Comprehensive development plan

E. Recreation

Recreational opportunities are abundant in Carroll County. A substantial amount of outdoor recreational opportunities are available in the county. Hiking, biking, canoeing, fishing, and golfing are highly prevalent in the county. Hiking and biking locations include, but are not limited to: Beaver Dam Creek Walking Trail, Granite Quarry Overlook, Agricultural Lease Interpretative Overlook, and Carter Pines Community Park. The major canoeing locations in Carroll County are the Fries to Byllesby New River Route and Lovill’s Creek Lake Recreation Area. Some of the prime fishing areas are the Crooked Creek Wildlife Management Area and Stewart’s Creek Wildlife Management Area.

Carroll County also provides residents and visitors the opportunity to enjoy competitive and leisure activities. There are three golf course located within the county: Olde Mill Golf Resort, Skyland Lakes Golf Club, and the Blue Ridge Golf Course. Other competitive sports, such as baseball, basketball, and football, are available through the county recreation program; and these sports are also available through the public school system.

The location that encompasses the most outdoor activities would be the New River Trail State Park. The state park provides opportunities for hiking, biking, canoeing, horseback riding, fishing, and wildlife observing. Camping in the county is also available at the New River Trail State Park and at the Fox Trail Campground.

A small portion of the Jefferson National Forest (the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area) lies within the northwestern corner of Carroll County, and thirty miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway is located within the county. The Blue Ridge Parkway, completed in 1977, is a 469-mile scenic route through Virginia and North Carolina. According to Blue Ridge Parkway Superintendent Daniel Brown, the Blue Ridge Parkway is also consistently one of the most visited national park areas administered by the National Parks Service. Approximately 20 million tourists travel the Blue Ridge Parkway annually, thus causing a great economic impact for the counties in which the parkway lies. The economic impact can be as great as two million dollars per year for the 29 counties of Virginia and North Carolina. The Blue Ridge Parkway not only provides Carroll County residents with recreational opportunities, but with the possibility of substantial economic growth.²

A recent addition to Carroll County tourism is The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail. The Crooked Road is a driving route through the coalfields, Appalachian Mountains, and the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Carroll County is home to two stops on the trail: the Blue Ridge Music Center and the Rex Theatre. The Blue Ridge Music Center is located near mile marker 213 on the Blue Ridge Parkway in both Carroll and Grayson Counties. Phase I of the music center opened in 2001, which includes an outdoor amphitheatre with seating capacity for 2,000 people, picnic areas, and a gift shop. Phase II is currently underway and will include an interpretive center, exhibit gallery, an indoor auditorium, and a music library and classroom for school groups.³

The second stop on The Crooked Road is the Rex Theatre, located in the City of Galax. Every Friday night since 1999, WBRF-FM 98.1 has broadcast “Blue Ridge Backroads” live from the Rex Theatre. Listeners in four states are able to enjoy the sounds of “Old Time Mountain Music.”⁴

Visitors to the area are encouraged to visit the Blue Ridge Plateau Visitors Center located in Hillsville. The visitor center is situated off Interstate 77 Exit 14. The center provides visitor information for the entire state of Virginia, as well as, emphasizing information on Carroll, Grayson, Patrick, and Floyd Counties, and the City of Galax.

F. Fire Departments

Carroll County has three volunteer fire departments: Hillsville, Cana, and Laurel Fork. The Hillsville and Cana departments have three stations. The Hillsville Fire Department consists of 42 volunteers; Cana Fire Department-43 volunteers; and Laurel Fork Fire Department-31 volunteers. The three volunteer fire departments combined provide Carroll County with 11 pumper trucks, 16 tanker trucks, and 16 auxiliary vehicles of varying types.

G. Rescue Squads

Carroll County is served by eight rescue squads: Dugspur Rescue Squad, Laurel Fork Rescue Squad, Carroll County EMS, Cana Rescue Squad, Pipers Gap Rescue Squad, Lansburg Rescue Squad, Carroll County Search and Rescue, and Laurel Rescue Squad. Fire and rescue dispatch are also available through the Twin County Hospital dispatch. The membership for each squad is as follows: Dugspur-15, Laurel Fork-14, Carroll EMS-37, Cana-19, Pipers Gap-33, and Laurel-38. There are 29 rescue vehicles available for residents of Carroll County.

H. Law Enforcement

The Carroll County Sheriff’s Department is the primary law enforcement agency in the county, headquartered in Hillsville. A total of thirty-four personnel work at the Sheriff’s Department. The Sheriff’s Department consists of seventeen full-time deputies, one part-time deputy, five dispatchers, three investigators, three civil processors, two school resource officers, one secretary, one clerk, one search and drug dog, and the sheriff.

The Hillsville Police Department also protects and serves Carroll County. The Police Department is comprised of twelve personnel: seven full-time police officers, two sergeants, one lieutenant, one chief, and one office manager. Fourteen Virginia State Police officers are assigned to Carroll County.

All communications for local law enforcement agencies are handled through the central dispatch in the Sheriff’s office. Communications with the FBI, State Police, and other outside law enforcement agencies are also handled through the central dispatch.

I. Water Supply and Treatment

The Carroll County PSA operates eight water systems in the county: Carroll County and Route 100, Woodlawn, Gladeville/Cranberry, Tower Road, Cana, Fancy Gap, Industrial Park, and Hillcrest. The Carroll County water system is located along Route 58 East in Hillsville, Route 221 North in Hillsville and beyond, Route 100 North, Lovelle Road, Whitestown Road, Little Vine Road, Double Cabin Road, Hardscuffle, and Spring Willow Road. The Woodlawn system is located within the Woodlawn section of Carroll County. The Gladeville/Cranberry system is located along Route 58 West, Cranberry Road, Glendale Road, Hebron Road, and Riverhill Road. Tower Road system provides water along Tower and Bedsaul Roads, and also a small section of Pipers Gap Road. The Cana system water supply runs North and South along Route 52 and across the North Carolina border. Fancy Gap system provides water to the area surrounding U.S. Interstate 77 Exit 8. The Industrial Park system provides water to the area surrounding U.S. Interstate 77 Exit 14 and the Hillcrest subdivision off of Route 666.

Carroll County PSA operates 27 wells and purchases water from the Town of Hillsville for the Industrial Park water system and from the City of Galax for the Tower Road water system. The gallons per minute (GPM) for the wells range from 12 GPM to 145 GPM, with the average being 28.6 GPM. The wells range from three to 40 years old and are all located in the vicinity of their respective water systems. The county wells, the Town of Hillsville, and the City of Galax treat 669,340 gallons per day (GPD). The plants for the 27 wells are capable of treating 1,111,200 GPD. The City of Galax is capable of treating 48,960 GPD, and the Town of Hillsville can treat up to 125,000 GPD.