Virginia regional hikes

Macaffee
McAfee Knob

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. 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 *