See Hike 33: Crawfish/Channel Rock.
It’s an easy 2.4-mile hike up the AT from FR 222 (an extension of VA 625) and the boundary of Beartown Wilderness. The AT skirts the south edge of this 6,375-acre federal wilderness until Chestnut Knob. From the mountain, views drop into Burke’s Garden, a pocket of agricultural bliss formed when subsurface limestone eroded. Beartown Wilderness has no marked trails besides the AT, but old logging roads allow for exploring Roaring Branch and a sphagnum bog at the headwaters of Cove Branch. Eastern Divide Ranger District, (540) 552-4641. DeLorme: Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer: Page 39, D5.
Trail crews rerouted 2.1 miles of the AT to descend off Brushy Mountain as it approaches VA 615. The old section was renamed Trail Boss in honor of a dedicated volunteer. Combined, they make a 5.1-mile loop hike. The AT’s route up Brushy Mountain is steep, with ten switchbacks and several overlooks. This is, however, primarily a woodland hike through an oak-hickory forest. There are mountain laurel and rhododendron. In the dark hollows, look for the bloodroot wildflower, plus many mosses and ferns. Eastern Divide Ranger District, (540) 552-4641. DeLorme: Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer: Page 39, C7.
South of the New River from Pearisburg, the AT makes a steep, switchback-heavy trip up Pearis Mountain. In 1.5 miles, a trail leads a few hundred yards to Angels Rest. This 3,550-foot perch has views into the New River’s passage through the Narrows, a rock fault between Devonian shale and Cambrian limestone. The trailhead for this 3-mile in-and-out hike is on VA 634 (Morris Avenue) in Pearisburg. A turnaround at Angels Rest makes a 3-mile day hike. Eastern Divide Ranger District, (540) 552-4641. DeLorme: Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer: Page 40, B3.
From Pearisburg, the AT climbs Peters Mountain and traces the crest to a mountain meadow called the Rice Fields. The oddity of open farm meadows atop a tall ridge is matched by the beauty of views off the west slope into West Virginia. Begin the hike on VA 624 (Stillhouse Branch Road) north of US 460 between Pearisburg and Narrows. An AT hut 5 miles from the trailhead marks a reasonable turnaround point for this 10-mile in-and-out hike. Eastern Divide Ranger District, (540) 552-4641. DeLorme: Virginia Atlas and Gazetteer: Page 40, B3.
See Hike 31: Huckleberry Loop.
See Hike 32: Mountain Lake Wilderness.
A 3.3-mile trek from Sinking Creek and VA 42 to Kelly Knob ends with views off this 3,742-foot peak. The AT crosses privately owned farmland near the trailhead. Be sure to follow all posted signs regarding parking and hiking. Past Kelly Knob, the AT dips to Big Pond; a side trail here leads 100 yards to views from White Rocks. For an 8.5-mile point-to-point hike, continue hiking up the AT and descend Johns Creek Mountain Trail. Park a shuttle at the Johns Creek trailhead on VA 658 west of Twin Oaks. Eastern Divide Ranger District, (540) 552-4641. DeLorme: Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer: Page 41, B6.
The AT rises steeply from VA 620 to the spine of Brush Mountain. In 3.8 miles, the trail passes a monument to Audie Murphy, erected by the VFW on the site of Murphy’s plane crash in 1971. Murphy was a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor and twenty-eight wartime medals from the United States, France, and Belgium. From the memorial, the AT continues north for another 3.8 miles to cross VA 620. Eastern Divide Ranger District, (540) 552-4641. DeLorme: Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer: Page 42, A1.
It is a steep and rugged climb on the AT for 2.6 miles to Dragons Tooth, a craggy rock that juts 35 feet above the summit of Cove Mountain. En route, the AT traces the razor edge of Tuscarora sandstone in an area called Rawies Rest. Use the blue-blazed Dragons Tooth Trail to make a loop hike that begins and ends at VA 624. There is alternate parking and trail access on VA 311 north at the Dragons Tooth parking lot past Catawba Grocery. Eastern Divide Ranger District, (540) 552-4641. DeLorme: Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer: Page 42, B1.
See Honorable Mention FF (North Mountain—AT Loop).
The AT leads 3.5 miles uphill to McAfee Knob, a 3,197-foot high point on Catawba Mountain. The southern trailhead is on VA 311, west of Salem, Virginia. For a longer day hike, continue past McAfee for another 6 miles along Tinker Mountain with its gorgeous cliff overlooks. A junction with the blue-blazed Andy Lane Trail leads 2.3 miles left to VA 600. Highlights of this trip include views of Catawba Valley, boulders in the Devils Kitchen area, and a half-mile of exposed, cliff trail on Tinker Cliffs. Appalachian Trail Conference corridor, NPS, (540) 961-5551. DeLorme: Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer: Page 42, A/B2.