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Passing through and staying in Wytheville VA for a few days and would like to do some hiking on the Appalachian Trail. Where is a good place to pick up the trail?
Life is full of ups and downs! Hike on!
Woodturner
02-04-2016, 06:21
I did that the year before last coming home from a week long muzzle loading shoot in North Carolina. I had to change plans a little because the weather was not too great - a winter storm warning was in effect.
I took I-81 south, getting off right before the Atkins exit. Route 11 I think. I then parked at the Settlers Museum and just walked the trail a half hour out and a half hour back to the car. It wasn't really a hike, but I least I was able to say I'd spent some time on the trail that year.
As a matter of interest, a winter storm in Virginia is nothing like a winter storm in Indiana. It didn't even stick to the roads.
Tennessee Viking
02-04-2016, 09:52
The nearest trailhead is I81 at Atkins. Parking here is hard. But I would say go to Mt Rogers Visitor Center.
Parking info: http://appalachiantrail.rohland.org/
Lone Wolf
02-04-2016, 12:15
Passing through and staying in Wytheville VA for a few days and would like to do some hiking on the Appalachian Trail. Where is a good place to pick up the trail?
Life is full of ups and downs! Hike on!Bland.........
illabelle
02-04-2016, 12:46
Passing through and staying in Wytheville VA for a few days and would like to do some hiking on the Appalachian Trail. Where is a good place to pick up the trail?
Watch your speed on I-81 through that area. :o
Studlintsean
02-04-2016, 14:01
Watch your speed on I-81 through that area. :o
That area can be bad but the Highway Safety Corridor between MM 127 and 142 on I81 is brutal. My wife got a ticket there in December on our way to Abingdon.
Alligator
02-05-2016, 00:00
Watch your speed on I-81 through that area. :oAnd watch it if you go to Bland too!
Woodturner
02-05-2016, 08:02
On your way home, take old US 52 over Walker Mountain and you can walk some of the old trail south from Big Walker Mountain Lookout.
I did that five years ago on the way home from the same shoot (different year) that I mentioned earlier. The old Monster Rock LT was only a few hundred yards from the highway, and I wanted to see what the area looked like almost forty years later. One of my favorite photos from '75 was a of a fellow hiker sitting on a rock, looking out over the valley, and silhouetted by the setting sun. I was able to find the rock, but the view is now obscured by trees. Try as I might, I couldn't figure out where the shelter had been. The old trail, at least as far as I walked it, was still easy to follow. I'm pretty sure the old route is still a recognized trail from Walker Mountain Lookout to the intersection with the current AT route.
Southerner
02-05-2016, 20:20
It's a bit of a haul out from Wytheville (about an hour according to Google Maps), but I would recommend hiking Chestnut Ridge. It's a challenging hike, has an open ridge line with good views, and is home to one of my favorite shelters in Virginia -- the old fire warden's cabin at Chestnut Knob. There's a small parking area off of Va. 625, which is off of Va. 42 south of I-77. Another suggestion nearby is Garden Mountain near Burke's Garden. It's another challenging hike along a rocky ridge with a view of Burke's Garden from the first outcrop. For that one, take Va. 623 off of Va. 42. It's a steep, gravel road (and it would be best to avoid if snow covered).
KnightErrant
02-06-2016, 11:19
It's not the AT, but a great hike in the area is Cascade Falls up in Pembroke (maybe 45 minutes from Wytheville?). It's 4 miles round trip if you just go to the lower falls, or 8 miles round trip if you take it up to Barney's Wall, some cliffs you can view from near the top of the mountain. It's really crowded in the summer, but this time of year not so much. With the weather we've been having lately, there's probably still some snow and cool ice formations up there so it could be worth checking out.
I've never attached photos to a post here before but I will attempt to add a couple pics from the last time I did the Cascades in the winter.
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Furlough
02-06-2016, 12:07
Watch your speed on I-81 through that area. :o
Totally agree. Got my second ticket after 38 years of driving in this area.
Furlough
Thank you everyone who gave useful information! I greatly appreciate it! We made the trip from the museum parking lot. It was a great time.
As for others...Not sure why you respond at all! Except to be an annoyance to everyone or to show off your sarcastic assholeism! Peace to all...and have a blessed day[emoji2]
Life is full of ups and downs! Hike on!
Alligator
02-14-2016, 19:12
Thank you everyone who gave useful information! I greatly appreciate it! We made the trip from the museum parking lot. It was a great time.
As for others...Not sure why you respond at all! Except to be an annoyance to everyone or to show off your sarcastic assholeism! Peace to all...and have a blessed day[emoji2]
Life is full of ups and downs! Hike on!Which posts did you have a problem with?
Which posts did you have a problem with?
Your post was helpful. Thank you for that.
Life is full of ups and downs! Hike on!