Start at the parking lot
Location: 37.249939, -79.935518
Go left to the Mill Mountain Garden Club Park, right to the greenway
Well hidden letterbox is nearby
Location: 37.250077, -79.936225
Visit www.letterboxingorg to learn more. Like geocaching, but can work more easily with younger children.
Bikers, be aware...
Location: 37.251575, -79.937734
Loose rocks and fallen branches often cover the trail.
Turn around here to return to the Discovery Center and parking lot
Location: 37.254478, -79.934602
or look for information about the add-on Monument Trail.
Mill Mountain Discovery Center
Location: 37.249934, -79.935497
Turn right to begin descent along MM Greenway
Location: 37.249931, -79.935495
Right turn down the road
Location: 37.249572, -79.936534
Left is the Mill Mountain Zoo employee parking lot. This does lead to a lovely overlook where the old Mill Mountain Incline used to be.
Road blocked to large vehicles
Location: 37.249838, -79.936505
at this point
side trail leads to Watchtower Trail
Location: 37.250844, -79.935794
Stay the greenway to continue on the trail
Cross historic bridge towards home
Location: 37.251925, -79.933513
Road is no longer blocked to large vehicles
Lovely view of the Roanoke Valley
Location: 37.252097, -79.932946
Up close photo of gardens at the home
Location: 37.252113, -79.932794
Continue on greenway, under historic bridge
Location: 37.25211, -79.932786
Fallen tree or hidden dinosaur?
Location: 37.252107, -79.933017
Continue right on the greenway
Location: 37.251051, -79.937797
Left leads to Big Sunny Trail. In August of 2008, 78 hiking kazoo players boasted being Roanoke's largest hiking kazoo band ever.
Original entrance on Prospect Road
Location: 37.252882, -79.936672
As of July 2009, much needed reconstruction is in the works.
Prospect Road open to residential area
Location: 37.25416, -79.935455
Prospect Road leads to Sylvan Road
Location: 37.254495, -79.934694
Turn around here or consider add-on of Monument Trail to return to the top.
Intersection with Roanoke River Greenway
Location: 37.259299, -79.933026
Elmwood Park
Location: 37.267854, -79.939409
The Mill Mountain Greenway connects Mill Mountain park with the Roanoke River Greenway and ultimately downtown Roanoke. Visit www.greenways.org to learn more about Roanoke's extensive greenway network.
Ideal for
- walking during lunch
- biking
- visiting with friends
- walking the dog
Time requirements
A short hike down, a moderately steep hike back up, the Mill Mountain Greenway will take you about an hour to complete.
Directions to trailhead at top of Mill Mountain
- Follow J. Fishburn Parkway towards Mill Mountain Zoo and Discovery Center. Stop at the Discovery Center to use the restrooms and pick up a lovely map of the hiking and biking trails found on Mill Mountain
- Just outside of the Discovery Center, you will find a trail which leads to the Mill Mountain Zoo
- Before the entrance to the Mill Mountain Flower Garden, you will see a road which leads to the right. Follow this road, and you will see that it starts heading down the mountain
- This is the old road which people used to take to visit the Mill Mountain Star and the Incline
- If you don't know the story of the incline, stop in the Mill Mountain Discovery Center for information.
Trail/Trip description
The road down is very relaxing. Take your time and look at the surrounding plant life and listen for small animals in the leaf litter. Lizards and squirrels abound. Watch for poison ivy and loose rocks which both line the trail.
Notes/Add-ons
- Mill Mountain is home to many wonderful hiking and biking trails. Stop by the Mill Mountain Discovery Center to pick up a nice map.
- At the Discovery Center, you can check out a backpack adventure. There are 3 themed backpacks waiting to be checked out. You can find books, nature tools, and an activity guide.
- Mill Mountain Zoo is just waiting around the corner. Follow the sound of the train whistle. The zoo is open year round. It is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. As of July 2009, the entrance fees were as follows: $7.50 for adults, $5.00 for children ages 3-11, Children 2 and under are free.
- To add more adventure to the hike, consider returning to the parking lot via Monument Trail. This trail is steep and long, compared to the Mill Mountain Greenway. It is not paved and you should be advised that the terrain is less stable. Also, watch out for speeding mountain bikes.
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