71 - APPALACHIAN TRAIL - VIRGINIA - Sección 16 y 15.2 -De VA-56 y Tye River, a Three Ridges, Hanging Rock y BRP Dripping Rock
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 15.44 mi
- Elevation gain
- 5,236 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation loss
- 3,268 ft
- Max elevation
- 3,986 ft
- TrailRank
-
75
5
- Min elevation
- 902 ft
- Trail type
- One Way
- Time
- 8 hours 47 minutes
- Coordinates
- 2231
- Uploaded
- April 25, 2016
- Recorded
- April 2016
near Tyro, Virginia (United States)
Viewed 1091 times, downloaded 17 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
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Stage 71
⇐ Link to the previous stage: 70 - APPALACHIAN TRAIL - VIRGINIA - Section 18.1 and 17 - From Seeley-Woodworth Shelter to Spy Rock, The Priest and VA-56 Tye River
⇒ Link to the next stage: 72 - APPALACHIAN TRAIL - VIRGINIA -Section 15.1 -From BRP Dripping Rock to Humpback Mountain and route US-260 / I-64 - Rockfish Gap
Tour of the Appalachian Trail (Appalachian Trail), passing through the state of Virginia (United States), from south to north. From the intersection of the trail with the VA-56 route and the Tye River, to the parking area known as Dripping Rock, on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The stage corresponds to sections 16 and 15.2 according to the official distribution of sections of the Appalachian Trail, in the state of Virginia, always inside the George Washigton Jefferson National Forest, and in its first part (until the Reids Gap), in the area called Three Ridges Wilderness Area.
We begin the tour in the parking lot of the AT located on the VA-56 route, a few meters from the colorful wooden suspension bridge over the Tye River. Spring is already noticeable in the valley, and the trees and shrubs have their first leaves.
In the Tye River the ascent of more than 10 km begins. marching down the side of the Three Ridges (3,970 feet). The unevenness between the river and the top is more than 3,000 feet, and although most of the route has a gradual layout, there are some sections of rock and steep slope.
The morning starts cold but sunny, but as the hours progress and we approach the summit of Three Ridges Mountain, a low cloud of fine rain envelops the area with a light fog that hides the views of the last stretch of climb.
On the ascent, two small intermediate peaks, followed by some landing or descent, allow a respite and enjoy some magnificent views over the surrounding valleys.
Highlights include the panoramic views of Flat Rock (2,798 feet), overlooking the Harpers Creek Valley, The Priest and the Tye River Valley; and Chimney Rocks (3,190 feet), the latter, with very interesting rock formations and views towards Tye River Valley, Hanging Rock and Three Ridges.
Both the top of Three Ridges Mountain (3,970 feet) and that of Hanging Rock (rocky viewpoint already on the descent, at 3,493 feet), were, at the time we passed through them, covered with fog and fine rain, by what was not possible to contemplate the excellent panoramas that without a doubt offer.
After the summit, the AT descends gradually, for four kilometers, with the occasional stony section, until reaching a hill from which another interesting, but difficult, side path starts: the Mau-Har Trail, three miles long, which runs , during the first half of its route, in parallel to the course of Campbells Creek, to a few small waterfalls, and surrounding the skirt of the Three Ridges on the west, it meets the Appalachian Trail eleven kilometers further back.
In this same hill is the Maupin Field Shelter, built in 1961, with capacity for six people.
Overcoming the small hill of Meadow Mountain, we arrived at the Reids Gap, with a spacious parking lot, where the AT crosses the VA-664 route and again finds the Blue Ridge Parkway, from which it had distanced 75 km. back (the last time we had crossed it had been at Punchwould Mountain Crossing, in section 21 of the trail).
Just over half a kilometer from the Reids Gap, a new intersection of the trail with the Blue Ridge Parkway allows us to enjoy another of its great viewpoints, the Three Ridges Parking Overlook, with stunning views to the south and east, highlighting the silhouette of the Three Ridges Mountain, already cleared of the fog that crowned its summit.
From this point, the Appalachian Trail follows a parallel, but distant, course of the Blue Ridge Parkway, always west of the road and at a height that, with few ups and downs, is between 2,600 and 3,000 feet.
Although there are no major elevations, the path runs through quite stony terrain, and on the way it offers two important viewpoints with clear views to the north and west, especially the place known as Cedar Cliffs (2,838 feet), a large cliff or almost vertical escarpment, which due to its superior platform and the abundance of pines rooted between the cracks of the rock, reminds us a lot of the area of McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs, many kilometers to the south.
After Cedar Cliffs, the AT turns east and ascends slightly until reaching the Blue Ridge Parkway, where there is a small parking area identified as Dripping Rock, the end point of this stage.
⇐ Link to the previous stage: 70 - APPALACHIAN TRAIL - VIRGINIA - Section 18.1 and 17 - From Seeley-Woodworth Shelter to Spy Rock, The Priest and VA-56 Tye River
⇒ Link to the next stage: 72 - APPALACHIAN TRAIL - VIRGINIA -Section 15.1 -From BRP Dripping Rock to Humpback Mountain and route US-260 / I-64 - Rockfish Gap
Tour of the Appalachian Trail (Appalachian Trail), passing through the state of Virginia (United States), from south to north. From the intersection of the trail with the VA-56 route and the Tye River, to the parking area known as Dripping Rock, on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The stage corresponds to sections 16 and 15.2 according to the official distribution of sections of the Appalachian Trail, in the state of Virginia, always inside the George Washigton Jefferson National Forest, and in its first part (until the Reids Gap), in the area called Three Ridges Wilderness Area.
