The Surry Scenic Bikeway includes more than 500 miles of officially designated routes. Four major loops, along with connector and feeder routes, make up its network. The Pilot Mountain State Park Spur climbs 1,400 feet above the rolling landscape of the upper Piedmont Plateau to Pilot Mountain State Park. The park is in Surry and Yadkin Counties and centers on a distinctive geological rock outcrop. This brings together a broad cycling perspective and a clearly defined geological focus.
Landscape and Waterways
Surry County is characterized by rolling hills, free-flowing rivers, and old-growth forests framed by mountain peaks. Its four rivers offer 100 miles of navigable Blueway routes. The Surry County Four Rivers Map provides information on 100 miles of waters suitable for kayaking and canoeing, as well as put-in and take-out locations. This also makes the map a practical guide to navigating the waterways.
The water offerings also include 36 miles of state-designated trout waters. They are stocked twice a year with brook, rainbow, and brown trout. Paddling waters and trout streams cater to different interests: one is about finding your way on the water, the other about designated fishing waters.
Wine and Local Specialties
The Yadkin Valley American Viticultural Area was established in Surry County in 2003 and was North Carolina’s first officially recognized American Viticultural Area. The Surry County Wine Trail runs through and around Dobson, Elkin, Mount Airy, and Pilot Mountain. Its map highlights 16 wineries in and around Surry County, as well as three breweries. In this way, the wine theme combines a specific regional designation with a route that includes several towns in the county.
Local foods have their own trails, too. The Surry Sonker Trail introduces a traditional dish passed down through generations in Surry County and leads to seven restaurants that regularly offer sonker on their menus. Sonker is similar to a deep-dish pie or cobbler and is made with fruit and irregularly shaped pieces of dough. The Surry Ground Steak Trail features 11 family-owned restaurants serving this specialty associated with Surry County. Participating restaurants and published figures may change; check these details before your trip.
History, Music and Culture
Horne Creek Farm lets visitors experience rural life in northwestern North Carolina’s Piedmont around 1900. The Horne Creek Living Historical Farm hosts an annual corn shucking festival, among other events. Another historical trace dates to the 1820s: the Bean Shoals Canal project was an undertaking begun at the time but never completed, to build a canal around shallow, rocky river shoals.
The Andy Griffith Museum in Mount Airy displays hundreds of items from Andy Griffith’s career in theater, film, and music. The Siamese Twins Museum tells the story of Eng and Chang Bunker through artifacts and interactive exhibits. Eng and Chang Bunker and their families moved to Mount Airy in 1854—a specific date and place in their story.
At the Old-Time Music Heritage Hall, you can find artifacts, portraits, and display panels about notable figures in old-time music from Surry County. “Folkways: Music of Surry County” runs continuously there. The Historic Earle Theatre regularly hosts events to preserve, promote, and protect the county’s musical heritage. The Mount Airy Old-Time Fiddlers Convention program includes competitions, jam sessions, dancing, singing, educational activities, and entertainment for the whole family. It traditionally takes place on the first full weekend in June.
Architecture and historic townscapes are also part of the cultural discoveries. The Gertrude Smith House is a Victorian home with period furnishings and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A guided tour conveys the character of a “living museum.” The Village of Rockford in Surry County is listed on the National Register of Historic Districts. Its historic buildings and attractions include Rockford Methodist Church and Tony Griffin’s fresco “Come Unto Me.”
Discover more destinations: Mt Airy, Elkin, Dobson, Pinnacle, Harnett County, Hyde, Transylvania County, Guilford.
For the broader travel overview: North Carolina.
