VA · Southeast
4 forest guides within driving distance
Complete guide to George Washington and Jefferson National Forests in Virginia and West Virginia. Trail recommendations, campgrounds, McAfee Knob, Dragon's Tooth, and trip planning resources.
13 min read
Monongahela National Forest encompasses 919,000 acres of the Allegheny Highlands in West Virginia, featuring the state's highest peak, the Dolly Sods wilderness, and some of the most rugged terrain in the eastern United States.
6 min read
Jefferson National Forest spans the Virginia and West Virginia Appalachians, anchored by Mount Rogers, Virginia's highest peak, and the Appalachian Trail's finest southern Virginia miles.
5 min read
160,000 acres of North Carolina coastal plain: pocosins, longleaf pine savanna, blackwater creeks, and the Neusiok Trail along the Neuse River estuary, between New Bern and Morehead City.
7 min read
Guide to Humpback Rocks Trail in George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. A short, steep 2-mile hike to panoramic Blue Ridge views near the Blue Ridge Parkway.
11 min read
Guide to Crabtree Falls Trail in George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. The tallest cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi, a 3.4-mile out-and-back with five major cascades.
10 min read
Guide to Apple Orchard Falls in George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, Virginia. A 3.2-mile out-and-back through a rhododendron and hemlock canyon to one of the tallest waterfalls in Virginia at 200 feet.
8 min read
A 4.4-mile out-and-back to a dramatic quartzite pinnacle in the Goshen area of George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, Virginia, with sweeping views down the Calfpasture River valley.
7 min read
A 4-mile out-and-back trail climbing 1,000 feet to a viewpoint at the base of the Seneca Rocks summit fin in Monongahela National Forest, one of the most iconic hikes in West Virginia.
4 min read
A 6-mile out-and-back trail through Smoke Hole Canyon along the South Branch of the Potomac River in Monongahela National Forest, featuring limestone cliffs, excellent fishing, and a historic cave.
3 min read
A 1-mile loop around the summit of Spruce Knob, the highest point in West Virginia at 4,863 feet, with 360-degree views from the observation tower in Monongahela National Forest.
4 min read
Guide to McAfee Knob in George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. The most photographed spot on the Appalachian Trail, an 8.8-mile out-and-back hike to an iconic rock ledge overlooking the Catawba Valley.
11 min read
Guide to Tinker Cliffs in George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, Virginia. A 10.5-mile out-and-back on the Appalachian Trail to a half-mile-long quartzite cliff band with sweeping views over the Roanoke and Catawba valleys.
8 min read
A 7-mile loop through the Dolly Sods Wilderness in Monongahela National Forest, crossing open heath barrens, sphagnum bogs, and red spruce forest on a windswept Allegheny plateau unlike anywhere else in the East.
4 min read
A 5-mile out-and-back trail through the most remote section of the Dolly Sods Wilderness, crossing open heath barrens with long-distance views in Monongahela National Forest.
3 min read
An 8-mile loop through the 20,000-acre Otter Creek Wilderness in Monongahela National Forest, covering rugged Appalachian terrain with a remote creek corridor and excellent backcountry character.
3 min read
Guide to Dragon's Tooth in George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. A 4.6-mile out-and-back to Virginia's most dramatic rock scramble, featuring Class 3 climbing and a quartzite spire on the AT.
10 min read