November 7th, 2008 -  I was in Roanoke, Virginia visiting with my good friend Craig Counts, when we decided to head out on the Blue-Ridge Parkway to see if we could get some photo opportunities.  Our initials thoughts were to head up to Mill Mountain (to the Roanoke Star), but we just happened upon a parking lot at mile-marker 114.9 with a view of the Roanoke River and the Niagara Hydroelectric Dam so we stopped there instead.  Neither of us had been to this spot before so we hiked down into the ravine via the "Roanoke River Trail", which is a very short, blue-blazed trail that goes to the water's edge.     

Old Power Plant Building 

Along the Roanoke River

The Roanoke River 

Craig and I both took a lot of shots at this interesting location.  We didn't get one of the 50' dam built in 1906 (as we didn't have enough daylight to hike upstream), but we did get some shots of the unique, old power-plant building downstream.  Supposedly, this dam and power plant is the Country's smallest hydroelectric plant.  

We are also quite certain we saw a Bald Eagle flying near the Parkway bridge.               

Bridge on the Blue-Ridge Parkway

Small Rapids on the River

Craig Takes Some Shots

Total Miles Hiked:  0.5 

Getting There:  

Driving - This one is on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Roanoke, Virginia.  Mile Marker 114.9.  There's a small parking area at the trailhead.      

Trails - From the parking lot, follow the blue-blazed trail to the rivers edge.  It's approximately .25 miles (.5 round-trip)  There's also a white blaze trail that goes back under the Parkway if you want to explore further, but we didn't take that  one.