A series of long ridgeline traverses, ending with a summit of the picturesque Kelly Knob.

Statistics

1

day +

3,003

m

2,834

m

13

max°

Difficulty

FATMAP difficulty grade

Difficult

Description

The quaint town of Pearisburg serves as the southern terminus for this segment.

A small parking area lies along Narrows Road south of New River and connects to the AT via a spur trail. About a 30-minute drive away, a small parking area lies past Cumberland Gap Road near Huffman, Virginia.

This trailhead serves as the northern terminus for this segment and has enough space for a few cars to park along the road.

The proximity between trailheads plus the series of overnight camping opportunities along the trail make this a great point-to-point shuttle segment. Heading north on the bridge over New River, the trail turns and passes under the bridge—look for the trailhead along the access road to a manufacturing plant.

Over the years, the AT has been rerouted multiple times in this area.

After the first few miles, you'll have a long stretch along a ridge heading northeast. Relatively flat atop the ridge, the trail eventually dips into the valley below and crosses Big Stoney Creek Road (VA-635).

After another steep climb, another ridgeline traverse lies ahead, crossing over high points of Wind Rock and Lone Pine Peak, both over 4,000'.

No overlooks will be found at either, and after passing them, the trail descends to Hutchison Road (VA-632).

After crossing another ridge, a small parking area at the end of Clover Hollow Road (VA-601) serves as a popular trailhead to reach the top of Kelly Knob.

A brief—but steep—climb will have you atop another ridge before a blue-blazed spur leads to the summit.

The vistas from the top are well-worth the climb up, and offer a small taste of what lies north on the trail. Descending from Kelly Knob, the trail passes through a few fields, then Cumberland Road before reaching the northern trailhead. Sources: https://www.roanoke.com/news/local/giles_county/new-appalachian-trail-section-to-open-near-pearisburg/article_dea88e5f-b56f-5ba3-81f5-24742dcb97c9.html https://thetrek.co/appalachian-trail/section-hiking-virginia-pearisburg-daleville-appalachian-trail/