1-Day Itinerary
Treat Your Family to a Day of Fun in Smyth County!
Whether you’re looking fora quick day trip, staying the week at Hungry Mother State Park, or just passing through, Smyth County Virginia offers affordable fun for the whole family. The following itinerary includes the top family-friendly activities in Smyth County, in other words, our can’t-miss attractions. If you’re staying longer in the area, check out our multi-day itinerary featuring popular regional attractions that are perfect for a day trip from Smyth County.
Hungry Mother State Park Information for Families
No visit to Smyth County is complete without a trip to Hungry Mother State Park. This gorgeous state park is a great spot for a family vacation, offering a 108-acre lake with a sandy beach, perfect for swimming, fishing, and canoeing. Stop in at the Discovery Center located on Park Drive to get oriented. Not only does this visitor center offer maps and schedules of family-friendly activities, it’s a destination in its own right. Adults will be interested in the unique history of the park, while kids enjoy the animal ambassadors who live in the Discovery Center, including Helgar the Hellbender, an endangered amphibian native to Appalachia.
While you’re in the Discovery Center, ask about the popular geocaching activity, or pick up a self-guided tour brochure for kids. Ask the staff for upcoming events that would be appropriate for children, such as guided canoe tours or the evening Owl Prowl.
Hungry Mother State Park offers a variety of lodging options, from comfortable historic cabins built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s to camping sites, yurts, and a lodge.
Eats & Treats: Where to dine in Smyth County
Start your day by fueling up with a hearty southern breakfast. The Downtown Pioneer is located just 10 minutes away from Hungry Mother State Park on Main Street in Marion. Other popular breakfast spots include Sur 81: Breakfast and Burritos just outside Marion at exit 45, and Papa’s Cafe in Chilhowie, VA.
For lunch and dinner, browse our list of restaurants. Two of our favorites have been serving up fast food treats for over 60 years. Head down I-81 for a world-famous “dip dog” and basket of onion rings at the historic Dip Dog Stand (Exit 39), or while you’re in Saltville, stop in at Buck’s Drive-In for a famous footlong hotdog. And be sure to leave room for dessert! Ice cream at Blazin’ Scoops in downtown Marion or The Market on West Main in Saltville is a must.
Saltville and the Museum of the Middle Appalachians
Just 7 miles from the interstate is the fascinating little town of Saltville, Virginia. Start your visit at The Museum of the Middle Appalachians, a thoughtfully curated museum that covers 30,000 years of history, “from the Ice Age to the Space Age!” Highlights include a life-size woolly mammoth skeleton and an interactive 3D map of the region. Little ones will love pushing the light-up buttons!
Next you can stretch your legs on the Salt Trail, featuring a playground and interpretive walking trail. Or take a short nature walk around the Saltville Wellfields. Once the site of a massive salt production, these waters are now a top birding location, drawing an unusual mix of migratory birds to the salty, brackish water.
Blue Ridge Discovery Center
Travel 20 minutes from Chilhowie up towards Whitetop Mountain to Blue Ridge Discovery Center to explore the outdoors. BRDC is non-profit organization dedicated to exploring and sharing the natural history of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It offers a variety of programs, including school programs, summer camps, naturalist rallies, and research projects. The center features a residential education facility, a biological field station, and plans for an interpretative visitor center. Its mission is to inspire curiosity, discovery, and stewardship through educational and engaging experiences in the natural world.
The Settlers Museum of Southwest Virginia
Older kids will enjoy the history at the Settlers Museum of Southwest Virginia, a 67-acre open air museum. Tour a historic farm house to see what life was like in 1890s Smyth County. The original house and outbuildings that are standing right were they were first built, along with a one-room school house dating to 1894. Hike along the nature trail or the famous Appalachian Trail that passes right through the grounds.
Park Place Drive-In
Finally, catch a feature at Park Place Drive-In, an old-fashioned, family-friendly drive-in movie theater. Park Drive-in was originally built in 1954. The current owners rebuilt the facility in 2000 and still operate it today! Open seasonally, generally Memorial Day through the fall, It also offers putt-putt, an arcade, and ice cream stand.
This is just a sampling of all of the activities available for families in our region of Southwest Virginia. Staying a little longer in our area? Meet the wild ponies of Grayson Highlands State Park or take a bike ride on the famous Virginia Creeper Trail. Click the link below for more information!