit. It is just beautiful.

Nice Parking area with a trail and historic farm .

Definitely a moderate to hard hike. Pretty steep climb but worth it.

Virginia has some of the most beautiful mountains in the world!

Be prepared for a challenging hike. Not good for the casual hiker. Well worth the effort as the views are amazing!

Awesome sights, cabins and other old age buildings fascinating. Park Ranger super nice and informative.

The area was clean despite the visitor center being closed. Informative display and a historical refurbished canal lock was a short walk away.

Nice scenic and village theme walking trail here. You can see good fall colors here.

Went to see bluegrass bands and learn about the blue ridge parkway. The scenery is breathtaking.