Weekend Hike on the Appalachian Trail to McAfee's Knob

in #hiking7 years ago

If you’ve been following me for very long, you know that I enjoy hiking. I’m fortunate to live near some very good hiking spots, so I have enjoyed sharing my experiences and photos from the hikes with you here on my blog.

On Saturday, we headed for a very popular stretch of the Appalachian Trail to hike to a place called McAfee’s Knob. The Appalachian Trail is a 2,200 mile (3,500 km) long hiking trail that stretches from Georgia to Maine. It is a very popular hiking destination on the East Coast of the United States, as there are many spectacular views and fun shorter hikes along the trail. Each year, there are always people who hike from one end of the trail to the other, which is something that I don’t know if I’m ambitious enough to do, but maybe someday.

McAfee’s Knob

McAfee’s Knob is one of the most photographed places along the Appalachian Trail. It features a small section of rock that juts out over the side of the mountain which provides access to a 270 degree view of the valley below (don’t worry, there are many more pictures to come).

Our hike Saturday began at a trailhead near Catawba, Virginia. My wife and I have done this hike before last year in October, so we knew what to expect. The hike is around 4 miles one way, so it takes around 3 to 4 hours to complete the round trip based on how long you stay at the top. We went with a larger group of people our age, so we had a great time conversing with them on the way up the trail.

McAfee’s Knob

There are various small shelters placed along the Appalachian Trail, and one of these shelters is along the way up to McAfee’s Knob. Occasionally, you’ll see people camping there, so it’s interesting to consider that they might be hiking the entire trail. Along the way, there are a few signs that let you know your progress. The hike itself ranges from moderate to strenuous, but I would classify most of the trail as moderate. From the trailhead to McAfee’s Knob, you experience around a 1200 foot (366 m) elevation gain. Since the hike to the top is around 4 miles long, this gain is spread out, so it’s not until almost the very top that you begin to gain elevation quickly. This makes the last leg of the hike the most challenging in my opinion.

Last year when my wife and I hiked to McAfee’s Knob, many of the leaves on the trees had changed already, so we got to experience many beautiful fall colors on the hike. This year, only a few of the leaves had begun to change, but the hike still had plenty of beautiful scenery to take in. Many types of wildlife live in the area such as deer, squirrels, rabbits, and black bears. Thankfully, the only wildlife we encountered was a caterpillar and a millipede. Oh, and plenty of gnats.

I must say, though. This hike is well worth anyone’s time. The views at the top are nothing short of spectacular. When you first emerge onto the overlook section of the trail, you can see the “knob,” which is pictured in the first image of this post. Once you step up to the area right on the knob, you’re immediately greeted by one of the most incredible views the Appalachian Trail or the Blue Ridge Mountains has to offer.

McAfee’s Knob Panorama 1

Click on image to view full resolution. I highly recommend it.

I could stay there for hours just taking in the view, and I still don’t think that would be long enough. As you continue around the overlook, you can see more and more of the valley below. Here’s the view from about the middle of the accessible overlook:

McAfee’s Knob Panorama 2

McAfee’s Knob extra shot

When you walk over to the furthest point of the overlook, you can see some interesting features of the landscape including power lines and the airport at the local city of Roanoke. On a clear day, you can also see downtown Roanoke. Here’s the view from that point:

McAfee’s Knob Panorama 3

I highly recommend this hike to anyone who enjoys the Appalachian Trail or the Blue Ridge Mountains. It’s a fun hike to do with friends, there are some amazing views, and you get to experience the great outdoors. My wife and I have enjoyed it both times we’ve hiked it. Here are a couple of shots of us at the top:

And just as a bonus picture, here’s the picture of us in the same place last year when the fall colors had started to speckle the landscape:

There is one more thing I must mention about going on this hike, and that is what you must do afterward. About a mile down the road from the trailhead, there is a lovely restaurant called The Homeplace.

The Homeplace Placemat

They serve all-you-can-eat family style Southern food, which includes fried chicken, country ham, roast beef, green beans, mashed potatoes with gravy, cole slaw, pintos, corn, mac and cheese, and homemade biscuits. Also who can forget the all-you-can-drink lemonade and sweet tea. The food is delicious, and most of the time you can motivate yourself to get through the hike by envisioning how great your meal will be when you reach the end.

