Hanging Rock in Roanoke County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Hanging Rock Battlefield Trail
Welcome to the Hanging Rock Battlefield Trail. This 1.6 mile linear park is the Roanoke Valleys first rails-to-trails project converting a former railroad right-of-way into a hiking and biking trail. The projects master plan presents an orientation and overview of the significant features of the trail. Your are standing at the north trailhead, a focal point for the interpretation of the Battle of Hanging Rock, Buzzards Roost, and the Virginia Scenic By-Way extending northward along on Mason Creek.
The Hanging Rock Battlefield Trail is a culmination of a cooperative effort among the County of Roanoke, the City of Salem, and the Hanging Rock Battlefield and Railway Preservation Foundation. Trail construction funds were provided by the Virginia Department of Transportation through ISTEA grant funds. This project would not have been possible withoutthe interest and cooperation of the property owners in the Hanging Rock area. Special gratitude is due the Hinchee family, the United Daughters of the Confederacy, and the Norfolk Southern Corporation for their extreme generosity in donating lands for the completion of the trail and battlefield park site.
The Hanging Rock Battlefield and Railway Preservation Foundation is composed of private citizens and representatives of the County of Roanoke, City of Salem, Roanoke Civil War Roundtable, Roanoke Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, History Museum and Historical Society of Western Virginia, Salem Historical Society, Sons of Confederate Veterans Fincastle Rifles Camp #1326, United Daughters of the Confederacy Virginia Division, Valley Beautiful, and the Virginia Museum of Transportation.
Erected 1999 by County of Roanoke, the City of Salem, and the Hanging Rock Battlefield and Railway Preservation Foundation.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Railroads & Streetcars. In addition, it is included in the Sons of Confederate Veterans/United Confederate Veterans, and the United Daughters of the Confederacy series lists.
Location. 37° 19.677′ N, 80° 2.419′ W. Marker is in Hanging Rock, Virginia, in Roanoke County. It can be reached from the intersection of Dutch Oven Road and N. Electric Road (Virginia Route 419). Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Salem VA 24153, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Mountain Region and in Southwest Virginia. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: United Daughters of the Confederacy Monuments (here, next to this marker); The Battle of Hanging Rock (here, next to this marker); George Morgan Jones (a few steps from this
marker); Hanging Rock & the Hinchee Family (a few steps from this marker); Hinchee Park (a few steps from this marker); Carvins Cove Natural Reserve (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Battle of Hanging Rock (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); McCausland Attacks (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hanging Rock.
More about this marker. Marker is one of several interpretive signs along the cinder-surfaced, 1.7-mile long Hanging Rock Battlefield Trail that winds along Mason Creek and Kessler Mill Road in Salem, Virginia.
The map on the right of the marker outlines the route of the trail as it winds along the old rail bed.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Hanging Rock Battlefield Trail and other Related Markers
Credits. This page was last revised on April 29, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 7, 2009, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. This page has been viewed 3,398 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 7, 2009, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia.


