What you need to know about the AT, in Virginia and beyond (but especially in Virginia).
SECTIONS OF THE VIRGINIA TRAIL
Virginia boasts 550 miles of the AT, with hikes ranging from easy strolls to advanced climbs. Serious hikers say the Virginia AT has some of the wettest and most challenging terrain along the entire route, between the spring thaw and all those rocks. Hike it in sections—north, Shenandoah, central or southwest—or tackle the whole state at once!
Northern—54 miles
• Stretches from the Virginia/West Virginia state line south to Shenandoah National Park
• Features a long, low ridge including the notoriously strenuous Rollercoaster section south of Snickers Gap
• One of the best places for “Spring Break” hikes
Shenandoah—104 miles
• Abundant wildlife, great vistas
• Great for beginner hikers
• Side trails provide opportunity for one- or two-day circuit hikes
• Near Skyline Drive—good for resupply stops
• Busy in late October; park
facilities closed from late November through late March
Central—226 miles
• Somewhat more difficult hikes as you travel south
• Features the mature timber, high summits and spectacular wilderness found in the George Washington National Forest, north of Roanoke
• Unusual rock formations including Humpback Rocks, Three Ridges, the Priest, McAfee Knob and Dragon’s Tooth
Southwest—166 nukes
• Gorgeous displays of rhododendron and azalea in June and July
• Features state’s highest mountain, Mt. Rogers, reachable via an eight-mile round-trip hike over rough terrain that can be strenuous for those who are not fit
• Damascus, known as the “friendliest town on the trail”
• Best area for those who crave solitude
TRAIL SPEAK
Trail name: hiker’s trail moniker
SOBO: southbound thru-hiker
NOBO: northbound thru-hiker
Slack-packer: a hiker who hikes without a pack and instead sends it ahead for pick-up
Flip-flop: to hike a section of trail in one direction, and then return to the starting point and hike in the opposite direction
Thru-hiker: a person who more or less hikes the entire length of the trail in one continuous trip, in 12 months or fewer
2,000-miler, end-to-ender: alternate terms for thru-hikers
SECTION-HIKER: a hiker who completes the AT in sections over a period of years
Vitamin I: Ibuprofen
P.U.D.’s: pointless ups and downs (arduous climbs without views)
Bounce box: a package containing hard-to-find items (batteries, chargers, field guides) that hikers might buy at a town stop before shipping ahead (or “bouncing”) to the next stop
Mouse trapeze: a food hanger in a shelter consisting of a nylon cord and an upside-down tuna can suspended halfway down its length. Used to keep food out of the reach of rodents
Blaze: a 2-by-6-inch paint swatch on a tree that marks the trail; white blazes mark the official AT, while blue blazes mark routes to shelters or other features
Trail angel: a person who helps hikers by providing food, drinks or rides for no fee, or by doing trail maintenance
Trail magic: serendipitous things that happen along
the trail
Nero: near-zero-mileage day
Yo-yo: two or more back-to-back continuous thru-hikes; hiker walks entire AT in one direction, turns around at the terminus and thru-hikes in the other direction
Zero day: a day off from hiking with zero AT miles hiked
Feed: a spontaneous meal along the trail, usually provided by trail angels and featuring foods not typically available to hikers
Town day: a day spent in town, off the trail, usually used for doing laundry and re-supplying gear
Leave No Trace: backwoods ethic that promotes minimal-impact camping and hiking. Pack out what you pack in!
TRAIL CLUBS
The following clubs help maintain the sections of the AT running through their areas, make hike recommendations and offer various other tips for visitors. As John Hedrick, supervisor of trails for the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club says: “Without maintenance the trail would be gone in two years.”
Northern Virginia and Shenandoah
Potomac Appalachian Trail Club
240 miles from Pine Grove Furnace State Park, Pa., to Rockfish Gap, Va.
The club offers “primitive” cabins with no electricity or running water ($15 to rent to general public and $18 for PATC club members only); 44 three-sided shelters also available.
Central, Southern and Southwest Virginia
Old Dominion Appalachian Trail Club, Richmond
19.6 miles of trail from Rockfish Gap to Reeds Gap
Paul C. Wolfe Memorial Shelter
The Jack Albright Trail: connects to Appalachian Trail
Tidewater Appalachian Trail Club, Norfolk
Reeds Gap to Tye River at Va. 56, 10+ miles of trail
Natural Bridge Appalachian Trail Club
90 miles from Tye River at Va. 56 to Black Horse Gap
Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club
Black Horse Gap to Pine Swamp Branch Shelter, and, U.S. 460 at the New River to Va. 611
Pine Swamp Branch Shelter to U.S. 460 at the New River, Va. 615 to Va. 623, and Va. 611 to I-77
Piedmont Appalachian Trail Hikers
70 miles from I-77 to Va. 615 at Laurel Creek, and Va. 623 to Rye Valley at Va. 670
Mt. Rogers Appalachian Trail Club
56 miles from Rye Valley at Va. 670 to Damascus
Online starting point