I highly recommend eating at The Homeplace any time you’re in the Catawba area. On Saturday, they even had live bluegrass music out on the porch of the house for you to listen to while waiting (it’s always crowded because of its popularity and deliciousness).

We have thoroughly enjoyed hiking to McAfee’s Knob both times we’ve been, and I would encourage anyone who visits the Roanoke area of Virginia to venture down to Catawba and head up the mountain.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the views, and I’d love to hear about your experiences hiking anywhere along the Appalachian Trail, especially in Virginia.

If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out my last post about hiking up Stone Mountain in North Carolina!

All images are my own. Captured with either my Google Pixel or my Nikon D60. Panorama stitching via the Google photos app.

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Beautiful pictures and a great post. I lived in Tennessee for most of my life and enjoyed hiking in the Appalachian mountains. We hiked the Chimneys in the Smokies and camp on the Cherokee National Forest quite often. I love the mountains and the beautiful mountain streams.

Wow! That is pretty amazing. It is so not fair that you share a pic of your meal that looks amazing and I can't get anything like that anywhere near me. The biscuit. The mac and cheese. Just plain cruel. ;) Looks like an amazing place to stop after a hike for sure! The pictures are great too - click on the panoramas was definitely worth it - thanks for that recommendation! Thanks for sharing the pics!

Thanks for stopping by!

Sorry about the food envy I've caused. It's really the best way to finish up the hike. No matter how hard the hike is, you can just focus your mind on whichever of the food sounds best at the time. This time it was the ham and biscuits for me. haha

Glad you enjoyed the pictures! I always enjoy taking the shots knowing that Google will stitch them together for me. I even made one of them the header image on my profile now!

Thanks for taking the time to read my post. I really appreciate your comment!

You were around 3 hours from where I'm at in the TN part of the Appalachian Mountains. That's such a great view. You're so lucky to get to hike that trail. I've traveled all over the US and to me the Appalachian Mountains are one of the top pretties places to be.

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog! I got super busy and forgot to respond to your great comment on the thread where we met, so I just did that.

Glad to know you're not far away! It's definitely great to be able to take advantage of places nearby where I live. I've definitely enjoyed the many views of the Blue Ridge Mountains that I've been able to experience. I'll probably do some more write ups in the future about other views I've seen.

Thanks again for your comment!

Dude this just made me INSANELY hungry haha. You're so lucky, this looks beautiful man! I'm glad you enjoy the adventure life as much as I do.

Keep being awesome bro ;)

Yes. I like to adventure, especially when it's close to where I live.

The food is definitely some of the best I've had from a restaurant. Makes me miss Sunday lunch at my grandma's house. We always had things like this.

Anyhow, thanks for stopping by. It's always an honor to receive your comments and votes.

That looks like an amazing hike with an equally amazing southern cooked meal. That food must have been over the top delicious after a hike like that. Thanks for sharing!

Yes! I've been to the restaurant both times after this hike, and I can say that the food definitely tastes better after conquering the mountain.

It always amazes me how busy that place is, but I suppose when the food is delicious, people will come. Thanks for your comment!

Wow, that scenery is stunning - how cool to have that on your doorstep!!

Thanks for the pictures!

You're welcome! It's nice to be able to take advantage of living close to the mountainous scenery. Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate your comment!

The post is jump-starting my wanderlust! I've always wanted to see Appalachia since I was young. Great pics by the way! Definitely upvoted! @suicidalviral

I hope you get the chance soon!

I definitely try not to take for granted that I live so close to such beauty. Glad you enjoyed the pictures, and thanks for your comment!

Yep. It did make me hungry. And, awesome photos! My husband and I love to hike but we need to usually fly or drive a long distance to a place that has pretty hiking.

Glad you enjoyed the photos! That's unfortunate that it's so far away for you to hike. I think that's why I like to take advantage of the great hiking around me now. I may not always live near places like this.

Thanks for your comment!

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