# US 11: The Valley Road South *the Great Wagon Road's last act* US 11: The Valley Road South is a ~150-mile back-roads route from Roanoke to Bristol on US 11, driven in 1–2 days, that stays off I-81 through the Upper South. - **Drive:** Roanoke → Bristol - **Distance:** ~150 mi - **Days:** 1–2 - **Highways:** US 11 - **Avoids:** I-81 - **Region:** Upper South - **Themes:** Small Towns, History & Markers, Oddities & Roadside Wonders, Eats & Institutions The Great Wagon Road carried a quarter-million settlers down the Valley of Virginia, and its southern reach is the stretch the trucks on I-81 never see: a ten-stool Roanoke burger shrine open since 1930, a hundred-foot lookout tower with a swinging bridge, an 1807 shot tower dropping lead into the New River, and Abingdon's Barter Theatre, which sold Depression-era tickets for vegetables. It lands at the Bristol sign, where the Crooked Road takes the handoff. Markers: Great Road and Wilderness Road markers alternate the length of the pike. ## The drive, segment by segment ### New River Country *Roanoke → Pulaski · ~45 mi* Out of the star city through Christiansburg and Radford, the ancient river crossing the young road. Stops: - **Texas Tavern** (Roanoke) · Eats & Institutions — Ten stools, open around the clock since 1930, self-styled Millionaires Club that 'seats a thousand people, ten at a time.' Order a Cheesy Western. ### Wytheville *Pulaski → Marion · ~45 mi* The crossroads town of towers, pencils and a First Lady, then Hungry Mother's CCC lake. Stops: - **Big Walker Lookout** (Wytheville) · Oddities & Roadside Wonders — A 100-foot tower and swinging bridge atop the mountain, a family roadside operation across three generations. - **Wytheville** (Wytheville) · Small Towns — Birthplace of First Lady Edith Bolling Wilson, with her museum downtown and a 30-foot pencil hanging off the office-supply store. - **Jackson Ferry Shot Tower** (Austinville) · History & Markers — An 1807 stone tower that dropped molten lead 150 feet into the New River to make shot; one of the last standing in America. ### Abingdon & the Border *Marion → Bristol · ~60 mi* The Barter's marquee, Main Street's federal brick, and the state line down the middle of Bristol. Stops: - **Hungry Mother State Park** (Marion) · State Parks — A CCC original around a mountain lake, named for the frontier legend of Molly Marley; the story is grim, the swimming is not. - **Barter Theatre** (Abingdon) · Cult Classics & Pop Lore — Opened in 1933 taking produce for admission, 'ham for Hamlet'; now the State Theatre of Virginia, with Gregory Peck among its alumni. - **The Bristol Sign** (Bristol) · Welcome Signs & State Lines — The century-old arch over State Street straddling two states: 'A Good Place to Live.' The Crooked Road route picks up the music from here. ## Tips and best time to go - The pike and I-81 trade places constantly; use the interstate to skip, US 11 to see. - Barter runs two stages; matinee one, evening the other, sleep in Abingdon. ## Worth a detour - **Foster Falls & New River Trail** — A 57-mile rail trail state park along the New; Foster Falls keeps the old furnace, hotel ruin and livery. - **Abingdon Muster Grounds** — Where the Overmountain Men mustered in 1780 before marching to Kings Mountain; the trail's northern trailhead. ## Frequently asked questions ### How long is US 11: The Valley Road South and how many days does it take? US 11: The Valley Road South is about 150 miles and takes 1–2 days at a back-roads pace. ### Where does US 11: The Valley Road South start and end? It runs from Roanoke to Bristol. ### Which highways does US 11: The Valley Road South follow? It follows US 11. ### Which interstate does US 11: The Valley Road South replace? It avoids I-81, using US 11 instead. ### How many stops are on US 11: The Valley Road South, and what are the highlights? 7 stops are mapped, including Texas Tavern, Big Walker Lookout, Wytheville, Jackson Ferry Shot Tower and Hungry Mother State Park. ## Connects with - [The Crooked Road](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/crooked-road) — Bristol → Floyd - [The Wilderness Road](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/wilderness-road) — Bristol → Berea - [Blue Ridge Parkway & the Smokies](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/blue-ridge) — Roanoke → Cherokee (+ Smokies spurs) --- Canonical URL: https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/valley-pike-south Publisher: Dixie Media (Dixie Road Trip, https://dixieroadtrip.com/) Last updated: 2026-10-05