The Blue Ridge Parkway’s Mabry Mill

Mabry Mill Virginia a historic grist mill

UPDATED: 2/4/2023

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Mabry Mill construction began around 1903 by Edwin Mabry. Within a few short years, it was an operating gristmill. Today, the mill sits off of the Blue Ridge Parkway and is one of the most photographed mills with large numbers of people visiting it per year.

Located about 1.5 hours south of Roanoke on more direct roads or about 2 hours south of Roanoke via the Blue Ridge Parkway, the mill is open year-end with a 0.5 mile trail around the site. To visit a era-appropriate cabin and see historic demonstrations, you’ll need to be a little more particular in your visit time, as there are limited weekly times that are primarily in the summer and fall.

We have visited twice. The first trip was in the middle of the summer and while others were there, it wasn’t too overly crowded. We were able to enjoy the oft-photographed view of the mill across the water with orange lilies blooming next to it. The gristmill itself was open, and we were able to check out the structure from the inside. There were several demonstrations around the site.

The second visit was in the beginning of November 2014. The peak leaf color was a little late that year, and so we took a drive on the parkway to enjoy the colors. Once we got into Floyd County (south of Roanoke), the temperature dropped drastically, and there were patches of snow and ice, which were completely unexpected. By the time we got to Mabry Mill, it was quite chilly, but we were rewarded with a cool sight: icicles hanging from many parts of the site plus some pretty fall leaf colors near the mill. Two seasons in one!

While the visit is a fairly short one, Mabry Mill is well worth a day trip from surrounding areas or an easy stop on your Blue Ridge Parkway adventure!