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Follow VA 42 7.3 miles east from "downtown" Newport to the trail crossing. This is 0.2 miles beyond the Level Green Church. VA 629 intersects VA 42 a short distance beyond the crossing. and about 50 yards beyond the AT crossing of VA 42. Parking is very limited here. I would certainly never use it for long term parking. Any parking is roadside. The 3rd edition of the AT Guide to Central Virginia (2014) makes the following statement."Park on the northeastern side of the road only. Do not park alongside driveway. " Given the conventions of the AT Guides, northeastern probably means the compass east side of VA 42 (which runs roughly north-south right here) and south of the trail crossing. The driveway mentioned is on the compass west side of the road. Note: If you are driving west on VA 42, the crossing is 21 miles from New Castle.
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The marker on the attached map indicates the trail crossing. GPS: N337.3542 W80.3916 The southbound trail (to Section 31) goes west (left if coming from Newport) from VA 42. It starts down a driveway, then goes left. This can be seen on the street view to the north from the point of the marker. The view to the east shows the northbound trail to Section 30 heading east (right if coming from Newport) from VA 42.. There is a sign here. 08/01/19
August 2024 update from Nancy H: There is no safe pull out on route 42 where the AT crosses. There is a dirt road with no trespassing signs.
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Very limited
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David Cullen
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Follow VA 42 east from its junction with US 460 just west of Newport. In about a mile go left on VA 601, also called Clover Hollow Road. Eventually this turns to gravel and changes its name to Laurel Spring Road. Soon after becoming gravel, there is a sign saying "Appalachian Trail 1.5 miles". The trail crossing is right at the top of the subsequent climb. The name of the road apparently changes again to Rocky Gap Trail but I saw no sign. It is all VA 601. Some parking is on the left (See pictures). Total distance from VA 42 is 7 miles.
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The marker on the attached map indicates the trail crossing of VA 601 in Rocky Gap.GPS N37.37265 W80.4462 There is no Google Street View for this location, but there are some user supplied photos that show it as well as a shot in the Pictures for this section (31). The southbound AT goes left (assuming you are coming from Newport). The northbound AT goes right and starts to climb on an old road. 06/03/08 Updated 08/01/19
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2-3
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David Cullen
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From VA 42, the first 5.1 miles of VA 601 are paved. Once gravel, per note above, you will see the Appalachian Trail 1.5 miles sign. The first mile of the gravel road is in good condition and easily traveled. The last .5 up to the trailhead is primarily in good condition but it has a few rough spots including a gully that is about 1 ft wide. I was able to cross the gully slowly in a Subaru Forrester. There are only a few parking spots. 07/12/20
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2-3
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carolanse @ outlook.com
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This is the route I used. I was staying near the trail crossing of VA 42. Follow directions to the AT crossing of VA 42 (See Mile 0.0) near the intersection of VA 42 and VA 629. Continue east on VA 42 for another 2.1 miles. Go left on VA 638 and cross the ridge to Johns Creek Valley. In 4.2 miles at a T intersection, go left on VA 632. This is paved for most of its length except for the last mile or so which is gravel. You pass the intersection with VA 601 and then a sign indicating state maintenance ends. Beyond this point it is USFS 156. In about half a mile, the parking area is on the right. This is 5.1 miles from the intersection with VA 658. There is a sign saying this is Wilderness Parking and that the road ahead is dead-end with this being the last turn-around point. See Pictures for this section (31) for a view of the parking area.
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The marker on the attached map indicates the location of the parking area. GPS N37.3880 W80.4689 The AT crosses the road just beyond the parking area. Northbound to Section 31 is left (compass southeast), southbound to Section 32 is right (compass northwest).
Hikers please help. Any updates on this route would be appreciated. it has been several years since I was there. Use the Submit Information Link at the top of the page. Updated 08/03/19
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5-6
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David Cullen
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Follow Directions to the trail crossing of VA 601 in Rocky Gap (Mile 5.4) Continue down the other side of the mountain for 2.2 miles to the intersection with VA 632. Go left on VA 632 (which becomes USFS 156) for 0.8 miles to the parking area. See next listing for more details about the road and the parking area.
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This is a shorter route from Newport than the one given in the previous listing. However that route is mostly over paved roads. This one is mostly on gravel roads. When I was in the area, VA 601 had a reputation for sometimes being in poor condition. The estimated travel times for the two routes on the Google maps differ by only 5 minutes. 08/03/19
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David Cullen
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The condition of the road from the RT 601 trailhead 2.2 miles to Rt 632 is rough. It's definitely passable (i used a Subaru) but it is a pretty steep downhill coming from the the 601 trailhead and very narrow. Travel on this stretch at no more than 5-10 mph. 07/12/20
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carolanse @ outlook.com
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