Tag: views

McAfee Knob

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IMPORTANT: Please read these important regulations and helpful tips before hiking in this area

McAfee Knob is an 8.3 mile hike along the Appalachian Trail near Roanoke.  The summit offers truly magnificent views of the Catawba valley below.  On a clear day, you can also get great views of the Peaks of Otter (Sharp Top and Flat Top) along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

McAfee Knob's View of the Catawba Valley
McAfee Knob’s View of the Catawba Valley

Christine says…

We picked a perfect day in April to hike McAfee Knob.  The trees were still mostly bare of leaves, but the skies were crystal clear and completely free of the milky haze that dominates the Virginia summer.  We got to the trailhead right at 9:00 a.m. and the parking lot on 311 was already about halfway full.  From what I’ve been told, this trail rivals Old Rag in popularity for folks in the southern part of the Shenandoah Valley.

The trail is meticulously maintained.  I believe the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club and local Boy Scouts do most of the trail work.  There are many wooden bridges and walkways in the first two miles of the trail that were built as Eagle Scout projects. I think the hike, despite its eight+ mile length, qualifies as a solidly moderate hike.  It’s not steep and the trail is smooth and pleasant.  It feels a lot shorter than eight miles.

The first few miles of the hike make their way through beautiful, classic Virginia mountains.  The trees are a mix of hardwoods and pines that smell delicious as they warm in the sun.  There are also expansive stands of mountain laurel along the way.  I’m certain they’re a site to behold when they bloom in June.

The view finally opens up when you complete the toughest part of the climb and walk along the ridge of the mountain.  The gnats were something else on the day we hiked.  If we so much as paused for a few seconds, the bugs swarmed us like mad.  The walk along the ridge is brief and leads you past a very cool series of rock formations nicknamed the Devil’s Kitchen.  After walking past the giant boulders, you come to a short spur trail to McAfee knob.

The hike is an out-and-back, so the return trip simply retraces your steps.

I think this is a hike I’ll return to time and again.  I thought it was one of the most spectacular views I’ve seen in the state.

Adam says…

This was a truly wonderful hike.  The views are spectacular and  are likely the best views I can remember in Virginia. I grew up in Lynchburg, VA and we used to always hike up Sharp Top at the Peaks of Otter on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  I think the views here are better than Sharp Top and well worth the mileage.  You can continue the trek on to Tinker Cliffs, but that adds several miles onto the trek and would work better as an overnight backpack trip.  The views of the ridgeline and Tinker Cliffs are breathtaking.  There is a lot of space at the top to chill out on some rocks and eat a snack.  You will often see pictures like the one below when you see pictures for the Appalachian Trail.

I do a lot of geocaching and there is a geocache here if you approach it from the fire road and not the hike on the AT.  However, I left my notes in the car, so I just tried to go from my memory and GPS.  I tried hiking off the trail and up the mountainside and it took away all my energy.

This View of McAfee is an Appalachian Trail Icon
This View of McAfee Knob is an Appalachian Trail Icon

Trail Notes

  • Distance – 8.3 miles round-trip
  • Elevation Change – 1,740 feet
  • Difficulty – 4.  The trail is fairly easy walking, but because the length, we scored it a 4.
  • Trail Conditions – 5.   The trail is well maintained.
  • Views – 5.  One of the finest views in Virginia.
  • Waterfalls/streams – 0.
  • Wildlife – 2.  We saw a lot of Eastern Fence Lizards, but nothing else.
  • Ease to Navigate – 5.   It would be nearly impossible to get lost.
  • Solitude – 1.  The trail is exceedingly popular.  Parking can be a challenge if you arrive mid-day.

Special regulations for this area:

  • Maximum group size, day hikes: 25
  • Maximum group size, backpacking/camping: 10
  • No alcohol
  • Dogs must be kept on leash at all times
  • No camping or campfires outside of seven designated areas (north of Va 624/Newport Rd, the only legal campsites are Johns Spring Shelter, Catawba Shelter and campsites, Pig Farm campsite, Campbell Shelter and Lambert’s Meadow Shelter and campsites)
  • No camping or campfires on McAfee Knob or Tinker Cliffs

Directions to trailhead:

Take I-81 to exit 141.  Follow signs to VA-311.  The parking lot is located about 5.5 miles down 311.  Park ONLY in the designated lot.  Roadside parking is prohibited and will result in towing.

Strickler Knob – via Scothorn Gap

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The Strickler Knob hike is a beautiful, 5.5 mile hike in the Lee Ranger District of George Washington National Forest.  It offers fabulous views of the Page Valley and a short, but fun, rock scramble.

View from Strickler
The view of New Market Gap from Strickler Knob is amazing! Below: Park at Scothorn Gap; Adam crossing Passage Creek; Trail markers.

