Appalachian Trail - Virginia

• Trail Stats: 550.2 Trail Miles, 54 Hiker Shelters
• Often called “The Green Tunnel” due to long stretches under the fertile Mid-Atlantic canopy, Virginia accounts for a full quarter of the entire Appalachian Trail (AT). But this title is not a term of endearment. Many long-distance hikers claim to get depressed by the “suffocating” forests of Virginia, but overall the state gets a bad rap. It has many notable highlights—and forget what you’ve heard, Virginia is not flat.
• As with any state blessed with copious backcountry routes, there are a number of coveted hiker destinations in Virginia, such as the rocky summits of Dragons Tooth, McAfee Knob, and the under-appreciated Tinker Cliffs in the southwestern part of the state, as well as the 3,000-plus-foot climbs of the Priest and Three Ridges at Tye Gap in the mid-state section. There are also the surreal high-meadow sections of the Grayson Highlands (complete with free-roaming feral ponies) in the far south near the Tennessee border and the ever-popular majesty of the Shenandoah National Park in the northern section of the state.
• The gorgeous Shenandoah National Park is the most popular hiking destination in Virginia, and for good reason. Though the sheer number of visitors won’t allow for many moments of solitude (particularly in the northern areas of the park) the 100-plus miles of beautifully manicured trail pass all number of waterfalls, rock outcroppings, plentiful wildlife (bear sightings are common in certain areas), and impossibly thick stands of fern in the summer. The AT in the Shenandoah has some rolling hills but is almost never strenuous, making it rewarding for novice and expert hikers alike.
• Recommended 4- to 5-Day Trip: This 49-mile trip has some of the very best hiking on the AT, proving there is awe-inspiring ridge-walking outside the Smokies or White Mountains. If you can, make it to Wise Shelter in Grayson Highlands State Park the first night and plan on racing against other hikers for space in this popular shelter. You’ll wake up to an expansive high meadow with odd rock outcroppings just begging the kid in you to climb them and take in the view, while brave little feral ponies nibble on your backpack looking for handouts—resist the urge to give them any. The wooded summit of Mount Rogers, the highest point in the state, is up a side trail should you need to tag a peak, and the trip ends in hiker-friendly Damascus, the “friendliest town on the trail,” also the location of the annual Trail Days festival held every May. Directions: Virginia 650/Virginia16 (Dickey Gap) near Troutdale, south to U.S. 58 at Damascus.

Guidebook: Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers' Companion (Appalachian Trail Conservancy)
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