We begin the tour in the parking lot of the AT located on the VA-56 route, a few meters from the colorful wooden suspension bridge over the Tye River. Spring is already noticeable in the valley, and the trees and shrubs have their first leaves.
In the Tye River the ascent of more than 10 km begins. marching down the side of the Three Ridges (3,970 feet). The unevenness between the river and the top is more than 3,000 feet, and although most of the route has a gradual layout, there are some sections of rock and steep slope.
The morning starts cold but sunny, but as the hours progress and we approach the summit of Three Ridges Mountain, a low cloud of fine rain envelops the area with a light fog that hides the views of the last stretch of climb.
On the ascent, two small intermediate peaks, followed by some landing or descent, allow a respite and enjoy some magnificent views over the surrounding valleys.
Highlights include the panoramic views of Flat Rock (2,798 feet), overlooking the Harpers Creek Valley, The Priest and the Tye River Valley; and Chimney Rocks (3,190 feet), the latter, with very interesting rock formations and views towards Tye River Valley, Hanging Rock and Three Ridges.
Both the top of Three Ridges Mountain (3,970 feet) and that of Hanging Rock (rocky viewpoint already on the descent, at 3,493 feet), were, at the time we passed through them, covered with fog and fine rain, by what was not possible to contemplate the excellent panoramas that without a doubt offer.
After the summit, the AT descends gradually, for four kilometers, with the occasional stony section, until reaching a hill from which another interesting, but difficult, side path starts: the Mau-Har Trail, three miles long, which runs , during the first half of its route, in parallel to the course of Campbells Creek, to a few small waterfalls, and surrounding the skirt of the Three Ridges on the west, it meets the Appalachian Trail eleven kilometers further back.
In this same hill is the Maupin Field Shelter, built in 1961, with capacity for six people.
Overcoming the small hill of Meadow Mountain, we arrived at the Reids Gap, with a spacious parking lot, where the AT crosses the VA-664 route and again finds the Blue Ridge Parkway, from which it had distanced 75 km. back (the last time we had crossed it had been at Punchwould Mountain Crossing, in section 21 of the trail).
Just over half a kilometer from the Reids Gap, a new intersection of the trail with the Blue Ridge Parkway allows us to enjoy another of its great viewpoints, the Three Ridges Parking Overlook, with stunning views to the south and east, highlighting the silhouette of the Three Ridges Mountain, already cleared of the fog that crowned its summit.
From this point, the Appalachian Trail follows a parallel, but distant, course of the Blue Ridge Parkway, always west of the road and at a height that, with few ups and downs, is between 2,600 and 3,000 feet.
Although there are no major elevations, the path runs through quite stony terrain, and on the way it offers two important viewpoints with clear views to the north and west, especially the place known as Cedar Cliffs (2,838 feet), a large cliff or almost vertical escarpment, which due to its superior platform and the abundance of pines rooted between the cracks of the rock, reminds us a lot of the area of McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs, many kilometers to the south.
After Cedar Cliffs, the AT turns east and ascends slightly until reaching the Blue Ridge Parkway, where there is a small parking area identified as Dripping Rock, the end point of this stage.
Waypoints
Car park
922 ft
Tye River y ruta VA-56. Inicio de la etapa
Tye River y ruta VA-56. Inicio de la etapa
Intersection
2,125 ft
Intersección del AT con el Mau-Har Trail
Intersección del AT con el Mau-Har Trail
River
Wilderness hut
Photo
3,101 ft
Empinada y pedregosa subida a Chimney Rocks
Empinada y pedregosa subida a Chimney Rocks
Summit
3,918 ft
Cima de Three Ridges (3.970 pies). Con poca visibilidad, a causa de la niebla
Top of Three Ridges (3,970 feet). With poor visibility, because of fog
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Panorama
3,477 ft
Hanging Rock (3.750 pies). Gran mirador sin visibilidad a causa de la niebla.
Hanging Rock (3,750 feet). Great viewpoint without visibility due to fog.
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Intersection
2,797 ft
Nueva intersección del AT con el Mau-Hair Trail
Nueva intersección del AT con el Mau-Hair Trail
Intersection
2,634 ft
Reids Gap. Cruce del AT con la ruta VA-664
Reids Gap. Cruce del AT con la ruta VA-664
Panorama
2,677 ft
Blue Ridge Parkway. Three Ridges Mt. - Mirador y estacionamiento
Blue Ridge Parkway. Three Ridges Mt. - Mirador y estacionamiento
Panorama
2,820 ft
Cedar Cliffs (2.800 pies). Vista panorámica
Cedar Cliffs (2.800 pies). Vista panorámica
Car park
2,982 ft
Intersección del AT con el Blue Ridge Parkway - Dripping Rock. Fin de la etapa
Intersection of the AT with the Blue Ridge Parkway - Dripping Rock. End of the stage
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Comments (2)
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Una ruta bonita, aunque larga y con esa fuerte subida. ¡Estupendas fotos! ¡Lastima de que hubiese niebla en el Gran Mirador!
¡Muchas gracias por compartirla, Pablo!
Muchas gracias a tí, por tu valoración y comentario.
Disfruté mucho de este recorrido, y animo a todos los senderistas que tengan oportunidad de hacerlo, a recorrer alguna sección de este espectacular sendero de los Apalaches.