McAfee Knob, Appalachian Trail Guide

McAfee Knob is the most photographed spot on the entire 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail, and one look at the ledge tells you why: a flat slab of Tuscarora quartzite juts out over the Catawba Valley like a diving board into open air, 3,197 feet up, with a 270-degree sweep of mountains behind it. It’s the crown jewel of Virginia’s “Triple Crown,” about 15 miles northwest of Roanoke, and it draws roughly 60,000 hikers a year up the white-blazed trail. The hike is a real 8-plus miles round trip with about 1,800 feet of climb — moderate, not a stroll — and the parking lot fills before breakfast on any decent weekend. The ledge has no railing and a long drop, so the photo everyone wants is also the one that demands you keep your wits.