McAfee Knob, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern Virginia, is easily my favorite hike in Virginia. More pictures are taken at McAfee Knob than any other spot along the Appalachian Trail. This is why it’s a popular hiking destination, and USA Today Travel considers if one of the most spectacular hikes in the United States. This and Old Rag have been at the top of our hiking bucket list for awhile now. We decided the girls were ready to tackle it, and it was everything we hoped it would be.
The hike to McAfee Knob is just under eight miles round-trip. There is a 1,740 foot gain in altitude with most of it in the final 1.3 miles. It offers a 270-degree panoramic view of the Catawba Valley and a chance to stand on the iconic ledge. Please do yourself a favor and do a Google image search for McAfee Knob. Some of the people are so crazy! I can’t do a handstand against a wall so to see someone do it on the knob…yikes! It’s also one of the three hikes that complete the Virginia Triple Crown. Many people take four to six hours to complete the McAfee Knob hike by itself. Keep in mind it may be longer depending on how much time you spend at the top.
McAfee Knob is actually part of a national park, the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. The National Park Service, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club work together to keep this trail beautifully maintained. This hike has gained popularity over the past five years and more so since the 2015 film A Walk in the Woods starring Robert Redford, Nick Nolte and Emma Thompson. The movie poster features Redford and Nolte standing on McAfee Knob.
Planning Phase
We decided to make this an overnight trip since McAfee Knob is about four hours from our house. I’ve heard parking can be tricky so it’s recommended you get to the parking lot early to snag a spot. Booking a hotel nearby would allow us to get to the trailhead early enough. Especially since mid-October can get busy with people coming to see the fall foliage. We booked a room at the Hampton Inn in Salem, Virginia. The next morning we only had about a 15 minute drive to the parking lot along VA 311.
All five of us…wait, four of us have hiking backpacks. Kris has a backpack dedicated just to his camera gear. We spent the night before stopping at a Wal-Mart for snacks and water and driving up to Roanoke Mountain for the sunset. Back at the hotel we worked on getting our backpacks ready. I find it useful to do this the night before because we’re less inclined to forget something. We also showered so we could just wake up and hit the trail in the morning. I highly recommend the Hampton Inn we stayed at. The hotel was clean and located a short distance from the VA 311 parking lot.
Our Experience
We woke up early that morning since I wanted to make sure we got a parking space. We checked out of the hotel around 6:30 a.m. and made our way up the mountain roads, through dense morning fog and darkness, to the parking lot. At 6:50 a.m. the parking lot was nearly full! We were still able to find a spot, but I was glad for being a planner. Viewing the sunrise that morning as we started out, I knew it would be a good day.
We started across VA 311 and began to climb the hill and steps on the Appalachian Trail (white blazes.) Towards the top, about 0.25 miles from the start of the trail you’ll come to a kiosk. This is where you need to decide if you want to take the more strenuous Appalachian Trail to McAfee Knob or the easier fire road. To take the fire road you’ll want to take a left and then a right. I think you’ll know when you’ve met up with fire road. It’s wide and straight. We did not take this way up, but I do know it’s popular for trail running.
If you are taking the fire road you need to be on the lookout for a sign on the left, approximately two miles up. This sign will direct you to where you’ll meet up with the Appalachian Trail to start up towards McAfee Knob. It looks like the picture below.
We opted to hike along the Appalachian Trail, and I’m really glad we did. The hike along the Appalachian Trail is gorgeous. The leaves were lit up by the early morning light and the trail was quiet. We did a good job of pacing ourselves and taking a lot of mental photographs. We took a lot of regular photographs too! The girls did fine, and there are no tricky spots on the trail. We stopped for a snack and to rest for a few minutes about two miles into the trail. It’s a good idea to put a Ziploc bag in each backpack for storing trash. No one wants to see trash on the trail!
The Appalachian Trail will cross the fire road approximately 2.6 miles from the start. Stay on the Appalachian Trail and hike another 1.3 miles.
Those 1.3 miles are probably the hardest part as it’s much steeper. Again, we stopped for water and to rest our legs.
You’ll know when you’ve reached the top. What a sight it is! The first thing we did was eat the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches we packed and drank some water. The five of us just relaxed and took in the view. We got lucky to have a clear day but noticed some thin clouds in the distance. In fact, we were actually above the clouds!
I enjoyed watching people get their pictures taken and chuckled at the mom who held her baby Lion King style. You know what this looks like. Someone even started to sing to complete the experience. I thought we were at McAfee Knob, not Pride Rock. Haha! Don’t worry, she wasn’t standing right on the edge.
Now it was our turn for pictures. I’ll admit that prior to our hike I used to think ANYONE who stood on the knob was nuts. It looks kind of crazy in pictures, but it doesn’t actually feel that scary when you’re standing there. That’s as long as you’re not acting like a bozo 🙂
I had a couple of moments when Kris was taking the picture below that I felt the wind really hitting my back. I’m not going to lie. I was thankful for those muffins and donut holes I ate for breakfast to weigh me down. Joking aside, it’s so peaceful and inspirational to sit on that ledge and look out. You feel so big up there, yet so small at the same time. We didn’t mind one bit taking pictures for people, but it’s so annoying when people sit close to the edge so they end up in everyone’s pictures.
We returned to the parking lot via the fire road. This means you’ll hike south on the Appalachian Trail approximately 1.3 miles to the intersection with the fire road. Make a right and walk approximately two miles. You’ll approach the junction with a marked spur trail back to the Appalachian Trail. Take a left. You’ll quickly recognize the area and see the information kiosk on the left.
I would be lying if I said the girls weren’t tired by the time we reached the car, but they never complained. We were also well prepared with water, snacks, appropriate clothes and took ample rest breaks throughout. We returned to the car at 2 p.m., but had spent a little over an hour at the knob.
Final Thoughts
For me this has to be my favorite hike to date. I love turning something into a weekend getaway. I was so proud of my daughters for completing the eight mile hike, their longest. They really enjoyed themselves and we could tell they were proud of their accomplishment. The trail alone is beautiful, but the payoff makes it extra special. Our girls have always done well on hikes leading to a fabulous view. I had shown them pictures of McAfee Knob online prior to our trip, and it probably motivated them to keep going.
All three of our daughters love to hike and are pretty experienced hikers for their ages. Madeline and Paige are nine, and Hannah is six. Hannah is also on the shorter side so her little legs had to work harder. Again, we took the Appalachian Trail up and fire road down. In order to make the hike easier you could take the fire road up too. In my opinion, it’s more about endurance than actual skill. We passed one group of scouts but otherwise our kids were the youngest hiking the trail. A few parents had very young kids in backpack carriers. That’s such a great way to get your kids loving the outdoors at an early age.
I definitely want to come back. I’d love to catch a sunset up there.
The final image of this post is what happens when your husband gets a little carried away with Photoshop. Haha!
What to Remember:
- Leave no trace.
- You may not use a drone at McAfee Knob.
- Dogs may use this trail as long as they’re on a leash.
- Bring your camera! This is a must.
- Consider your abilities.
- Preparation is key. Pack plenty of snacks and water.
- We find it helpful to take a picture of the trail map (usually on the trailhead sign) to refer to throughout the hike.
