Big Walker Mountain Scenic Byway

The Big Walker Mountain Scenic Byway in one loop: from Wytheville the route takes I-77 north to exit 47, follows VA-717 along the foot of the mountain to Stony Fork, climbs US-52 over Big Walker Mountain past the Big Walker Lookout and drops into Bland, then returns to Wytheville on I-77. It's 40 miles, and about 23 of them are on the interstate, the price of closing the loop. The lookout's 100-foot tower sits right beside the road at the top.

Wytheville sits where I-81 and I-77 meet, which makes it the usual base for riders exploring southwest Virginia. This loop takes I-77 north to exit 47 and leaves the interstate for VA-717, a quiet road along the foot of Big Walker Mountain that runs west to Stony Fork. There the route turns north onto US-52 and climbs the mountain.

At the crest, right beside US-52, is the Big Walker Lookout: a 100-foot tower at about 3,405 feet with a country store at its base where tickets for the climb are sold. The road then drops down the north side of the mountain to Bland, and the route returns south to Wytheville on I-77. About 23 of the loop's 40 miles are on the interstate, which is what it takes to close it; the scenic part is VA-717 and US-52.