Annual Three Ridges Hike-14.4 miles-Very Strenuous

Starting Point - Appalachian Trail Crossing at Rt. 56

Ending Point - Appalachian Trail Crossing at Rt. 56

Hike Distance/Rating - 14.4 miles/Very Strenuous

PLEASE NOTE - Since this hike is rated as a strenuous hike, all hikers are going to start on the wait list for this hike until I can verify the hiking experience of all hikers on the wait list. Those who have not hiked a strenuous hike with me have 3 days to answer the following vetting questions.

1. How often do you hike?
2. What strenuous hikes have you done?
3. When and what was the last strenuous hike that you completed?

Failure to answer the vetting questions within 3 days will move those hikers to NOT GOING. The answers to the above questions need to be emailed to me [email protected].

Since this hike goes through a federally designated wilderness area, the group size for this hike is capped at 10 hikers.

Trailhead GPS Coordinates - 37.83831, -79.02328

Hike Highlights - Tye River and Suspension Bridge, Appalachian Trail, Mauhar Trail, Campbell Falls, Maupin Field Shelter, Hanging Rock, Three Ridges Summit, Chimney Rock, Harpers Creek Shelter

Hike Details - I am posting this hike in advance for those who will need to request time off from work on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. According to many publications, this is one of the most challenging day hikes in the Mid-Atlantic. This is also posted as an opportunity to burn those calories before you eat those calories on Thanksgiving. We are going to start from the Appalachian Trail crossing at Rt. 56. We will cross the Tye River and start climbing to the junction with the Mauhar Trail. We will turn left on the Mauhar Trail and hike to Campbell Falls. After enjoying Campbell Falls, we will continue to the Maupin Field Shelter and Appalachian Trail. We will turn right onto the Appalachian Trail and climb Three Ridges. We will have the nearly 270-degree view of Hanging Rock below the summit. We will climb up and over the top of the summit of Three Ridges. We will descend from the summit down to Chimney Rock and down to the Harpers Creek Shelter. We will close the circuit with the Mauhar Trail. We will descend the final miles back down to the cars at Rt. 56. There will be a post hike at a local brewery following the hike.

What to Bring - Broken in Hiking Boots, Trekking Poles, Lunch/Snacks, 3 to 5 Liters of Water, First Aid Kit, Good Day Pack, Camera, Tick Repellent, Money for Your Driver, Layers of Clothing for colder fall and winter hiking, Beanies/Gloves