Virginia Is the Best Kept Secret on the Appalachian Trail

We all know that Virginia is the longest of the 14 states on the Appalachian Trail, at more than 500 miles. And those of us in the hiking community have certainly heard of the ‘Virginia Blues’ that afflicts so many thru-hikers to the point of knocking them off the trail. In Skywalker–Close Encounters on the Appalachian Trail, I wrote, “The initial frisson of excitement has worn off by the time thru-hikers reach Virginia....

Read More