The scenic road over Roanoke Mountain (milepost 120.3) is a four mile one way loop road that affords stunning views of Roanoke, Roanoke Valley, and Mill Mountain.  The Roanoke Mountain Loop Road is located at milepost 120.3 of the Blue Ridge Parkway.  There are seven overlooks along the four mile road.  At the top parking area is the trailhead for the short Roanoke Mountain Summit Trail.

This loop trail starts at either of the summit parking lots.  From the upper lot, enter the woods by a sign and descend through boulders on a switchbacking flight of stone steps with a hand rail.  The trail dips into a little gap with crags above.  The trail goes to the left of the crags up stone steps, then turns right to the cliff line the trail passes behind. 

The trail jogs left, weaves back and forth over stone steps and ascends through the summits small crags.  The summit is at 2193 feet.  The trail now descends across the piney, rounded crest of the mountain and past the gap opposite the rocks you climbed up earlier.  The path rises gently to the lower parking area.  You can visit the summit using any route or just do an out and back hike.

This hike is featured in the hiking guide book Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway.