The Andy Layne Trail

A temporary detour is in effect for the lower portion of the Andy Layne Trail. To access this detour, hikers should park in a new location 0.5 miles south of the current parking area on Catawba Road (SR 779) and follow blue blazes. Check the map below for details.

A permanent reroute of this portion of the Andy Layne Trail is underway, along with a new parking lot to open later this year. Most of the Andy Layne Trail is on land belonging to Roanoke Cement, who granted an easement for public access to the trail across their property.

On February 6th, 2026, we began receiving reports that trees had been cut and heavy equipment was operating on a portion of the trail which should have been protected by the easement. Subcontractors working in the area had gone out of bounds, creating unsafe conditions on the trail. As soon as Roanoke Cement learned of this error, they called the project to a halt while RATC and ATC volunteers marked the trail closed. At no point was it Roanoke Cement’s intent to close the trail prior to the opening of the new route, nor was there any plan to remove existing trees along the Andy Layne Trail. Roanoke Cement is currently investigating how this oversight occurred.

Partners from the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and Roanoke Cement met on-site February 9th, 2026, to assess the damage and make a plan to maintain safe public access.