02/05/2026
Hopefully only a few more weeks until spring!
In Virginia, you can combine viewing wild ponies with incredible views as you hike at Grayson Highlands State Park! While most of the state is covered in dense forest, this park features massive, wind-swept "balds"...high-altitude meadows filled with wild grasses and ancient rock formations. The stars of the show are the wild ponies. They were brought here in 1974 to act as "natural lawnmowers," grazing on brush to keep the highlands open. Today, about 150 ponies roam free across the park and the neighboring Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. As you hike trails like Massie Gap or the Appalachian Trail, you’ll see these rugged animals grazing against a backdrop of 5,000-foot peaks and purple rhododendrons, just off (or on!) the hiking paths! On a clear day, the views stretch for miles into North Carolina and Tennessee. It is a rare place where you can mountain hike while sharing the trail with wild horses.
