Big Bend Picnic Area, Big Walker Mountain, Wytheville, Va.

Updated: I had a plant mislabeled. See below

We've visited the Big Bend Picnic Area twice in the past couple of months. Though it's a picnic site, we didn't take a lunch with us. We were there to explore the Big Walker Mountain area.

A turk's cap lily.

A mondara, or bee balm. A friend corrected me and said this is a "wild bergamot." Oops!

Chris has lamented the lack of butterflies this year. He's almost convinced they're all hiding out here on the mountain. There are many butterflies and other insects along the dirt road by the picnic area.

The last time we visited, Chris was able to get a few good photos of butterflies, including the rare Diana fritillary.

This is a male Diana fritillary. The female is brown with blue. (Please correct me if I'm wrong.)

Other areas to check out while you're on Big Walker includes the country store and Monster Rock Trail, which has a trail head located behind the store.

There's also Seven Sisters Trail and the Stony Fork Campground, which are both located at the foot of the mountain. The Seven Sisters Trail winds 4.8 miles up the mountain to the campground.