Southwest News

VASP’s Southwest region encompasses seven independent cities and 21 counties, spanning from Alleghany to Carroll to Lee. Our region is home to the Blue Ridge Parkway, a scenic road that winds through historic sights and areas offering Appalachian crafts and music, and the Crooked Road, Virginia’s heritage music trail. Each county and city within our region offers its own unique personality and distinct attractions; here are highlights from a few:

• Alleghany County
  
• Bland County
• Botetourt County - is part of the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail. Here you can retrace the steps of Lewis and Clark, stroll through scenic towns, and adventure outdoors on our many trails and waterways.

• Bristol Independent City

• Buchanan County
• Carroll County - Rooted in the Appalachian Mountains, we border North Carolina and offer an array of breath-taking geography, including several state parks, the New River, mountain top views, scenic foothills, and Piedmont vistas. Our county hosts the Southwest Virginia Farmer’s Market. Hillsville, our county seat, is home to the largest Flea Market east of the Mississippi, attracting over 500,000 visitors a year.
• Covington Independent City
• Craig County
• Dickenson County
• Floyd County
• Giles County
• Galax Independent City - is known as the World Capital of Old Time Mountain Music and annually hosts the Galax Bluegrass and Old Time Fiddlers Convention. Our Blue Ridge Music Center was established by the U.S. Congress to celebrate a living musical culture and commemorate the historic roots of American music.
• State BBQ festival
• Grayson County - is home to the highest peaks in Virginia. Known for our outdoor activities, we offer endless hiking and biking trails, rock bluffs and boulders, and creeks, rivers, and streams in our state park and state forests.
• Lee County - houses a portion of Cumberland Gap National Park, as well as Wilderness Road State Park.  We have developed ATV trails and associated RV Park, a restored theater that serves as a hub for community events, including national artists such as Larry Sparks and Brass 5, Barter Theater productions, local and regional musicians, movies, beauty pageants, and a local theater group.  Our river is the Powell River, for fishing and small crafts, horseback riding trails up Cumberland Mt, and a greenbelt walking trail along the river and around the community ball fields and swimming pool.  A Distillery has been announced.  We have 4 red lights. The Eastern end of the county is 90 minutes from shopping/dining in Bristol and the Western end of the county is 90 minutes from shopping/dining in Knoxville.”
• Montgomery County
• Norton Independent City
• Pulaski County
• Radford Independent City - is located in the heart of the New River Valley and is home to Radford University and New River Community College. Radford University offers a School Psychology Ed.S. program, hosts numerous theater, art, dance, and music productions throughout the year, and runs a Planetarium and Museum of Earth Sciences.
• Roanoke County
• Roanoke Independent City
• Russell County
• Salem Independent City
• Roanoke College
• Scott County
• Smyth County
• Tazewell County
• Washington County
• Wise County
• Location of UVA-Wise University
• Wythe County
• Wytheville Committee College with campus also in Galax City