Coal Mining Heritage Park

What do you get when you combine over 100 years of history, a brownfield site (abandoned coal mine), six distinct biozones on 29.2 acres, and a lot of enthusiasm?

A park.

The Coal Mining Heritage Park is both an outdoor science laboratory and nature center for area schools and an outdoor historic and archaeological museum. Whether your interest is the cultural past, the natural past, or a present influenced by both cultural and natural forces, the Coal Mining Heritage Park offers something to peak your curiosity.

Reflecting the rich history and work ethic of the mining community, the park is being developed and built almost entirely with donated materials and volunteer labor. The Montgomery County Departments of Planning and Parks and Recreation, members of the Coal Mining Heritage Association, faculty and students from the Montgomery County Public Schools, the Fairfax Public Schools (through Radford University), Radford University and Virginia Tech, area businesses (Lowes, Reed Lumber, and Draper Aden), corporate researchers from Waste Policy Institute, and many others have volunteered their time and expertise over the past three years.

The Coal Mining Heritage Park is located at Merrimac (next to the intersection of Merrimac and Hightop Roads) and stretches for .6 mile south along the Huckleberry Trail. If you are driving from Blacksburg, you can reach the park by taking turning right onto Hightop Road (just north of the hospital), turning left onto Merrimac Road, crossing the bridge, and immediately turning right.