View Full Version : nice areas near Salem/Roanoke
wilconow
10-07-2005, 10:18
I just found out that I may be making a last minute trip to a bluegrass festival down there on Sat 15th. I'm familiar with the trail harpers ferry through SNP and I've even been to SW (mt rogers/grayson) but not the central part
anyway does anyone have suggestions regarding great loop hikes/campsites? We'll probably get down there on Fri 14th
Thanks
The Solemates
10-07-2005, 11:07
The AT along the Catawba and Sinking Creek Valleys is absolutely beautiful. Dragon's Tooth, McAfee's Knob, and Tinker Cliffs is a great hike.
Either Dragon's Tooth or McAfee Knob would be nice day hikes in the area. There is a blue blaze loop for Dragon's Tooth, I think. Red Hat
Lol, Solemates, great minds think alike and post at the same time! Red Hat
Either Dragon's Tooth or McAfee Knob would be nice day hikes in the area. There is a blue blaze loop for Dragon's Tooth, I think. Red Hat
yes - park at the Dragon's Tooth FS parking area off of 311, hike up to Lost Spectales gap to hit the AT, do an up and back to Dragon's Tooth then continue down on the AT until you hit the Boy Scout trail - take the Boy Scout trail back to the Dragon's Tooth trail and then the Dragon's Tooth trail back to the FS parking area - I would guess its about 6 miles as a loop.
for a multiday loop do the above only keep going on the AT until you are past Tinker's Cliffs - in Scortched Earth Gap go down the Andy Layne trail then go up on to the next ridge (North Mtn. I think) and take the North Mtn. trail back close to the convience store on 311 that is about .1 from the FS parking area. This is the hike I wanted to do last month but my knee was bitching too much so I did not do the North Mtn part. :( After a couple miles of road walking a nice guy working in his yard gave me a ride back to the FS parking lot.
Lone Wolf
10-07-2005, 12:36
And MAKE SURE to eat at The Homeplace restaurant in Catawba.
And MAKE SURE to eat at The Homeplace restaurant in Catawba.
Amen.
Thursday thru Sunday only in the evenings (4 PM for Thursday - Saturday to 8 PM I think, earlier on Sunday 2-6 ???)
Kerosene
10-07-2005, 17:08
How many nights will you be out, wilconow, and how many miles a day are you up for?
The Dragon's Tooth loop mentioned above is a nice way to spend a few hours. If you have more time then there are a few options for Tinkers Cliffs. Just north of Roanoke, south of Glasgow, there are a few longer loops that you could craft with some neat views of the James River Gorge.
My daughter will be finishing her PHD in Speech Communications this spring and is looking at various university teaching positions for next fall. The one consolation that she and her family are leaving this area is that they may end up at a college in Roanoke. Then I could hike whenever I visit her.... Red Hat