Living Near the Greenways and Trails

Outdoor access is a real buying criterion here

In a lot of places, "near trails" means a park twenty minutes away. In the Roanoke Valley it can mean a paved river greenway at the end of your street, a mountain-bike system on the city's edge, and the Appalachian Trail a short drive away. If that's why you're moving, put it on the list next to bedrooms and budget.

The greenway network

The Roanoke River Greenway is the spine: more than 15 miles built through Roanoke, Roanoke County, Salem and Vinton, with the longest unbroken stretch about 8 miles from Bridge Street to the Tinker Creek Greenway. Greenways along Mason Creek, Lick Run and Tinker Creek connect to it, and the Mill Mountain Greenway climbs from downtown to Mill Mountain Park.

Across the region there are more than 40 miles of greenway, and the river greenway is planned to run over 30 miles when it's finished.

The big three outdoor places

Carvins Cove Natural Reserve: about 12,700 acres owned by the City of Roanoke, with roughly 60 miles of trail around a reservoir on the north side of the valley.

McAfee Knob: the Appalachian Trail's most photographed spot, off Route 311 above the Catawba Valley. Trailhead parking is limited, so living close enough to go on a weekday helps.

The Blue Ridge Parkway: it runs along the city's southeast edge, reached from Route 24, the Mill Mountain spur and US 220, with Explore Park at milepost 115.

Matching the house to the trail

For greenway riding and running, look at Wasena, Grandin and Raleigh Court, South Roanoke, Norwich, Salem near the river, and Vinton near the Wolf Creek and Glade Creek greenways.

For mountain biking, the north side of the valley and southern Botetourt put Carvins Cove close.

For hiking, Salem and the Catawba road shorten the drive to McAfee Knob, and the southwest county and Vinton are close to the Parkway.

The trade-off: rivers flood

The greenway follows the water, and so does the floodplain. In November 1985 the Roanoke River crested just over 23 feet and the flood killed ten people in the valley. The flood reduction project built afterward was designed to hold a 25-year flood and to reduce, not prevent, a 100-year one.

Before you buy near the river or a creek, check the FEMA flood map for the parcel and price flood insurance, even if the lender doesn't require it.

Questions to ask about a trail-side house

How far is the walk or ride to the nearest access point, and does it cross a busy road?

How busy is that stretch of greenway on a Saturday morning?

Where does the parcel sit on the FEMA flood map?

Are new greenway segments planned nearby?

Where do the bikes go?