Mill Mountain is an iconic part of Roanoke, known for the historic Roanoke Star, breathtaking valley views, educational Discovery Center, wildflower garden, Mill Mountain Zoo, and of course, the extensive trail system! This beloved landmark is a top attraction in the Star City, and will soon be even more welcoming to visitors thanks to a Project Outside grant to fund updated trail maps.
Just minutes from downtown, the 580+ acres of Mill Mountain Park offer bountiful outdoor opportunities. Currently, over 10 miles of natural surface trails are enjoyed by hikers, equestrians, and mountain bikers all year long. On the northeast side of the mountain, more trails are on the way! The Roanoke Parks Foundation is currently building four miles across five new trails in the park. The new trails will connect to the existing trail network and provide neighborhood access points. Learn more about that project here.
The last update to the Mill Mountain Trail map was eight years ago in 2017. Since that time, dedicated volunteers and city staff have added and rerouted several trails, including five trail corridors identified in the Mill Mountain Trails Plan Amendment (6a, 10, 12, 13, and 15). To reflect these changes and the ongoing trail construction, the time is right to update the trail maps! Staff have already begun working on a fresh design, which we’ll be ready to share very soon. The generous Project Outside grant will cover the installation costs for maps at four kiosks on the mountain, significantly improving accessibility for all users.
The Roanoke Parks Foundation anticipates completion of the new trails later this summer, and the updated maps are expected by the end of the year. We look forward to these exciting enhancements to our beloved Mill Mountain!
About Project Outside
Project Outside is a community fund created by businesses, governments, and individuals to support outdoor capital improvement projects, maintain key outdoor assets, and help launch and support businesses in the outdoor sector. Project Outside is a partnership between the Roanoke Outside Foundation and local land managers (i.e. local governments, ATC, NPS, etc.) of identified regional outdoor assets. Project Outside is designed to help ensure that outdoor assets remain in top condition for residents and visitors.
Since its creation in 2020, Project Outside has awarded $205,000 to 41 different regional projects that benefit the outdoor community.
