Day 67 – Rocky Knob State Park, Floyd, VA to Smith Mountain Lake State Park, Huddleston, VA

10/17/2026

Today’s route of 67 miles began along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

It was supposed to be on a gravel path roughly parallel to the Parkway. John, Greg, & Rolf chose to ride on the Parkway instead of the gravel. Mark had truck duty today. Riding 15 miles on the Parkway reduced the gravel portion of the route that was going to be 28% of the ride.

Unfortunately, that was followed by about 15 miles of narrow roads, no shoulders, and significant traffic.

The route contained a 4-mile downhill section that was fast and fun. Overall, the route had about 4,150 ft of climbing; the cyclists worked hard. The final 5 miles of the route were beautiful and flat; the scenery was lovely and the road smooth and quiet.

The Smith Mountain Lake State Park was very nice; quiet, with all the amenities we desired.