Park Here Crossing Passage Creek Trail Sign

Adam says…

This is a great hike that is still not very well known.  There are some great views at the top and a mini rock scramble that is good preparation for anyone who wants a little practice before tackling Old Rag.  I wouldn’t recommend this hike for small children or dogs due to the rock scramble.

The hike can be a little tricky to navigate, so I have provided some clear directions for following the trail.

After parking at Scothorn Gap, you’ll immediately wade or rock hop across Passage Creek.  The hike starts off on a fire road.  The way starts to get fairly steep at .4 miles, but levels off again at .65 miles. At .8 miles, the hike gets steep again, but levels at .95 miles. This is the hardest part of the hike, so once that is done, the elevation changes are small. At 1.07 miles, you will see a nice campsite for anyone that wants to stay overnight. At this point, you will see an arrow pointing to the right, where you will pick up the trail again. The trail continues SSE from the campsite and you will be leaving the fire road for a hike through the woods. At 1.3 miles, you will come to a junction sign. Head straight on to the orange-blazed Massanutten trail.

At 1.94 miles you will come to the junction with the Strickler Knob trail to the right. This trail was built and opened in 2006 by some anonymous trailblazers. The blazes for this trail are marked as pink on rocks and typically red or purple rectangles on trees. This trail is fairly rocky, so be careful not to turn your ankles. Around 2.5 miles, you will see gorgeous views of the Shenandoah River and the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east. To the west, you will see more of the Shenandoah valley and the Appalachian Mountains. At 2.67 miles, you will reach a rock scramble for about one tenth of a mile until you reach the summit. This is a great spot to have 360 degree views of the area around you. Tied to a tree, you will also see a logbook that someone placed for people to journal about their hike.  It’s definitely a good read to those that are interested.

For those that are interested, I also placed a geocache up there.  The direct link for the geocache can be found at:

Rock Formation
The hike to Strickler Knob has lots of interesting rock formations to scramble over! Below: One of the more interesting formations; Adam walks the mountain’s spine; Scrambling up the pinkish-purple blazed Strickler Trail; More rock formations.

Rock Formation Spine Walk Scrambling Rock Formation

Christine says…

We hiked the Strickler Knob trail on the recommendation of a friend of mine from Flickr.  He said it was a fun hike with excellent views.  He wasn’t kidding!

We walked the trail on a bitter, windy winter day shortly before the forest road closed for the season.  The section of road that leads to the trailhead is periodically closed in the winter to prevent damage to the road surface.  (You can always check the status of roads and trails in the George Washington National Forest on their website) The hike was fairly easy and passed through the beautiful woods of Massanutten Mountain.  The Strickler Knob trail branches off the main trail and follows a rocky ridgeline over to the knob.  I love scrambling on rocks, so the last portion of the trail was my favorite part.

When we reached the knob, the view was amazing.  We got there mid-day, so it wasn’t a great time for photography.  I’d like to hike it again in the afternoon sometime.  I think the late day light would be prettier on the rocks and over the valley below.

Trail Journal
There is a log book at the summit of Strickler Knob.  Below:  Adam takes in the view; Geocaching

Strickler View Geocache

While Adam hid his geocache, I spent some time reading the trail journal at the summit.  It was entertaining, and I even came across the name of an old co-worker in the book.    I also remember it being super windy at the summit.  It was so bad, my bag of trailmix blew over and (sadly) sent chocolate covered peanuts spilling all over the rocks.  I hate it when I lose chocolate like that.  I’m sure some stupid crow enjoyed it though.

Trail Notes

  • Distance – 5.5 miles round-trip
  • Elevation Change – 1,600 feet
  • Difficulty – 3.  There is some moderate climbing along the route.  The scramble might be tough/scary for some.
  • Trail Conditions – 3.   Most of the trail is nicely graded and well maintained.  But once you turn onto the Strickler Knob trail it’s rocky and requires some scrambling.
  • Views – 4.  Once you reach the top you have some great views.
  • Waterfalls/streams – 1.  Just a small stream to cross at the beginning.
  • Wildlife – 2.  Hunters like this area, so there must be wildlife (although we didn’t see any.) During hunting season, make sure you’re wearing bright colors and making noise.  A co-worker who was running up here also got attacked by a wild goat here.
  • Ease to Navigate – 3.   The blazes can be a little tricky to follow on the pink blazed Strickler Knob trail.  Otherwise, the trail is pretty straightforward.
  • Solitude – 2.  Since 2009, this trail has become increasingly popular.  We revised the solitude rating from 4.5 down to 2 in 2014.

Directions to trailhead:

Reach the trailhead by turning on to Crisman Hollow Road (FD 274) off of 211 near Luray. Continue on this road for a few miles and park at the Scothorn Gap trail parking.

Once you have parked follow Orange Blazes on Scothorn Gap trail.  Follow trail directions above.