Witness Breathtaking Views Of Five States Over Appalachian Peaks From One Virginia Perch

A 200-step climb up a steel tower in rural Virginia leads visitors to a perch that on a clear day offers sweeping vistas of the Appalachian Mountains stretching across five states: Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The tower, named Big Walker Lookout, has offered travelers the same panoramic views for over 75 years. And the country store at its base has long served up ice cream and locally crafted goods.

While the stunning view is the real reward for traveling to the tower and climbing its stairs, the home of the lookout, Wytheville, is a quirky, rural destination worth exploring, too. The classic downtown, divine cuisine, and endless outdoor beauty in this underrated Virginia city punch far above its size of about 8,000 residents. Wytheville is located in southwestern Virginia, surrounded by a national forest and state parks. It offers unique roadside attractions designed to draw travelers off the interstate, including a huge pencil attached to the front of a downtown office supply store, and, at the other end of the size spectrum, a tiny, white clapboard chapel that's one of the smallest churches in the United States.

Wytheville isn't near any large metropolitan area, but flights can be found coming into Raleigh County Memorial Airport. The town is located along Interstate 81 between the small cities of Roanoke, Virginia, where you'll find a small regional airport, and Johnson City, Tennessee. People driving through the area might be going to those two places, or Blacksburg, the home of Virginia Tech's main campus, which is about an hour away. Nearby natural areas, including Hungry Mother State Park, Grayson Highlands State Park, and Mount Rogers — Virginia's highest point – also draw visitors out to this corner of the state. 

Big Walker Lookout was named for the mountain on which it was built in 1947. Since then, it's remained in operation by the Kime family, who also run the on-site BW Country Store. To get there, visitors should take Highway 52 north of Wytheville for about 13 miles. As drivers get closer to the site, the route follows the Big Walker Mountain Scenic Byway, a 16-mile stretch through national forest and private land that encompasses Big Walker Lookout.

The lookout is also part of the Virginia Bird and Wildlife Trail, which is an organized network of dozens of the best places to spot birds and animals across the state (think nature trails, rivers, mountain summits, and scenic overlooks). Big Walker Mountain, named for the explorer Thomas Walker, sits at 3,405 feet of elevation. The lookout tower adds another 100 feet, making it an ideal perch for birdwatching. From the base or top of the tower, it's possible to spot turkeys and black vultures, bald eagles, golden eagles, peregrine falcons, and American kestrels. The site is best for catching glimpses of various types of hawks during their migration, including Cooper's, broad-winged, and red-tailed.

Tickets to climb the tower cost $8 for adults and $5 for children ages 4 to 12. Kids 3 and younger can climb for free. A swinging bridge leads ticket holders to the tower stairs. From the top, visitors can see across George Washington and Jefferson National Forest to the south — a view that stretches across multiple states. To the north is a patchwork of farmland.

After climbing up and back down the tower, visitors can round out their trip to the mountaintop with Virginia-made ice cream or fudge at the BW Country Store. The store also sells jams and relishes, as well as locally crafted candles, purses, wreaths, and jewelry, among other items. May to October is an ideal time to visit Big Walker Lookout, as those months bring local musicians to the Country Store to play free shows. The store is also a hub for local authors to discuss their books and sign copies, and the Kime family sometimes hosts demonstrations on the weekends, such as teaching visitors historic methods for making apple butter. 

Visitors should be sure to snap a photo with the "LOVE" sign, one of more than 300 signs across Virginia that pay homage to the state slogan, "Virginia is for lovers." The sign at Big Mountain Lookout highlights the musicians, craftsmen, and authors in southwest Virginia.

Once finished on Big Walker Mountain, travelers can head back down to Wytheville to visit the town's other unique sites. Virginia towns are home to many quirky roadside attractions, including one retro forest with giant fiberglass creatures, and Wytheville doesn't disappoint in that regard. In addition to the tiny chapel and the big pencil, visitors can tour the Edith Bolling Wilson Birthplace Museum, housed in the building where the former first lady was born in 1872. Other museums in the small town include the Haller-Gibboney Rock House, built in 1823 and used as an infirmary and school during the Civil War, and the Great Lakes to Florida Highway Museum, which is based in an old Texaco station and explores the time when Route 21 was the main road connecting Ohio to Florida.