The Hanging Rock Battlefield Trail is a 1.6 mile linear park in the Roanoke Valley and the valley’s first rails-to-trails project, converting a former railroad right-of-way into a hiking and biking trail. At the north trailhead, visitors are oriented to significant features associated with the Battle of Hanging Rock, Buzzard’s Roost, and the Virginia Scenic By-Way extending northward along Mason Creek. The trail resulted from a cooperative effort among the County of Roanoke, the City of Salem, and the Hanging Rock Battlefield and Railway Preservation Foundation, with construction funds provided by the Virginia Department of Transportation through ISTEA grants. The project also depended on the interest and cooperation of property owners in the Hanging Rock area, including land donations from the Hinchee family, the United Daughters of the Confederacy, and the Norfolk Southern Corporation, and support from a foundation made up of private citizens and representatives of local historical, civic, transportation, and heritage organizations.