This Mountain climbing Route Has Gorgeous Fall Foliage Views — and It Results in the Most Photographed Website on the Appalachian Path

Fall is within the air, which implies that nature is about to placed on its remaining show earlier than winter units in. And nowhere within the U.S. boasts a extra picturesque fall than the East Coast, which is understood for its vibrant fall foliage. 

Fall locations like Vermont and New Hampshire are effectively celebrated, however the Virginia Blue Ridge, nestled within the Blue Ridge Mountains, has its fair proportion of fall bragging rights. Most guests accept a drive down the tree-lined Blue Ridge Parkway, aptly dubbed “America’s Favourite Drive,” however should you actually need to be immersed in fall colours, lace up your mountaineering boots and head into the mountains. 

Virginia’s Triple Crown is a mountaineering route that leads hikers to a few of the state’s most beautiful pure websites. It’s significantly lovely in fall when the leaves begin to flip shades of yellow, orange, and purple. The triple crown might be accomplished unexpectedly, all through a multi-day backpacking journey, or you’ll be able to hike the three segments individually. 

The Full Virginia Triple Crown Loop

The full triple crown hike is a 34.8-mile loop that takes most hikers three days to finish, with two nights of tenting. It’s greatest accomplished counterclockwise and begins and ends at VA Route 311, also referred to as the McAfee Knob Trailhead. (Parking on the trailhead is closed till late 2024, however for entry info, see the “Parking” part under.)

The primary huge website for hikers is the McAfee Knob, which juts out over the valley (very similar to Pleasure Rock in The Lion King) and is essentially the most photographed spot on the Appalachian Path. On a transparent day, it offers among the greatest views of the Shenandoah Valley.

The subsequent huge cease is the Tinker Cliffs, which appears to be like over the Catawba Valley. The third and remaining main sight on the Virginia Triple Crown is the Dragon’s Tooth, a jutting tooth-like rock formation that’s not possible to overlook. The most effective half? You may climb partially up the 35-foot spire.

If you wish to full the total Virginia Triple Crown, pack sufficient meals and water for no less than three full days of mountaineering. There are water sources, however relying on the season, they could be dry. Some shelters can be found alongside the route, however come ready to camp within the wilderness. Tenting is simply allowed at designated campsites or shelters, so you need to plan the day’s vacation spot upfront. 

Mountain climbing One Phase of the Loop

If backpacking for 3 days and two nights is a bit a lot, you will get your fall foliage repair by mountaineering simply one of many three segments.

McAfee Knob is without doubt one of the most recognizable factors on the Appalachian Path. Reaching the enduring rock ledge requires a 7.5-mile hike. You may count on the path to be busy with each Appalachian Path backpackers and day hikers. 

The Tinker Cliffs are essentially the most ignored of the three websites, which implies this phase of the loop is usually a bit quieter than the opposite two hikes. To hike to the Tinker Cliffs observe the Andy Layne Path off Catawba Highway. The out-and-back route is 7.7 miles in whole with vital elevation achieve. The cliffs themselves are beautiful to see — they’re product of limestone and supply views of the Catawba Mountain and McAfee Knob.

The Dragon’s Tooth is essentially the most troublesome of the three segments. It’s 4.8 miles in whole, 2.4 miles to the tooth and a couple of.4 miles again, but it surely features a steep ascent to “The Tooth” through rock steps and a few bouldering. Iron bars are drilled into the rock partitions to help with the climb. 

Parking

A brand new pedestrian bridge is being constructed over Route 311 (Catawba Valley Drive), which can have an effect on parking for full-loop and McAfee Knob hikers by way of late 2024. Till then, it is strongly recommended that hikers make the most of the shuttle, which runs on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. (A drop-off for Dragon’s Tooth hikers is within the works.) There’s restricted parking alongside Previous Catawba Highway (Route 864) and on the Catawba Sustainability Middle.