Appalachian Trail Central Virginia

Appalachian Trail GPS Tracks Get the complete GPS Tracks for the AT from the New River to Rockfish Gap for ONLY $2.97!  This .gpx file includes waypoints for all trail shelters along the 220+ miles of trail within this section as well as many of the official AT parking areas.  Use the BUY NOW button below and we'll send you the file via e-mail!  Happy Hiking!

This 226 mile section of the Appalachian Trail takes the AT across the James River and parallels the Blue Ridge Parkway for about 90 miles to the southern end of Shenandoah National Park.  You'll find some unusual rock formations from the peaks of Humpback Rocks, Three Ridges, The Priest, McAfee Knob and Dragons Tooth that offer spectacular views.

This section is much more rugged and remote compared to Shenandoah National Park to the north, but its easier as well as more accessible compared to the trail in Southwestern Virginia.  A spectacular remote wilderness can be found in the George Washington National Forest. Use the links above to explore different sections of the AT in Central Virginia (links under construction). For more information on this section of the trail we suggest the official Appalachian Trail Guide to Central Virginia book.

Memorable places along this section of the Appalachian Trail include Peters Mountain, Wind Rock, Keffer Oak, Audie Murphy Monument, Dragons Tooth, Rawies Rest, McAfee Knob, Tinker Cliffs, Hay Rock, Cove Mountain, Fork Mountain, Floyd Mountain, Black Rock, Apple Orchard Mountain, The Guillotine, Thunder Ridge Overlook, James River, Fullers Rocks, Bluff Mountain, Punchbowl Mountain, Rice Mountain, Cold Mountain, Tar Jacket Ridge, Spy Rock, The Priest, Cripple Creek, Tye River, Chimney Rocks, Three Ridges, Hanging Rock, Cedar Cliffs and Humpback Mountain.

