Three Ridges Wilderness-A Beautiful 7.5 Mile Retrace Hike-Moderately Stren

Designated in 2000, Three Ridges Wilderness south of Charlottesville, is one of the most beautiful wilderness areas in the State of Virginia. Encompassing over 4600 acres, Three Ridges is a gem of a place to hike through as it offers scenic overlooks from high elevation rocky outcroppings, a healthy diversified hardwood forest, meandering streams with tumbling cascades, and a haven for a variety of wildlife. Winding its way through this wilderness area are a couple of hiking trails. The one most often traveled by foot is the Appalachian Trail. The other, lesser known trail is the Mau-Har Trail. For this 7.5 mile retrace hike we will primarily be trekking along the Appalachian Trail.

Starting from the Love Gap parking area along the Blue Ridge Parkway we will begin our trek along a wide Forest Service path as we head towards the Three Ridges Wilderness and the Mau-Haur Appalachian Trail shelter. Upon intersecting with the Appalachian Trail, we will head Southbound for a couple of miles - as we encounter a couple of uphill stretches. At the mid-way point of our hike we will come upon a rock outcropping with an absolutely beautiful panoramic setting. This will also be the location where we will break for lunch.

The majority of our hike will be contained within the Three Ridges Wilderness. And this area truly lives up to the definition of the word Wilderness - which is simply "a region where the land is in a natural state; where impacts from human activities are minimal".

At the conclusion of the hike, for those that are interested, we can stop at a local cidery or brewery for a bite to eat and a refreshing drink.

Hope you will be able to participate in this group hike outing on what I'm certain will be a crisp Fall season blue sky sunny day.

What to Wear and Bring:

> hiking apparel should include moisture wicking clothing such as polyester and/or merino wool as a base/skin layer

> a light jacket and/or pull-over fleece top

> a good pair of broken-in hiking shoes/boots

> wool/merino hiking socks (such as Smart Wool)

> 1.5 to 2 liters of water and/or an electro-lyte replacement drink

> snack food

> Most Importantly – Lunch – which will be eaten at a scenic overlook along the trail