8.3 mi.
McAfee's Knob is probably the most well known and most trafficked trail you will hear about on this site. The trail out to McAfee's Knob is 8.3 miles roundtrip, offering a 270 degree panoramic view at the top. Be warned though, to start this trail you must cross a very busy street where the cars fly by going upwards of 60 mph. There is no overnight camping allowed on this trail and the whole thing should take you roughly 4 and a half hours so plan your time accordingly. McAfee's Knob makes up one leg of the Virginia Triple Crown, three trails which overlook the Catawba Valley from three separate mountains. The other two trails are Dragon's Tooth and Tinker Cliffs, both of which are also covered on this website. While there is no overnight camping at the actual knob you will pass two shelters along the AT on your way to the top of the mountain, both of which are more than large enough for any group. There is not much in the way of foliage for most of the trail but towards the top you will encounter some knee-level shrubs. One of the AT shelters you will pass has a freshwater spring at the end of it, called the John's Spring shelter. It was named after a thru-hiker of the AT by the name of John Haranzo who unfortunately took his own life in 2001. There are a lot of decently sized boulders up near the summit should you wish to take up climbing, but beware of falling as it is a long drop and may be fatal.