Solo Backpacking the Virginia Triple Crown - Appalachian Trail Section Hike

3 Days of Backpacking, Hiking & Hammock Camping on the Appalachian Trail in Virginia.

For this late summer backpacking trip I’ll be hiking the Virginia Triple Crown, which consists of three iconic Virginia hiking destinations – McAfee Knob, Tinker Cliffs, and Dragon’s Tooth.

To create the loop, I essentially took an Appalachian Trail section hike and combined it with the North Mountain trail to close it off into a 35 mile backpacking loop. This gave me a healthy southern mix of mountain hiking, open pastures, & sweeping summit views.

I went with my most basic warm weather ultralight backpacking gear list for this trip, just to keep things simple & light. Due to the threat of rain, I also included a full set of rain gear, but I was still able to keep my base weight down to 7.5 lbs. This was mostly achieved by simply leaving non critical items at home. Notable items are below or you can see my full gear list with weights & gear links on https://lighterpack.com/r/9778w6

For an easier read, more info & GPS data, check out my blog post
https://wp.me/p2ReUQ-G8

No permit is required to camp in this area, but there are camping restrictions along the Appalachian Trail portion of the hike as well as some private land traversals.

While on the AT in this area, you may only camp at one of four designated shelters. Since I was exclusively on the AT for the first day, this gave me the following camping options:

Jonh's Spring Shelter
Catawba Shelter (reliable water)
Campbell Shelter
Lambert's Meadow Shelter (reliable water)

I chose to camp near Lambert's Meadow Shelter, as it was the farthest one into the loop and offered reliable water.

Trailhead: McAfee Knob Trailhead Parking, 37°22’48.4″N 80°05’22.8″W

Trails Used, Day 1

Appalachian Trail North
Check out McAfee Knob
Walk along Tinker Cliffs for amazing views
Camp near Lambert’s Meadow Shelter
There are multiple camping options here. I camped by the brook near the shelter, but there is more camping 1/4 mile down the AT. I managed to get decent water right where I camped by the shelter, but I’ve read that it can be unreliable during drier periods. The next campsites are said to have more reliable water.

Day 1 Mileage: 10.3 miles
Day 1 Gross Elevation Gain: 3,197’

Trails Used, Day 2

Backtrack ½ mile on the AT
Andy Layne Trail
North Mountain Trail
This trail is on a ridge without water for 10 miles. Make sure to stock up before leaving the Andy Layne trail.
Dragon’s Tooth Trail
There is a confluence of streams & camping opportunities 1/4 mile in from the DT parking lot. Some spots are more obvious than others so don’t be afraid to poke around when you get there.

Day 2 Mileage: 14.6 miles
Day 2 Gross Elevation Gain: 3,911’

Trails Used, Day 3

Continue on the DT Trail
Check out Dragon’s Tooth, an interesting rock formation with views of the valley
Backtrack 1 mile
AT North
Return to parking

Day 3 Mileage: 9.7 miles
Day 3 Gross Elevation Gain: 3,241’

Total Mileage: 34.6 Miles
Total Gross Elevation Gain: 10,349’

Notable Backpacking Gear:

ULA Ohm 2.0 Backpack https://www.ula-equipment.com/product...
Dutchware Pack Cover https://dutchwaregear.com/product/wat...
Dutchware Gear Half-Wit Hammock https://dutchwaregear.com/product/hal...
Dutchware Whoopie Hook hammock suspension w/ kevlar tree straps. https://dutchwaregear.com/product/who...
Hammock Gear Burrow 40 Top Quilt https://www.hammockgear.com/premium-b...
HG Phoenix 40 Underquilt https://hammockgear.com/premium-phoen...
Dutchware Sit Pad https://dutchwaregear.com/product/fol...
Hammock Gear Dyneema Hex Tarp https://www.hammockgear.com/dyneema-f...
DIY Cat Can Alcohol Stove
Light My Fire Mini Fire Steel Striker https://amzn.to/30S3rxm
Vargo Windscreen https://amzn.to/2M3uRuG
Toaks 750ml Titanium Pot https://amzn.to/2GR7AJX
Sea to Summit Long Handled Spork https://go.magik.ly/ml/v9xv/
Potable Aqua Water Purification Tablets https://amzn.to/2EMQDSA
Outdoor Research Helium III Rain Jacket https://amzn.to/2BiSnB1
OR Helium III Rain Pants https://amzn.to/2MkuI5F
Outdoor Vitals Satu Adventure Pants https://satu-adventure-pants-comfort....
La Sportiva Wildcat Trail Running Shoes https://amzn.to/3hyKrMi
Nitecore NU25 Headlamp https://amzn.to/2YVsp0A
Casio ProTrek FR-30 Smartwatch https://amzn.to/3dtY7Xj
Knorr Sides https://amzn.to/338t3sT

Camera & Nav:

GoPro Hero 8 Black https://amzn.to/2D8n6lL
Tripod Grip https://amzn.to/2MPhGOM
Spot Gen3 Locator https://amzn.to/2EJLQhC

FTC Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through some of my links.

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