updated: 2021/5/13

Southwest Virginia in the middle of Appalachia where the Appalachian Trail runs right through was our home throughout our days as graduate students. Since then, we have moved to Washington D.C. giving us access to the Appalachian Mountains further to the north.

This portion of this site is dedicated to our experiences and opinions about hikes in the area (more in the form of a trip report). The ranking of these hikes reflect my personal preferences of the hikes. A big caveat of hiking in Virginia is that the same hike is different depending on the season, such as the fall foliage bump. So your own experience will definitely vary. For more of a guide to regional hikes and a great resource that I will cite throughout, see Hiking Upwards.

If there is a place you’d want us to report on within reason, I’ve set up a patreon that allows you to direct the time we spent out in the world and on this page. 

trailhead map

Below is an interactive google map with the trailhead location for each of the hikes I’ve done. You can click on each one for the direct link of the report on the hike if available. Each hike is labeled with my personal rankings.

John’s personal rankings

* denotes a picture only for now, trip report of these past hikes to come in the future

1. 1. Old Rag Mountain
   2. Grayson Highlands Loop (hike video)
   3. Tinker Cliffs via the Andy Layne Trail (hike video)
   4. The Cascades and Barney’s Wall (hike video)
   5. Apple Orchard Falls and Cornelius Creek Loop
   6. Channels of Virginia
   7. Dragon’s Tooth
   8. Devil’s Marbleyard
   9. McAfee Knob
   10. Maryland Heights Loop – Harpers Ferry (hike video)
   11. Great Falls Maryland in Chesapeake & Ohio Canal NHP: Billy Goat A & B Loop
   12. Devil’s Bathtub *
   13. Roaring Run
   14. Jones Run & Doyles River loop
   15. The Priest * and Crabtree Falls *
   16. Great Falls Park Virginia: Difficult Run Loop
   17. Catoctin Mountain Park & Cunningham Falls Loop
   18. Chimney Rock, Riprap Hollow, & Wildcat Ridge Loop (video)
   19. Sherando Lake, Torry Ridge, & White Rock Falls Loop
   20. Compton Peak via the AT from Jenkins Gap to Chester Gap
   21. North Mountain near Lexington, VA
   22. Terrapin Mountain & Reed Creek Loop
   23. Stiles Falls
   24. Fridley Gap loop
   25. Tibbet Knob
   26. Big Schloss, Mill Mountain, & Little Stony Creek loop
   27. Goshen Pass and Jump Rock Loop * – hike temporarily closed
   28. Mount Pleasant loop
   29. Grayson Highlands: Massie Gap to Wilburn Ridge via AT SOBO
   30. Little Rocky Row from James River Footbridge on the AT
   31. Carvins Cove and Hay Rock
   32. Wilson Mountain & Sprout Run Trail Loop
   33. Peaks of Otter: Sharp Top
   34. Strickler Knob via Scothorn Gap
   35. Little Schloss
   36. Peaks of Otter: Flat Top & Fallingwater Cascades
   37. Big and Little House Mountains
   38. Rock Castle Gorge Loop
   39. Overall Run & Beecher Ridge loop
   40. Franklin Cliff & Hawksbill Summit loop (hike video)
   41. Spy Rock via Meadows Lane & AT *
   42. Blackrock, Trayfoot Mountain, & Paine Run loop
   43. Buzzard Rock North
   44. Ramsey Draft & Jerry’s Run loop
   45. Dismal Creek and Sugar Mountain Loop with Dismal Falls
   46. Cold Mountain, aka Cole Mountain
   47. Bottom Creek Gorge loop
   48. Hoop Hole
   49. Falls Ridge Preserve *
   50. Petites Gap, Highcock Knob, & Sulphur Spring loop
   51. Angel’s Rest
   52. Hone Quarry Waterfall
   53. Cove Mountain loop (hike video)
   54. Little Stony Creek to Woodstock Reservoir
   55. Poor Mountain Natural Reserve Loop
   56. Fort Lewis Mountain Tower Outlook via Angeline Trailhead
   57. Read Mountain & Buzzard Rock
   58. Sugarloaf Mountain & the Northern Peaks Trail (hike video)
   59. Hidden Valley *
   60. Bear Church Rock
   61. Blue Suck Falls Loop – Douthat State Park *
   62. Roanoke Star and Mill Mountain loop
   63. Kelly’s Knob via Piney Ridge *
   64. Fulhardt Knob via AT *