Virginia Triple Crown Loop

**prelohded** · 10-14-2019, 21:48

Completed the Virginia Triple Crown loop near Roanoke, VA. This loop features three of Virginia’s most popular hiking destinations - Mcafee Knob, Tinker Cliffs and Dragons Tooth.

We logged a total of 40 miles in almost exactly 48 hours. Plus an additional three miles for me to stash water at the top of Turkey Trail.

Started Friday at 4pm and finished Sunday at 4pm. The short time frame meant long days, logging 6 miles on day one, 18 miles on day two and 16 on day three - I would highly recommend allowing more time so you can spread the mileage out more evenly over three days.

The route for this loop follows the AT to Andy Lane Trail to Catawba Valley Trail to North Mountain Trail back to the AT. We camped near Pig Farm camp night one and up on North Mountain night two.

Water is scarce for a majority of this loop, be prepared to carry a lot or stash some ahead of time like I did.

**Cabmanhang** · 10-14-2019, 22:36

Nice video. Ya'll were covering some miles on that terrain. Thanks for the trip report. I'd love to do the triple crown but I am scared of the crowds.

**Dvankirk** · 10-15-2019, 08:25

Enjoyed your video. I really like that loop, but the lack of water on the North Mountain trail means that you are either staging water like you did or camel-ing up before heading up North Mountain for the 13 mile stretch. I did it in the spring in one night (stayed at Lambert's Meadow). Supposedly you are only "allowed" to camp at the established camp sites / shelters on the AT side, but I saw a lot of folks set up at Mcafee Knob and Tinker Cliffs. Good workout for sure.

**xnktx** · 10-15-2019, 09:26

How difficult would you rate this hike, other than the distance and lack of water? Is it mostly rocks/boulders? Is there a lot of climbing involved?

**Dvankirk** · 10-15-2019, 11:44

I had 38.88 miles and 8,963 feet of elevation gain. Certainly not for the faint of heart. North Mountain Trail looks relatively flat, but there are a lot of up and downs. The same with going between Mcafee Knob and Tinker Cliffs. Wouldn't say that it was exceptionally rocky or required any scrambling other than up at Dragon's Tooth. The 3 peaks are well traveled tourist areas, but North Mountain has less travel.

I started at Dragon's Tooth TH and cut over to the AT on the Boy Scout Trail. 19 miles the first day over Mcafee Knob and Tinker Cliffs and camped at Lambert's Meadow (there is a shelter there, but hung my hammock down by a creek). Another 19 miles or so up and over North Mountain, back past the parking area where I parked, and up Dragon's Tooth for day 2 and stayed on the AT past Dragon's Tooth. Had a short mile or so hike back down to the car on day 3 for an early out and drive home.

If you want to see the gps track and elevation changes:
https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/map--3458

Virginia Triple Crown.JPG

**u.willie** · 10-15-2019, 13:25

Cool video, Thanks for sharing

I did the loop hike also, last winter. Very cool hike for sure!

I noticed in your video while you were driving, before you did the hike, that you said you had like a seventeen mile stretch with no water. Where did you encounter a 17 mile stretch with no water?

Also, the mileage I got when I did it was a bit less than what you're saying you did. I'm wondering where the difference is?

willin'

**u.willie** · 10-15-2019, 13:33

Originally Posted by Dvankirk

Enjoyed your video. I really like that loop, but the lack of water on the North Mountain trail means that you are either staging water like you did or camel-ing up before heading up North Mountain for the 13 mile stretch. I did it in the spring in one night (stayed at Lambert's Meadow). Supposedly you are only "allowed" to camp at the established camp sites / shelters on the AT side, but I saw a lot of folks set up at Mcafee Knob and Tinker Cliffs. Good workout for sure.

Originally Posted by Dvankirk

I had 38.88 miles and 8,963 feet of elevation gain. Certainly not for the faint of heart. North Mountain Trail looks relatively flat, but there are a lot of up and downs. The same with going between Mcafee Knob and Tinker Cliffs. Wouldn't say that it was exceptionally rocky or required any scrambling other than up at Dragon's Tooth. The 3 peaks are well traveled tourist areas, but North Mountain has less travel.

I started at Dragon's Tooth TH and cut over to the AT on the Boy Scout Trail. 19 miles the first day over Mcafee Knob and Tinker Cliffs and camped at Lambert's Meadow (there is a shelter there, but hung my hammock down by a creek). Another 19 miles or so up and over North Mountain, back past the parking area where I parked, and up Dragon's Tooth for day 2 and stayed on the AT past Dragon's Tooth. Had a short mile or so hike back down to the car on day 3 for an early out and drive home.

If you want to see the gps track and elevation changes:
https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/map--3458

Virginia Triple Crown.JPG

Now that right there is funny!

Thank you for the laugh(s)

Where is there a 13 mile waterless stretch without water on this loop, on North Mountain Trail?

willin'

**prelohded** · 10-15-2019, 13:47

Originally Posted by xnktx

How difficult would you rate this hike, other than the distance and lack of water? Is it mostly rocks/boulders? Is there a lot of climbing involved?

I would rate it as moderate to difficult. I didn’t find any one stretch too extreme, but the long mileage over two days and total elevation gain made it a grind and difficult overall. Not a ton of scrambling, most of that is during the climb up to dragons tooth. The North Mountain trail is pretty rocky so harsh on the feet, and it takes you up and down constantly - we weren’t able to cruise that trail as fast as I was hoping we could.

**prelohded** · 10-15-2019, 13:53

Originally Posted by u.willie

Cool video, Thanks for sharing

I did the loop hike also, last winter. Very cool hike for sure!

I noticed in your video while you were driving, before you did the hike, that you said you had like a seventeen mile stretch with no water. Where did you encounter a 17 mile stretch with no water?

Also, the mileage I got when I did it was a bit less than what you're saying you did. I'm wondering where the difference is?

willin'

I think I said a 15 mile stretch but it was a crude estimate based on my measuring of the Avenza app. There is no reliable source of water after Catawba creek after descending the Andy layne trail. So essentially no water from that point until you get down near dragons tooth. I think there are some seasonal/intermittent sources on the Catawba Valley trail headed up to North Mountain but they were dry for us. Nothing at all on the entire North Mountain trail.

Im not sure where the difference in mileage is, I’ve read reports of mileage anywhere between 34 and 42 miles. I kept my gps running the entire trip so I would guess it was the hike to and from the stashed water source day two, some back and forth hiking looking for campsites, and our trip to the water source day one.

**prelohded** · 10-15-2019, 18:57

Originally Posted by u.willie

Now that right there is funny!

Thank you for the laugh(s)

Where is there a 13 mile waterless stretch without water on this loop, on North Mountain Trail?

willin'

I may be wrong but I think he is saying he did the entire loop in one night minus the short mile hike down to the car via the dragons tooth trail. In other words completed the loop, then camped a mile from his car...