
updated: 2021/8/4
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
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- Grayson Highlands Loop (video)
- Old Rag Mountain
- Tinker Cliffs via the Andy Layne Trail (video)
- The Cascades and Barney’s Wall (video)
- Apple Orchard Falls and Cornelius Creek Loop
- Channels of Virginia
- Dragon’s Tooth
- Devil’s Marbleyard
- McAfee Knob
- Whiteoak Canyon & Cedar Run loop
- Maryland Heights Loop – Harpers Ferry, West Virginia & Maryland (video)
- Chimney Top, West Virginia
- Great Falls Maryland in Chesapeake & Ohio Canal NHP: Billy Goat A & B Loop, Maryland
- Devil’s Bathtub *
- Roaring Run
- Jones Run & Doyles River loop
- The Priest * and Crabtree Falls *
- Great Falls Park Virginia: Difficult Run Loop
- Catoctin Mountain Park & Cunningham Falls Loop, Maryland
- Chimney Rock, Riprap Hollow, & Wildcat Ridge Loop (video)
- Seneca Rock, West Virginia
- Sherando Lake, Torry Ridge, & White Rock Falls Loop
- Compton Peak via the AT from Jenkins Gap to Chester Gap
- North Mountain near Lexington, VA
- Terrapin Mountain & Reed Creek Loop
- Stiles Falls
- Fridley Gap loop
- Tibbet Knob (video)
- Big Schloss, Mill Mountain, & Little Stony Creek loop
- Goshen Pass and Jump Rock Loop * – hike temporarily closed
- Mount Pleasant loop
- Grayson Highlands: Massie Gap to Wilburn Ridge via AT SOBO
- Little Rocky Row from James River Footbridge on the AT
- Carvins Cove and Hay Rock
- Wilson Mountain & Sprout Run Trail Loop
- Peaks of Otter: Sharp Top
- Strickler Knob via Scothorn Gap
- Little Schloss
- Peaks of Otter: Flat Top & Fallingwater Cascades
- Big and Little House Mountains
- Rock Castle Gorge Loop
- Overall Run & Beecher Ridge loop
- Franklin Cliff & Hawksbill Summit loop (video)
- Spy Rock via Meadows Lane & AT *
- Blackrock, Trayfoot Mountain, & Paine Run loop
- Buzzard Rock North
- Ramsey Draft & Jerry’s Run loop
- Dismal Creek and Sugar Mountain Loop with Dismal Falls
- Cold Mountain, aka Cole Mountain
- Bottom Creek Gorge loop
- Hoop Hole
- Falls Ridge Preserve *
- Petites Gap, Highcock Knob, & Sulphur Spring loop
- Angel’s Rest (video)
- Hone Quarry Waterfall (video)
- Cove Mountain loop (video)
- Woodstock Reservoir via Little Stony Creek (video)
- Poor Mountain Natural Reserve Loop
- Fort Lewis Mountain Tower Outlook via Angeline Trailhead
- Read Mountain & Buzzard Rock
- Sugarloaf Mountain & the Northern Peaks Trail, Maryland (hike video)
- Hidden Valley *
- Bear Church Rock
- Blue Suck Falls Loop – Douthat State Park *
- Roanoke Star and Mill Mountain loop
- Kelly’s Knob via Piney Ridge *
- Fulhardt Knob via AT *