Miles from Springer Mtn	Elevation	Key points along the Appalachian Trail in Central Virginia
631.3	1600 feet	US 460, Senator Shumate Bridge, New River
632.8	1750 feet	VA 641
635.0	3250 feet	Spring
637.6	3375  feet	Rice Field Shelter
639.2	3300 feet	Campsite, water
642.7	3320 feet	Symms Gap Meadow
643.7	3400 feet	Groundhog Trail
645.3	3300 feet	Dickenson Gap
647.4	3500 feet	Peters Mountain
647.6	3740 feet	Allgheny Trail
650.1	2530 feet	Pine Swamp Branch Shelter
650.4	2370 feet	VA 635, Stony Creek Valley
651.5	2480 feet	Dismal Branch
652.5	2450 feet	VA 635, Stony Creek
653.8	3490 feet	Spring
654.0	3525 feet	Bailey Gap Shelter
657.7	3950 feet	VA 613
657.9	4100 feet	Wind Rock
659.1	4000 feet	Campsites, spring
662.8	2340 feet	War Spur Shelter
663.6	2080 feet	USFS 156, Johns Creek Valley
664.6	2700 feet	Stream
665.6	3250 feet	VA 601, Rocky Gap
668.6	2720 feet	Laurel Creek Shelter
669.6	2400 feet	Spring
671.0	2200 feet	VA 42, Sinking Creek Valley
671.9	2100 feet	VA 630, Sinking Creek
672.3	2240 feet	Keffer Oak
675.0	3000 feet	Sarver Hollow Shelter
678.6	3450 feet	Sinking Creek Mountain
680.3	2490 feet	Cabin Branch
681.0	1800 feet	Niday Shelter
682.3	1540 feet	VA 621, Craig Creek Valley
686.1	3100 feet	Audie Murphy Monument
689.9	1525 feet	VA 620, Trout Creek
691.1	1845 feet	Pickle Branch Shelter
695.3	3020 feet	Cove Mountain, Dragons Tooth
696.3	2550 feet	Lost Spectacles Gap
696.8	2350 feet	Rawies Rest
697.8	1810 feet	VA 624, North Mountain Trail
699.4	1790 feet	VA 785
703.7	1990 feet	VA 311 (Catawba, VA 24070)
704.7	1980 feet	Johns Spring Shelter
705.7	2580 feet	Catawba Mountain Shelter
707.4	3197 feet	McAfee Knob
708.0	3000 feet	Pig Farm Campsite
708.1	2580 feet	Campbell Shelter
711.2	2250 feet	Brickey's Gap
713.0	3000 feet	Tinker Cliffs
713.5	2600 feet	Scorched Earth Gap, Andy Layne Trail
714.1	2080 feet	Lamberts Meadow Shelter
714.4	2000 feet	Lamberts Meadow Campsite, Sawmill Run
718.4	1800 feet	Angels Gap
719.5	1900 feet	Hay Rock, Tinker Ridge
723.0	1165 feet	Tinker Creek
723.5	1350 feet	US 220, VA 816 (Cloverdale, VA 24077) (Daleville, VA 24083)
724.7	1400 feet	VA 779, I-81
725.0	1300 feet	US 11, Norfolk Southern Railway (Troutville, VA 24175)
725.5	1450 feet	VA 652
728.5	2670 feet	Fullhardt Knob Shelter
731.3	2260 feet	USFS 191, Salt Pond Road
732.1	1680 feet	Curry Creek
734.0	1690 feet	Wilson Creek
734.7	1830 feet	Wilson Creek Shelter
735.1	2050 feet	Spring
737.1	2402 feet	USFS 186, Blue Ridge PKWY milepost 97.7, Black Horse Gap
737.9	2350 feet	Blue Ridge Parkway MP 97.0, Taylors Mountain Overlook
739.0	2400 feet	Blue Ridge Parkway MP 95.9, Montvale Overlook
739.6	2550 feet	Blue Ridge Parkway MP 95.3, Harveys Knob Overlook
742.0	1920 feet	Bobblets Gap Shelter
742.7	2350 feet	Blue Ridge Parkway MP 92.5, Peaks of Otter Overlook
743.4	2450 feet	Blue Ridge Parkway MP 91.8, Mills Gap Overlook
745.1	2228 feet	VA 43, Bearwallow Gap, Blue Ridge Parkway MP 90.9 (Buchanan, VA 24066)
746.7	2720 feet	Cove Mountain
747.1	2600 feet	Little Cove Mountain Trail
748.5	1925 feet	Cove Mountain Shelter
750.2	1790 feet	Buchanan Trail
751.7	951 feet	VA 614, Jennings Creek
753.3	2042 feet	Fork Mountain
755.5	1320 feet	Bryant Ridge Shelter
759.8	3560 feet	Floyd Mountain
760.4	3145 feet	Cornelius Creek Shelter
761.3	3450 feet	Black Rock
763.0	3250 feet	Apple Orchard Falls Trail
763.1	3430 feet	USFS 812, Blue Ridge Parkway MP 78.4
764.5	4225 feet	Apple Orchard Mountain
764.8	4090 feet	The Guillotine
765.4	3900 feet	Blue Ridge Parkway MP 76.3
765.7	3960 feet	Thunder Hill Shelter
766.7	3650 feet	Blue Ridge Parkway MP 74.9
767.1	3501 feet	Blue Ridge Parkway MP 74.7, Thunder Ridge Overlook
769.0	3200 feet	Harrison Ground Spring
770.4	2369 feet	USFS 35, Blue Ridge Parkway MP 71.0, Petites Gap
771.6	3073 feet	Highcock Knob
772.6	2290 feet	Marble Spring
773.1	2400 feet	Sulphur Spring Trail (south crossing)
774.9	2650 feet	Guntar Ridge Trail
775.4	2588 feet	Sulphur Spring Trail (north crossing)
776.2	1890 feet	Big Cove Branch
778.1	835 feet	Matts Creek Shelter
778.9	700 feet	Campsite
780.1	678 feet	James River Footbridge
780.3	680 feet	US 501, VA 130, James River (Big Island, VA 24526) (Glasgow, VA 24555)
780.4	670 feet	Lower Rocky Row Run Bridge
781.3	760 feet	Rocky Row Run
781.4	825 feet	VA 812, USFS 36
782.0	1020 feet	Johns Hollow Shelter
784.0	2400 feet	Rocky Row Trail
784.1	2472 feet	Fullers Rocks, Little Rocky Row
785.1	2992 feet	Big Rocky Row
786.6	2600 feet	Saddle Gap, Saddle Gap Trail
787.7	2573 feet	Saltlog Gap
789.2	3372 feet	Bluff Mountain
790.3	2850 feet	Punchbowl Mountain
790.8	2500 feet	Punchbowl Shelter
791.2	2170 feet	Blue Ridge Parkway MP 51.7
791.5	2100 feet	VA 607
793.4	2228 feet	Rice Mountain
795.3	990 feet	USFS 39
795.4	970 feet	Pedlar River Bridge
798.3	1000 feet	Pedlar Lake Road aka USFS 38
800.3	1395 feet	Brown Mountain Creek Shelter
802.1	2065 feet	US 60 (Buena Vista, VA 24416) (Lexington, VA 24450)
804.9	4059 feet	Bald Knob
805.9	3160 feet	Old Hotel Trail, Cow Camp Gap Shelter
807.1	4022 feet	Cold Mountain
808.4	3485 feet	USFS 48, Hog Camp Gap
809.3	3847 feet	Tar Jacket Ridge
810.6	3257 feet	USFS 63, Salt Log Gap
811.8	3500 feet	USFS 246
812.3	3600 feet	Greasy Spring Road
814.2	3500 feet	North Fork of Piney River
815.4	3750 feet	Elk Pond Branch
816.1	3770 feet	Seeley-Woodworth Shelter
817.2	3650 feet	Porters Field
818.4	3454 feet	Spy Rock Road (Montebello, VA 24464)
818.9	3680 feet	Spy Rock
819.7	3550 feet	Cash Hollow Rock
821.0	3280 feet	Cach Hollow Road
821.8	3350 feet	VA 826, Crabtree Farm Road, Crabtree Falls Trail
822.7	3840 feet	The Priest Shelter
823.2	4063 feet	The Priest
826.2	1800 feet	Cripple Creek
827.5	970 feet	VA 56
827.6	950 feet	Tye River Suspension Bridge
829.2	2090 feet	Mau-Har Trail
830.3	1800 feet	Harpers Creek Shelter
832.3	3190 feet	Chimney Rocks
834.0	3870 feet	Three Ridges
834.5	3750 feet	Hanging Rock
836.5	2720 feet	Maupin Field Shelter
838.2	2650 feet	VA 664, Blue Ridge Parkway MP 13.6, Reeds Gap
838.7	2700 feet	Blue Ridge Parkway MP 13.1, Three Ridges Overlook
842.5	2800 feet	Cedar Cliffs
843.0	2950 feet	Blue Ridge Parkway MP 9.6, Dripping Rock Parking Area
845.8	3250 feet	Humpback Mountain
846.8	3250 feet	Trail to Humpback Rocks
848.3	3200 feet	Bear Spring
850.5	2750 feet	Glass Hollow Overlook
850.8	2150 feet	Trail to Humpback Rocks Visitor Center
852.3	1700 feet	Mill Creek, Paul C Wolfe Shelter
857.3	1902 feet	US 250, I-64, Rockfish Gap (Waynesboro, VA 22980)