View Full Version : best part of Virginia
karoberts
01-03-2009, 23:56
Virginia is a long state with lots of neat stuff. In your opinion, what was the BEST part of Virginia? Was there a certain can't-miss town, or most beautiful stretch of trail, or most awesome shelter, or best restaurant?
Blissful
01-04-2009, 00:00
Grayson Highlands area and McAfee Knob for scenery.
Homeplace restaurant in Catawba and the chinese restaurant in Waynesboro.
Partnership is a nice shelter. Shower is great. Staff is nice. Pizza good. The shelters in northern VA are nice too.
another vote for the grayson highlands
The General
01-04-2009, 07:01
Dot's
Worldwide
01-04-2009, 07:58
Anything South of SNP.
The northern border. I thought that I would never get through the state. Other than that, Damascus, Tinker Cliffs, Grayson Highlands, the Creeper Trail are some of my highlights.
Rockhound
01-04-2009, 11:28
gotta go with the ponies
Cookerhiker
01-04-2009, 12:00
I guess I'd vote for Grayson Highlands as the best and I'm partial to SNP but I really enjoyed the entirety of the Trail west of I-81 - from Daleville to Groseclose. I hiked it mostly in winter, early spring, and late spring of 2005 (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=89307). Highlights include Brushy Mountain (where I hiked through deep snow),Chestnut Knob, Angels Rest and Pearis Mountain, fording Stony Creek, Keffer Oak, crossing through fields and up steep ridges, McAfee Knob. To me, this stretch felt more remote and apart from towns and houses. The only nearby town is Pearisburg.
johnnybgood
01-04-2009, 19:12
Grayson Highlands for best scenery ,Damascus for c-miss town....I " THINK " Lone Wolf would agree there :rolleyes:, best shelter - none .
Toolshed
01-04-2009, 19:30
MAryland!!!!!
CrumbSnatcher
01-04-2009, 21:07
us#58 around Damascus to VA# 55/VA725
Lone Wolf
01-04-2009, 21:38
us#58 around Damascus to VA# 55/VA725
yup
IMHO the best continuous stretch on the entire AT is southbound from Dickey Gap to Damascus. That would include Grayson Highlands, Mt. Rogers area, Deep Gap, Whitetop Mt., and just for diversity you might consider taking the VA Creeper Trail the last few miles instead of the AT. Best time to hike it is in mid-May on the way to Trail Days.
Runners-up would include the AT northbound from Catawba to Daleville; the AT northbound from US60 to Reeds Gap with the Mt. Pleasant/Mt. Pompey loop thrown in near Hog Camp Gap, and the AT plus a few well-chosen side trail loops in SNP.
The summit of Lone Pine Peak in the Mountain Lake Wilderness,
summit BM Maiden in the NW corner of the Beartown Wilderness
the Great Channels of the Clinch
Perkins Cave
Devils Marbleyard
jumping off the AT bridge over the James
White Rocks cliffs at Cumberland Gap NHP
Wilburn Ridge in the snow
Carter Fold in Hiltons
the lookout tower on the Pine Mt trail in Dickenson county
Scott county (most caves of any county in Va)
the Burger Barl and Rhythm and Roots reunion in September in Bristol
(I haven't spent much time north of the James.)
Plodderman
01-05-2009, 00:31
Grayson Highlands
Damascus to Daleville for remoteness and views and ........
Yea, just about everything South of SNP.
Serial 07
01-05-2009, 01:30
just to get in where i fit in...grayson highlands, dragon's tooth, damascus, ah...
mtnkngxt
01-05-2009, 08:19
Anything south of SNP. Too many tourists and car haulers for my taste. Sitting in Damascus Priceless.
Blue Jay
01-05-2009, 08:22
Any place you happen to be. Virginia is a wonderful state.
Yes, I enjoyed the whole state except for the footpath of the Roller Coaster. SNP has many good points and options.
Also looking for Lone Wolf and Gypsy when one arrives in Damascus is fun.
garlic08
01-05-2009, 09:09
I can't really think of any part of VA that I didn't enjoy. Loved the whole state, even the roller coaster because right afterwards I had a fantastic lunch at the Wagontongue. Yeah, maybe the northern part of SNP was a least favorite among the great stuff.
Ramble~On
01-05-2009, 09:54
Rusty's of course!
Damascus was great. SNP was pretty cool. The fields and stiles stand out. Grayson Highlands.
That huge oak tree (what's it called?) McAfee Knob, Tinker Cliffs.
Virginia has a too many to pick just one.
Cookerhiker
01-05-2009, 13:05
...That huge oak tree (what's it called?) ...Virginia has a too many to pick just one.
