Beacon Heights is a great (and easy) hiking train just off of the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Located at mile 305.2 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, the trail’s intermediate uphill path leads to a beautiful lookout where you can view the mountains and valleys below.  This is a great pit stop or picnic stop.  If you go just before dawn or dusk, you will have a nice view of the sunrise (to the left of the look out) and the sunset (to the right of the look out).  If one of your family members is scared of heights, this trail may not be for you.  Although there is not a steep drop off, there is a rock face that looks downward onto the valley below.