State parks, including Claytor, Douthat, Sky Meadows and Smith Mountain Lake, offer recreational opportunities galore, from horseback riding to cross-country skiing. Natives in small towns take for granted a continuing stream of blaze orange-clad backpackers and bikers enjoying country byways. Blue Ridge forest preserves offer some of the finest fishing and hunting in the Southeast. Some hunters and anglers prefer to go it alone, while others enlist local guides who know the way of the woods and streams. Licenses can be obtained at a variety of stores.
Most visitors come to see rather than stalk, and they're never disappointed.
The hills are home to black bear, deer, turkey, small game and a variety of songbirds. It's a great way to spend a hot summer afternoon. If your idea of a hazard is a sand-filled bunker on the edge of a tiered green, you'll find a plethora of excellent public, semiprivate and resort courses in the Blue Ridge. As you're probably beginning to suspect, choosing an activity in the Blue Ridge Mountains is like trying to select a meal from a mile-long Virginia buffet. There are far too many recreational opportunities to list completely in these pages.