Mabry Mill
Mabry Mill on the Blue Ridge Parkway Virginia (2009)

Mabry Mill

Mill wheel at Mabry Mill
Mill Wheel at Mabry Mill

Mabry Mill is one of the most visited and photographed spots on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is located near milepost 176 on the Virginia part of the Parkway. The mill area includes the grist mill, a blacksmith shop, sawmill, old cabins, and a moonshine still (not working).

Mabry Mill showing plume leading to mill
Plume leading to Mabry Mill

The mill is still in use. And if you're lucky you might find someone working in the blacksmith shop. When we first started going to the mill in the fall, there was a demonstration of making sorghum, but we haven't seen this for several years. In fact the sorghum pans are in very bad repair and probably couldn't be used. There also used to be lots of other demonstrations of mountain crafts but they don't seem to happen any more. One thing that does still happen in music and dancing.

Ducks at Mabry Mill
Ducks at Mabry Mill

There are usually a bunch of ducks swimming around in the pond below the mill. They stick around until late fall--or at least the white ducks do. The kids love to feed them. The workers at the mill seem to treat them as pets.

The restaurant provides some good country cooking.

Mabry mill with duck in foreground
Mabry Mill taken 1977
Mabry Mill 1973
Mabry Mill 1973

We've got a ton of pictures of the mill from our film days and more recently from our digital days. The mill just begs to have its picture taken. It's impossible to pass the mill without stopping to take a picture and wonder the grounds.

You can get an idea of the changes in the mill by comparing the 1973, 1977 photo and the 2009 photo.

The mill makes a good photo even in late fall after all the leaves have fallen from the trees. I think the mill makes a nice black and white subject this time of year.

Black and White photo of Mabry Mill in late fall after leaves have fallen
Mabry Mill in Late Fall