Everything you need to know about Virginia’s stretch of The Appalachian Trail

Discover the best hikes, scenic spots, and trail clubs along Virginia’s 557-mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail.

With more miles of the Appalachian Trail than any other state, Virginia is a premier destination for both casual hikers and seasoned thru-hikers seeking to experience the country’s most iconic footpath. Spanning 557 miles across the commonwealth, Virginia’s stretch of the trail offers panoramic views from McAfee Knob, wild ponies near Mount Rogers, and serene treks through Shenandoah National Park.

From day hikes to multi-day adventures and community-driven trail clubs, this guide covers everything you need to know to explore Virginia’s portion of the Appalachian Trail.

The Appalachian Trail stretches 2,180 miles across 14 states from Katahdin, Maine, to Springer Mountain, Georgia. (Virginia Tourism Corporation)

History of the Appalachian Trail

The Appalachian Trail was started in the early 1920s but wasn’t completed until the late 1930s. A whopping 99% of the trail is protected through federal and state ownership and rights-of-way. The trail was originally designed and marked by hiking clubs from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

The A.T., as it’s called, stretches an astonishing 2,190 miles across the 14 states from Katahdin, Maine, to Springer Mountain, Georgia, making it the country’s longest running volunteer project. Surprisingly, Virginia is home to the most miles of trail, with 557 of them.

Each year, roughly 3,000 people attempt to thru-hike the public footpath from Maine to Georgia. It’s visited by over three million people yearly.

Notable sites

While the Appalachian Trail is a wonder in and of itself, it is also home to several notable sites.

McAfee Knob

McAfee Knob can leave one feeling as though they’re on top of the world. With its distinct 270-degree panoramic views of the rolling hills and valleys that encircle it, there’s a reason why it’s one of the most photographed spots along the entire trail.

When visiting it, be prepared to put in some serious hiking effort. At an elevation of 3,197 feet, it’s perched high above the valley below on Catawba Mountain. In total, a 4-mile hike is required to reach the knob.

If you only plan on visiting the knob, you’ll likely want to take the McAfee Knob Trailhead Shuttle, which transports hikers from the nearby city of Salem to the trail access.

McAfee Knob is a rock ledge that offers 270-degree panoramic views of the surrounding valleys and mountains. (Virginia Tourism Corporation)

Blackrock Summit

Blackrock Summit is a unique boulder pile along the Appalachian Trail that offers views of the surrounding Shenandoah Valley and Massanutten Mountain. It’s located in Shenandoah National Park.

To reach the summit, a 1-mile hike is required, which is classified as easy.

Shenandoah National Park

Shenandoah National Park is comprised of more than 200,000 acres of wilderness and wildlife. While it has over 500 miles of trails, 101 of them are part of the Appalachian Trail. The portions of the trail that run through the park follow the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Appalachian Trail hikes in the park are described as being good for beginners.

Visitors to the park who drive along the 105-mile Skyline Drive can end up crossing the Appalachian Trail more than 30 times. To complete the drive, it takes roughly three hours. The drive along the mountain top was conceived in 1924 after the Southern Appalachian National Park Committee, a group designed to find a suitable location for a national park in the East, decided that an automobile-friendly park would be most appropriate.

Mount Rogers High Country

Mount Rogers High County along the Appalachian Trail offers a rare mixture of spruce-fir forests, meadows, wild ponies, and rock formations. The area is part of the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, a 200,000-acre patch of untouched land. Notably, Mount Rogers has the distinction of being the highest point in the commonwealth, reaching 5,729 feet.

Volunteers from the Mount Rogers Appalachian Trail Club maintain the section of the trail that runs through the Mount Rogers High Country. While there, look for white blazes that signify the Appalachian Trail.

Hikes

The Appalachian Trail offers a number of hiking options, including day hikes, thru-hikes, and multi-day hiking with varying degrees of difficulty. Look for the white blazes on trees and rocks to make sure you’re on the trail.

Kelly Knob

Located in the New River Valley, Kelly Knob is a 6.6-mile roundtrip hike that goes along the ridge between John’s Creek Mountain and Clover Hollow Mountain.

The trail takes hikers off and then back onto the Appalachian Trail. It offers views of 50-foot cliffs, striking rock fissures, and sandstone beds.

The Priest Wilderness

The Priest Wilderness hike will take you through a 5,963-acre reserve in Amherst and Nelson counties. It takes 3.6 miles round-trip.

The hike features the highest portion of The Priest Mountain, as well as streams that flow over it, and views of the Tye River Valley.

Triple Crown

The Triple Crown is perhaps the most famous of the Appalachian Trail hikes in Virginia. The hike has three major components—Dragon’s Tooth, McAfee Knob, and Tinker Cliffs.

Dragon’s Tooth is a unique rock formation that juts up into the sky. The 35-foot-tall quartzite rock spire can be reached on its own via a 2.3-mile hike along stream-lined trails.

McAfee Knob’s rock ledge is the ideal spot to watch the run rise or set. It can be reached via a 10-mile round-trip hike.

Tinker Cliffs is perhaps the lesser-known of the three, but shouldn’t be overlooked. The 7.7-mile round-trip requires hikers to climb to a 2,000-foot elevation gain to reach the 250-million-year-old limestone cliffs.

Notably, the hike isn’t for the faint of heart, given that those who want to conquer it in one go must complete a 32-mile loop. Despite its grueling duration, the hike’s unmatched views make it well worth the exertion.

Dragon’s Tooth is a 35-foot-tall quartzite rock spire. (Virginia Tourism Corporation)

Appalachian Trail Clubs

Those who love the trail may decide to join one of the many clubs that work to preserve.

Potomac Appalachian Trail Club

The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, which is headquartered in Vienna, is nearly a century old. It was established in 1927 to maintain trails, cabins, and shelters along a 1,000-mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia.

Volunteer opportunities extend to outreach, administrative work, mapping, and maintenance. There is a $50 yearly fee for membership. Be sure to check out the club’s event calendar to find out what hikes are coming up. Even if you don’t want to get involved, you can still rent one of the club-maintained cabins, which range from primitive to modern.

Old Dominion Appalachian Trail Club

The Old Dominion Appalachian Trail Club is a volunteer social club that maintains 19.1 miles of trail between Reeds Gap and Rockfish Gap. To maintain the trail, the club leads regular trail maintenance trips.

The club also organizes a variety of hiking, backpacking, biking, and paddling events, as well as social gatherings. Individual memberships cost $20.

Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club

The Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club is dedicated to preserving the roughly 120 miles of the Appalachian Trail that stretch between the Roanoke and New River valleys. The club traces its roots back to 1932 when it was started by one of the Appalachian Trail’s founders.

With more than 400 members, the club is quite active. Volunteers can help with things like boundary walking, leading hikes, and trail maintenance. Annual individual memberships run $20. The club even has get-togethers, like group hikes and happy hours.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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