This Incredible Virginia State Park Is Brimming with 100+ Wild Ponies

Perri Ormont Blumberg
This Incredible Virginia State Park Is Brimming with 100+ Wild Ponies

Planning a fall getaway? If you love seeing majestic members of the animal kingdom, consider a trip to Grayson Highlands State Park, an oft-overlooked state park nestled near Mouth of Wilson, Virginia.

There, visitors have the chance to see beautiful wild ponies going about their day on the Appalachian Trail. As Wide Open Country recently shared, "The area along the Appalachian Trail is one of the last remaining places where you can find feral ponies in the wild. According to the U.S. Forest Service, these animals were created as an experiment by local ranchers to see if horses could survive in the local area without (or with limited) help from humans. After breeding a horse with a pony, these wild ponies are the result, happily roaming free."

Indeed, these creatures are quite the sight to behold. While a Google search may reveal some of the more popular places to see ponies in the park, rest assured that spotting these animals is quite common.

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The price of petting ponies in the Grayson Highlands: 10.5 miles straight up a mountain. Having said ponies come back to the shelter and keep you up all night: priceless! . . . . . . . #graysonhighlands #graysonhighlandsponies #graysonhighlandsstateparkva #backpacking #virginiaisforlovers #girlsrock #girlswhohike #mountrogers #mountrogersva #mountrogersnationalrecreationarea @jilllysmalls

A post shared by Rachael Rose (@rainchell) on Apr 3, 2017 at 6:10am PDT

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Such an awesome experience to be around the wild ponies of Mt. Rogers! I loved seeing them in their natural environment, free to roam and explore as they pleased. It was funny to see them interact with Buddha. I wonder if they thought he was a little horse as well? I stayed with them for as long as I could that day, they followed me around and kept thinking I would feed them! Can’t wait to go back and visit again. 🐴

A post shared by Griffin Kelly (@griffinmk) on Sep 19, 2019 at 11:29am PDT

Of course, the picturesque state park offers plenty of breathtaking views beyond only these wild ponies. For a park trail guide and information on camping and lodging, visit the Grayson Highlands State Park website here.

WATCH: Watch These Adorable Mini Horses Stay Warm In Their Mini Coats

What's your favorite lesser-known park to visit in the South? Share with us so we can add it to our running list of "Oh, the Southern Places You'll Go!"