Where Virginia Begins

A Local Guide to Lee County, Virginia

Plan a day around Appalachian trails, living history, small-town stops, local businesses, handmade goods, and the community events that make Virginia’s far southwest corner worth exploring.

Plan your day Find local businesses

Start With the Place

Mountains, stories, and useful local stops.

Lee County occupies Virginia’s far southwestern corner, bordered by Tennessee and Kentucky. Its two incorporated towns are Jonesville, the county seat, and Pennington Gap. Between and beyond them are mountain communities, farms, parks, trails, historic sites, local businesses, and a long relationship with the routes that carried people through the Cumberland Gap.

This guide is built for a satisfying day, not a race between pins on a map. Choose one anchor experience, add a local meal or shop, and leave time for the roads and conversations in between. That slower approach is often where Lee County feels most like itself.

LoveLeeVa is based in Jonesville and connects local discovery with a larger mission: helping more attention, skill, and spending stay close to home.

Things to Do in Lee County

Four good ways to begin.

Pair a well-known destination with local food, shopping, or an event. You will see more of the county and put more of your visit into the community around you.

01Outdoors + Living History

Wilderness Road State Park

Start in Ewing for walking, biking, picnicking, frontier history, and the reconstructed Martin’s Station. The park is a practical first stop for understanding the landscape and history of far Southwest Virginia.

Check the official park page

02Mountain Gateway

Cumberland Gap

Explore the historic mountain passage where Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee meet. The national park offers overlooks, trails, visitor information, and deeper routes into Appalachian natural and cultural history.

Plan with the National Park Service

03Small-Town Stops

Jonesville + Pennington Gap

Build time around Lee County’s two incorporated towns. Look for local meals, shops, community parks, historic places, performances, and the everyday businesses that give a visit its sense of place.

Find local businesses

04What’s Happening

Community Events

Festivals, music, markets, family activities, public meetings, and seasonal programs can turn a simple drive into a full Lee County day. Check dates before leaving and add something local to the plan.

See the community calendar

Ready-Made Routes

Three ways to spend a Lee County day.

Use these as a starting point, then check hours, weather, trail conditions, and the community calendar before you go.

A first visit

History, town, and a local table

Begin at Wilderness Road State Park and explore the visitor center or trail.
Choose a Lee County restaurant or shop through the local business directory.
Spend the afternoon in Jonesville or Pennington Gap, then check the calendar for an evening event.

An outdoor day

Mountain views and open trail

Choose a Cumberland Gap hike that fits your group, weather, and available daylight.
Leave room for overlooks, photos, and a slower mountain-road pace.
Refuel locally and take home a Lee County-made good instead of ending the day at a chain stop.

A slow local day

Makers, main streets, and community

Start with coffee, breakfast, or a locally owned shop in the directory.
Browse LoveLeeVa goods and look for businesses, parks, or cultural stops nearby.
Finish with live music, a festival, a community gathering, or another calendar find.

Know Before You Go

Give a rural day room to breathe.

Check the day’s details.

Park programs, tours, performances, business hours, and events can be seasonal. Confirm with the official source or organizer before traveling.

Plan for mountain roads.

Stops may look close on a map while the drive asks for more time. Download directions, keep fuel in mind, and avoid stacking the itinerary too tightly.

Leave the place stronger.

Buy local when you can, follow park guidance, stay on marked routes, respect private property, and carry out what you bring in.

The LoveLeeVa Lens

A good visit should create local value.

The best Lee County guide is not only a list of scenery. It also helps people find the maker, restaurant, performer, shop, tradesperson, and community group connected to the place.

LoveLeeVa calls that Grow Your Own Adventure: explore locally, tell better stories about rural Virginia, and keep more of the benefit close to the people doing the work.

Browse the business directory Shop locally made goods Learn about LoveLeeVa

Helpful Answers

Lee County guide FAQ.

Where is Lee County, Virginia?

Lee County is in the far southwestern corner of Virginia. It borders Tennessee to the south and Kentucky to the north and west. Jonesville is the county seat, and Pennington Gap is the county’s other incorporated town.

What is Lee County best known for?

Lee County is closely connected to the Cumberland Gap and Wilderness Road, Appalachian mountain scenery, frontier and coal heritage, outdoor recreation, small towns, community events, and locally made goods.

Can I explore Lee County in one day?

Yes. For a first visit, choose one major outdoor or historic destination, one town, and one local meal or event. The county is rural, so a focused route usually makes for a better day than trying to fit in every stop.

Where can I find current Lee County events?

Use the LoveLeeVa community calendar for local events, then confirm time, location, admission, and weather details with the organizer before traveling.

How can my visit support the local community?

Choose locally owned restaurants and shops, attend community events, buy from area makers, respect private property and park rules, and share specific local businesses with others after your visit.

Plan With Current Information

Official sources for your visit.

Guide reviewed August 5, 2026. Conditions and operating details can change; confirm them directly before leaving.

Make It a LoveLee Day

Find one more local stop.

Build your route with a Lee County business, community event, or locally made good.

Find a Business Check the Calendar