Flag Rock stands high above the city of Norton, Va and affords you great views of Southwest Virginia and even into the state of Kentucky. I personally love Flag Rock, I feel that you are cheating yourself if you drive by this beauty and don't take the 10 minutes it takes to travel up the mountain to the overlook. The road leaves highway 23 at Norton and immediately goes straight up! It's extremely curvy, narrow, and downright dangerous to pass on. The park is gated at dark and as you travel through it, there are plenty of nice picnic areas along the way. My hats off to the city of Norton for maintaining this beautiful area.

I have been working in Wise, Va and stopped by to take some pics from the overlook. There were several other people there enjoying the park but the rock itself is so vast you feel like your the only one there. A small bridge takes across a gap onto the rock and you can walk in any direction and have a perfect view. The rock slopes downward and you can walk to it's edge as it narrows and off in the distance a large rock outcrop rises high above the treeline with an American Flag planted in it's center. Sadly, the flag has been torn and soiled from the harsh weather it's exposed to. I'm sure the city is in the process of getting it replaced (they did last year) The air was refreshing,the sun was warm, it was nice to have my tie off and my shoelaces loosened.  I could see in the distance the store I was working at three miles away. I switched lenses and played with the zoom, after thirty minutes I was satisfied and realized I still had over an hour drive home. The hills of Virginia were my former home and it was nice to sit atop one of the treasures they have to offer, however, Flag Rock is just the beginning...happy trails.