The Mountain Area of Virginia encompasses 19 counties in southwestern Virginia. The range of mountains known as the Blue Ridge Mountains is the eastern range of the Appalachian Mountains, which extends south from Pennsylvania to northern Georgia. Beginning with a narrow ridge in the north, the Blue Ridge Mountain range broadens toward the south, reaching a maximum width of 70 miles in North Carolina. The highest point in Virginia is found in these mountains. This peak, called Mount Rogers, is found in the southern part of the region in Grayson County. Mount Rogers is 5,729 feet high.

The Blue Ridge is a major East Coast recreation area noted for its resorts and scenery. The Appalachian Trail winds atop the range. Another famous sight in the Blue Ridge Mountain Region is the Natural Bridge, owned for a time by Thomas Jefferson and it is said that George Washington carved his initials 23 feet up the wall.