Tinker Cliffs Sleeper Among Virginia Treks

Tinker Cliffs is a beautiful gemstone in the Virginia Triple Crown and actually probably my favorite of these three stellar hikes. Less congested and nicely shaded for most of its span, the hike northeast of Roanoke definitely challenges with nearly 2,000 feet in elevation change from parking lot to summit. The big payoff is a

Tread Carefully the Dragon’s Labyrinth

Located just a few miles north of McAfee Knob along Route 311 near Catawba is the renowned Dragon’s Tooth. This epic hike is short on length (just under 5 miles round-trip) but packs a keen punch that places it deservedly into Virginia’s Triple Crown mountain climbs. The first two-thirds of the journey up is a

McAfee Knob: Bucket List Triple Crown Topper

Featuring arguably the most iconic geological formation along the entire Appalachian Trail, McAfee Knob draws thousands of hikers each year to this tailor-made photo opportunity. The incredible views from the rocky plateau are indeed hard to match.  Located a dozen or so miles north of Salem, The Knob is the best known of Virginia’s Triple

From Heights to Hollow on Virginia’s Skyline Drive

For able amblers exploring the southern stretches of the Skyline Drive, a great day’s hike can be had by combining a descent to the Doyles River Falls (22 miles north of the Rockfish Gap entrance) with an ascent to the Chimney Rocks overlook five miles to the south. Olivia and Page established a mean pace

Mystery Pervades Blue Ridge’s Bluff Mountain

Virginia’s Blue Ridge Parkway offers limitless fun day hikes for all tastes and talents.  We took on the 3.7-mile trek to Bluff Mountain this past Sunday to cap a weekend focused on nearby Lexington.  Bluff Mountain is reached from the Parkway just a few miles south of the Route 60 entrance. Base at the Punch Bowl