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

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