Experienced Hikers Share Favorite Blue Ridge Trails
Cover Photo: The Overlook From the Weverton Cliffs, Just Off the Appalachian Trail. Photo by John Canan
Looking for fall hiking recommendations? We’ve got you covered. To put you on the path towards the region’s best autumn trails, we’ve enlisted help from the experts, gathering favorites from some of the region’s record-setting hiking pros with 10K-plus-trail-miles under their boots.
JENNIFER PHARR DAVIS
The former National Geographic Adventurer of the Year previously held the record for the fastest supported Appalachian Trail thru-hike. Pharr Davis has held countless other fastest known times (FKTs) on routes across six different continents, including Australia’s 623-mile Bibbulmun Track. The 42-year-old is a best-selling author and continues to smoke long trails in the U.S. and beyond—often with her two kids in tow.
Favorite Hike I: Shining Rock Wilderness Loop, North Carolina
While the Asheville resident laments having to pick just one nearby walk—western North Carolina is home to many stunners—Pharr Davis says the loop from Black Balsam Knob to Shining Rock and Ivestor Gap may well be her all-time backyard fave.
“You take a magical section of Blue Ridge Parkway to get there, so the drive is incredible in itself,” says Pharr Davis. The roughly 10-mile route pursues the Art Loeb and Ivestor Gap trails through Pisgah National Forest and the state’s largest wilderness area and includes stunning vistas from a quartet of 6,000-ish-foot peaks.
Favorite Hike II: Channels State Forest and Natural Area Preserve, Virginia
Find one of Virginia’s largest and most unique rock formations about 21 miles west of the historic city of Abingdon atop 4,000-foot Clinch Mountain. A 5.5-mile out-and-back climbs through the 4,800-acre swath of protected lands past an old fire tower to a maze-like sandstone outcropping with soaring 360-degree views of the surrounding Alleghany Mountains.
Like the famed slot canyons of the southwestern U.S., “you can walk on top and look down into the labyrinth or climb inside and explore for hours on end,” says Pharr Davis. The feature makes Channels the perfect spot for an awe-inspiring family adventure.
Favorite Hike III: Cumberland Island National Seashore, St. Marys Georgia
Georgia’s largest and southernmost barrier island sits about a mile off the coast and is home to one of the most diverse ecosystems in the South. “I’ve hiked all around the world and this is one of my favorite spots, bar none,” says Pharr Davis. Around 50 miles of trails weave through mature live oak forests, marshlands and pristine beaches.
“I love to take the ferry out there and spend a day or two just roaming around,” says Pharr Davis. She’s visited numerous times “and never had an issue finding a beach to relax on where there’s not another soul in sight.”
HEATHER “ANISH” ANDERSON
Anderson gained hiking stardom in 2013 when she broke the Pacific Crest Trail self-supported speed record. She cemented her position in the trekker pantheon with a record-setting A.T. attempt two years later. The 43-year-old has since become the first woman to tackle the American Triple Crown in a single calendar year and complete the trifecta three times.
Favorite Hike I: Harpers Ferry, West Virginia to Maryland’s Weverton Cliffs
The eight-mile out-and-back begins and ends in the downtown area of one of the Appalachian Trail’s coolest trail towns and leads to scenic vistas of the Potomac River and Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park from a sheer, 700-foot stone cliff.
Cross the river via a restored 19th century railroad trestle catching views of rapids and small islands near its confluence with the Shenandoah. Follow the A.T. and C&O Canal Bike Trail along the riverbank through a corridor of towering mountains. A steep side trail leads to the main attraction.
“I live in Washington state, but I’ve hiked the A.T. three times, and that view sticks out as one of the best,” says Anderson. Meanwhile, “Harpers Ferry is worth a visit in and of itself.”
Favorite Hike II: Unaka Mountain Beauty Spot, Tennessee
Residents of nearby Erwin, Tennessee, revere the 4,400-foot bald as a beloved destination for drive-up sunsets and high-elevation picnics. Park in the lot off its namesake access road and pause to soak up 360-degree panoramas of an ocean-esque cascade of peaks in Pisgah and Cherokee National Forests.
The northward hike follows the AT along the Unaka Mountain ridgeline for about 3 miles and climbs through high meadows that slowly give way to dense hemlock groves and mossy spruce-fir forests toward the eponymous 5,200-foot summit.