It's the Keffer Oak = see Post #8
Nicksaari
01-05-2009, 13:09
south of rockfish gap to damascus.
the balds start to tease on tar jacket ridge and the first full bald on cold mtn is magnificently opulent.
the cliffs, the spotty evergreens, the deep hollows, the solitude all the way to grayson highlands, an area i believe would represent my version of a heaven. pony angels see you from across the ridge and make their way, cause they know you've got some PButter or granola.
finally, on to buy the Lone Wolf a beer in Damascus
it is all pretty darn nice... but the highlands.... there are very cool.
TrippinBTM
01-05-2009, 20:56
Grayson Highlands area and McAfee Knob for scenery.
Homeplace restaurant in Catawba and the chinese restaurant in Waynesboro.
Partnership is a nice shelter. Shower is great. Staff is nice. Pizza good. The shelters in northern VA are nice too.
Blissful pretty much nailed it. Those would be my pics. Though, only McAfee Knob as I'm told it is: when I was there, you saw fog and nothing else. But it's supposed to be good. By the time we got to Tinker Cliffs, we could sorta see the valley, and I bet it's a stellar view when clear
Syms Meadow (12ish miles north of Pearisburg) was awsome too, if you get it on a clear day. It's a few miles past the shelter. You can get a great view of the sunset AND the sunrise, and it's a generally great place to camp... except there's no water (save a stagnant, horrid little pond).
But nothing even came close to the Grayson Highlands for me. One of the best days I had on the AT.
Townwise, Damascus can't be beat. But I'd like it better if I had a bicycle, so I don't have to walk to the grocery store, and could ride on the Creeper Trail.
Man, I forgot how much I liked Virginia...
Hikerhead
01-05-2009, 21:22
Blissful pretty much nailed it. Those would be my pics. Though, only McAfee Knob as I'm told it is: when I was there, you saw fog and nothing else. But it's supposed to be good. By the time we got to Tinker Cliffs, we could sorta see the valley, and I bet it's a stellar view when clear
Syms Meadow (12ish miles north of Pearisburg) was awsome too, if you get it on a clear day. It's a few miles past the shelter. You can get a great view of the sunset AND the sunrise, and it's a generally great place to camp... except there's no water (save a stagnant, horrid little pond).
But nothing even came close to the Grayson Highlands for me. One of the best days I had on the AT.
Townwise, Damascus can't be beat. But I'd like it better if I had a bicycle, so I don't have to walk to the grocery store, and could ride on the Creeper Trail.
Man, I forgot how much I liked Virginia...
Being in the straight forward section I'll have to agree. Most of Va is pretty good hiking.
Also....you can rent a bike in Damascus for around 20/day and you can use it ALL Day. Rent it, go to the store, come back and get your shuttle to White Top, back in town finish up your town stuff and then take the bike back.... I wonder if they rent bike locks also?
TrippinBTM
01-06-2009, 10:26
Interesting. Wish I'd known about the bikes when I was there. And, they better give you a lock with it, or it's a bad investment on their part.
Chaco Taco
01-06-2009, 10:46
My votes are for Mt Rogers, Grayson Highlands, McAfee, Daleville (like a second home for us), Catawba and The Homeplace, DRagons Tooth, The Various historic sites in VA, The James River, The Creeper Trail, Buzzard Rock. I mean Va gets no respect sometimes because it is so long, but it was great to us. Weather was generally nice but it was really hot. Lots of great people in VA as well. Just look at the cast of characters in Damascus!
southpaw95
01-06-2009, 11:09
The HOMEPLACE.
Cole Mountain, 3 Ridges, Foot Bridge, Apple Orchard Mt. and Falls, McAfee's, Wind Rock, Burkes Garden, though I must admit I have not hiked all of VA. There is so much NON-AT hiking that is terrific in VA.
I like Hone Quarry about as much as any place I have ever been.
The Grayson Highlands were wonderful. I wanted to stay there forever.
...That huge oak tree (what's it called?) ...
Could it be Keffer Oak?
Berserker
01-08-2009, 14:46
Admittedly I have a lot of VA still to hike, but most of the AT going through Mt. Rogers NRA (particularly Greyson Highlands and Whitetop Mtn) kicks the crap out of just about anything else I have seen thus far(and I still have some stuff to see by the way) on the East coast from a scenery standpoint. Camping on a bald along the ridge, watching a beautiful sunset, having the ponies drop by to try and get some food and then hearing the coyotes howling...pure bliss.
I wonder if the Keffer Oak isnamed after Miner (Minor) Keffer?
Frau