I thought I would save a few people sore feet and some sweat by displaying pictures from our April hike of a 100 mile section of the Appalachian Trail in geographic order north to south starting from near Burkes Garden and ending near Damascus, Virginia. Before you lace up your hiking boots, a few administrative details:
- We day hike out and back from road access points while camping in developed campgrounds which were Hurricane (in Mt Rogers NRA), Hungary Mother SP (north of Mt Rogers NRA), Stony Fork NF (north of Mt Rogers NRA).
- This section added onto an AT section hiked during June in the past two years.
- Road access allowed the longest hikes to be 6+ miles one way or 12+ miles for the day.
- We do not hike in geographic order but pick sections for each day which minimize driving from the campground(s) and allow for periodic "recovery" days after several longer days of hiking.
- Out and back hiking makes every downhill an uphill on the return and climbs/descents in this section exceed 2000 feet or can include several 1000 foot ridges to be crossed in a single day (cross two 1000 foot ridges outbound and the days total climb is over 4000 feet).
- The Mt Rogers NRA would be a good choice for an "AT sampler" trip given the varied terrain, lots of access points, good trout fishing, good views, lots of wildlife and flowers, many campgrounds, two rails-to-trails hike/bike/horse trails (Virginia Creeper and New River), and you can climb as much as desired by changing access points. The only downside to Mt Rogers NRA is popularity.
And so, in geographic order, north to south (now lace up your boots
):
Burkes Garden view from Chestnut Knob, 800+ feet above the section starting point of Walker Gap:
View of "The Great Valley" (including I-81), from Chestnut Ridge, which you are about to cross on the AT climbing over many of these ridges. The Virginia Highlands (and your path) is the high far ridge center right:
Down in "The Great Valley", you hike past Tilson's pre-Civil War mill on the North Fork of the Holston River.
Your final series of pasture crossings leading out of "The Great Valley" with the ascent into Mt Rogers NRA visible, (over 1500 feet):
Be sure to "share the trail" in Mt Rogers NRA and avoid stepping on this fellow AT day hiker (the Eft stage of an Eastern Newt):
Sharing the trail with this wild pony in Mt Roger NRA is an easier matter as you wind your way through hills and dales of the Virginia Highlands.
Just past the wild pony whose grazing prevents reforestation, the first high country view appears of Wilburn Ridge which you will be climbing the next day.
The variety of wildlife in the highlands continues to expand when you pass this Queen snake:
More wild ponies on the flanks of Wilburn Ridge as you leave Grayson Highlands SP and reach the panoramic views:
Scrambling over the rocks of Wilburn Ridge is slow going but provides new views:
The clearing where Wilburn Ridge was first viewed on the AT becomes visible with almost all the high country you just traversed crossing the Virginia Highlands:
Forest wild flowers are at their peak as you cross the flanks of Whitetop Mountain including this member (Dimpled Trout Lily):
Buzzard Rock marks the end of the Virginia Highlands and the beginning of a 2000+ foot descent:
The last Virginia Highlands view southwest along the many ridges of the Blue Ridge from Buzzard Rock. These ridges await your June trip:
Reaching the bottom and the Virginia Creeper rails-to-trails, you are impressed with what can be built with wood:
This would be a good spot to filter water and recharge the water bottle as the AT and the Virginia Creeper follow Whitetop Laurel Creek (and catch a trout):
Enough warm weather has arrived to bring up more flowers like this one (Squawroot, a parasitic plant feeding on oak roots which grows in every state east of the Mississippi):
The flat Virginia Creeper trail is a nice break from climbing mountains and ridges as you pass the old Virginia-Carolina Railroad mile marker:
Your finished with this section by hiking into Damascus on the Virginia Creeper and heading home after a month of hiking including a week of rain (thank goodness for ponchos!).
- We day hike out and back from road access points while camping in developed campgrounds which were Hurricane (in Mt Rogers NRA), Hungary Mother SP (north of Mt Rogers NRA), Stony Fork NF (north of Mt Rogers NRA).
- This section added onto an AT section hiked during June in the past two years.
- Road access allowed the longest hikes to be 6+ miles one way or 12+ miles for the day.
- We do not hike in geographic order but pick sections for each day which minimize driving from the campground(s) and allow for periodic "recovery" days after several longer days of hiking.
- Out and back hiking makes every downhill an uphill on the return and climbs/descents in this section exceed 2000 feet or can include several 1000 foot ridges to be crossed in a single day (cross two 1000 foot ridges outbound and the days total climb is over 4000 feet).
- The Mt Rogers NRA would be a good choice for an "AT sampler" trip given the varied terrain, lots of access points, good trout fishing, good views, lots of wildlife and flowers, many campgrounds, two rails-to-trails hike/bike/horse trails (Virginia Creeper and New River), and you can climb as much as desired by changing access points. The only downside to Mt Rogers NRA is popularity.
And so, in geographic order, north to south (now lace up your boots
):Burkes Garden view from Chestnut Knob, 800+ feet above the section starting point of Walker Gap:
View of "The Great Valley" (including I-81), from Chestnut Ridge, which you are about to cross on the AT climbing over many of these ridges
. The Virginia Highlands (and your path) is the high far ridge center right:
Down in "The Great Valley", you hike past Tilson's pre-Civil War mill on the North Fork of the Holston River.
Your final series of pasture crossings leading out of "The Great Valley" with the ascent into Mt Rogers NRA visible, (over 1500 feet):
Be sure to "share the trail" in Mt Rogers NRA and avoid stepping on this fellow AT day hiker (the Eft stage of an Eastern Newt):
Sharing the trail with this wild pony in Mt Roger NRA is an easier matter as you wind your way through hills and dales of the Virginia Highlands.
Just past the wild pony whose grazing prevents reforestation, the first high country view appears of Wilburn Ridge which you will be climbing the next day.
The variety of wildlife in the highlands continues to expand when you pass this Queen snake:
More wild ponies on the flanks of Wilburn Ridge as you leave Grayson Highlands SP and reach the panoramic views:
Scrambling over the rocks of Wilburn Ridge is slow going but provides new views:
The clearing where Wilburn Ridge was first viewed on the AT becomes visible with almost all the high country you just traversed crossing the Virginia Highlands:
Forest wild flowers are at their peak as you cross the flanks of Whitetop Mountain including this member (Dimpled Trout Lily):
Buzzard Rock marks the end of the Virginia Highlands and the beginning of a 2000+ foot descent:
The last Virginia Highlands view southwest along the many ridges of the Blue Ridge from Buzzard Rock. These ridges await your June trip
:
Reaching the bottom and the Virginia Creeper rails-to-trails, you are impressed with what can be built with wood:
This would be a good spot to filter water and recharge the water bottle as the AT and the Virginia Creeper follow Whitetop Laurel Creek (and catch a trout):
Enough warm weather has arrived to bring up more flowers like this one (Squawroot, a parasitic plant feeding on oak roots which grows in every state east of the Mississippi):
The flat Virginia Creeper trail is a nice break from climbing mountains and ridges as you pass the old Virginia-Carolina Railroad mile marker:
Your finished with this section by hiking into Damascus on the Virginia Creeper and heading home after a month of hiking including a week of rain (thank goodness for ponchos!).