“It’s kind of an odd trajectory for a hike, because the best views are found near the car,” says Anderson. However, “the high-elevation forests are filled with this amazing, emerald green moss and feel like something out of a fairytale.”
JOHN KELLY
This 41-year-old data scientist and La Sportiva pro ultramarathoner lives in Boone, N.C., and his deep love of hiking inspired a transition to trail-running—and brought FKTs on high-profile routes like the Smokies Challenge Adventure Run and Vermont’s Long Trail. Kelly was on track to break the A.T. speed record this past August, but a critical injury forced him to pack it in just 300 miles from Springer Mountain.
Hike I: Carvers Gap to Roan High Bluff, Roan Mountain, North Carolina / Tennessee
The 6.7-mile out-and-back on the A.T. includes some of the route’s most coveted high-elevation scenery. The trek traces the spine of Roan Mountain and starts out with a near-thousand-foot climb through dense rhododendron thickets, spruce-fir forests and altitudinous grasslands to mindboggling vistas at 6,285-foot Roan High Knob—which is the fifth tallest peak on the A.T.
And things only get better from there. Elevation remains similar for the rest of the hike and a trio of lengthy balds brings profuse eye candy. The party concludes at a wooden viewing platform perched atop 6,240-foot Roan High Bluff.
“This might be my favorite spot on the Appalachian Trail,” says Kelly. “On a clear day, you can see for a hundred miles—and it’s nothing but wild, green valleys, forests and mountains.”
Hike II: Grandfather Mountain, Blowing Rock, North Carolina
The iconic, 5,945-foot peak sits about 20 miles from downtown Boone and is Kelly’s go-to for a hike with visiting friends. Take a scenic southwestward cruise on the Blue Ridge Parkway to set the mood, then “take your pick from a ton of great trails,” he says.
Families with small children may prefer an easy but bucket-list-cool .8-mile jaunt to the ridge’s namesake peak that includes a stroll across the famous “Mile High Swinging Bridge.” A challenging, 9.1-mile out-and-back, meanwhile, ascends Green Ridge from a parking lot on the outskirts of Banner Elk to amazing vistas from the top of 5,964-foot Calloway Peak.
TARA DOWER
Dower made international headlines when she shattered the A.T. supported speed record by a previously unfathomable 13 hours in September 2024. The 32-year-old ultramarathoner was raised in North Carolina and has broken a boatload of records since she went full-bore pro in 2020. Her resume recently added an FKT on the Long Trail in Vermont.
Favorite Hike: Crabtree Falls and The Priest, Virginia
Dower calls this one of Virginia’s most challenging and rewarding. Start off with a steep, 1.5-mile climb that parallels the tallest cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi River. Enjoy near-omnipresent views of the Tye River tributary plummeting for 1,200 feet through a series of five, picturesque drops.
Pause above the upper falls for a northward tableau of the Tye’s South Fork, surrounding George Washington National Forest, and Fork Mountain from a 2,500-foot stone platform. Follow the creek through tunnel-esque rhododendron forests and wildflower meadows, then head NOBO on the AT to a bouldery, 4,063-foot summit that opens onto what Dower calls a “breathtaking panorama” of the peak’s namesake wilderness area.
Hiker’s Gear Picks
With the annual warm-weather winddown on the horizon, it’s time to start thinking about fall hiking gear. Here are three pro-endorsed options
Astral TR1 Mesh 2.0
This next-gen, ultralight trail shoe is fast-drying, super breathable and boasts a natural shape that’s geared for performance. Astral’s patented zero-drop footbed, slightly wider toe box, and nitrogen-infused TPE foam midsole provides superior support, responsiveness, and overall balance.
Mammut Hiking V Pant
The Swiss brand is known for elite quality and a focus on sustainability, and these pants profoundly meet the mark. The recycled polyamide and elastane fabric is plush but rugged and offers lightweight, four-way stretchability. UPF 50 sun protection, and a wicking finish.
Gregory Kiro 24
Looking for a tech-driven daypack that combines peak comfort and durability but won’t break the bank? The streamlined Kiro brings features like easy-access external stretch-mesh pockets, loads of interior nooks, trekking pole attachments and Gregory’s CloudControl strap system / 3D foam back panel for a stable and supportive fit that feels almost garment-like.
