Hanging Rock Battlefield
Trail
The Hanging Rock Battlefield Trail opened in 1999. The Hanging Rock Battlefield and Railway Preservation Foundation has spearheaded efforts to preserve this historic route and finance the rail-to-trail conversion.
The nearly two-mile path follows the route of an abandoned railroad, donated by Norfolk and Southern. The trail stretches from a trailhead on Kessler Mill Road in Salem to the Hanging Rock area, where in 1864, Confederate forces caught and defeated the rearguard of a retreating Federal force.
Trail Length: 1.7 miles
Trail Surface: cinder surface
Directions
From State Route 419:
From Rt 419 go west on East Main Street in Salem, VA. At the first light turn right onto Kessler Mill Road. Go half a mile to the parking lot on the left.
From Mill Mountain Discovery Center:
Turn left off J. P. Fishburn Parkway on to Walnut Avenue. Take Walnut Avenue to S. Jefferson Street and turn right. Turn right on Elm Avenue. Take I-581 N. At the end of I-581 N, merge onto I-81 N. Take Exit 141, Salem, Virginia. Turn left onto State Route 311. The parking area for the Hanging Rock Battlefield Trail is on the left adjacent to the parking area for the Orange Market and Convenience Store.
From the Roanoke Valley Convention and Visitor's Bureau:
Start on Shenandoah Avenue NE. Turn right onto Jefferson Avenue. Make another immediate right onto Wells Avenue. Turn left onto Williamson Road at the light and enter I-581 N via the on-ramp. Continue on I-581 until its terminus and merge onto I-81 N. Take Exit 141, Salem, Virginia. Turn left onto Thompson Memorial or Rte. 311. The parking area for the Hanging Rock Battlefield Trail is on the left adjacent to the parking area for the Orange Market and Convenience Store.