RESPONSIBLE TOURISM
MAKING NEW TRACKS TO DISPERSE CROWDS OF HIKERS
ROANOKE COUNTY, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES
Hiking responsibly is important, especially on popular routes, but getting to a trailhead also needs consideration. Virginia’s Blue Ridge is an inspiration for how to reduce your impact and improve your visit and the environment by choosing to use a less popular parking spot.
What's
changing
Packed trailhead parking lots and crowded trails can do more than add frustration to a hiker’s day. They can lead to unintended erosion from inappropriate parking and excessive wear to fragile spots along trails. Counties, conservation groups and organizations enter partnerships to make improvements for the environment and the people who travel through them.
What's already
possible
In Virginia’s Blue Ridge mountains, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), local farmers and the tourism industry are tackling overcrowding at the main access point for the popular McAfee Knob Trail. A new greenway on university property is alleviating a major parking challenge for the 50,000 visitors who annually hike to see McAfee Knob, an iconic feature on the Appalachian Trail. This project is part of a wider effort to connect different trail systems for pedestrians and cyclists being carried out by the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club, National Park Service, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Roanoke County, Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission, U.S. Forest Service, Virginia Department of Transportation and others.
Seizing
the opportunity
Virginia Tech operates a 377-acre (150 hectare) farm called the Catawba Sustainability Center which researches sustainable practices in agriculture, forestry and land management. In 2021, Virginia Tech officially opened the Catawba Greenway, a 4-mile (6.5 kilometer) loop trail open to the public that connects to the Appalachian Trail and McAfee Knob. Measuring 10 miles (16 kilometers) round trip, the route from the sustainability center to McAfee Knob is about 2 miles (3 kilometers) longer than the route via the original trailhead, but parking is less crowded and less damaging to the environment. The new route is also safer for Appalachian Trail hikers, because they can avoid highways and resupply with provisions sent to the Catawba Post Office.
Standout
tactic
The Catawba Greenway was largely built by the MidWeek crew of the local Pathfinders for Greenways group. These volunteers, mostly retirees who spend entire days outdoors each week, maintain paved and unpaved trails all over Roanoke County. The group wants to build bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure that will connect towns across county lines.
How
it helps
In late 2023, the traditional parking lot to McAfee’s Knob closed to allow for the construction of a new pedestrian bridge and expansion. While hikers can take a shuttle to the trailhead, visitors can also park in this alternative location to reach the trail if they cannot take the shuttle. The shuttle efforts have been well-received by hikers and will likely expand to serve other trails with limited parking.
Diving
deeper
What are the potential downsides of improving accessibility to already crowded trails like McAfee Knob? Does increasing parking availability risk exacerbating the issue, or is it an inevitable choice knowing that people will continue to hike popular trails to well known sites?
Increasing
impact
Using the Catawba Greenway access point to the Appalachian trail, hikers see the activities at the Catawba Sustainability Center, which faculty and staff hope will inspire them to think differently about the food they consume. If businesses are attracted to the area near the center, they hope these businesses will consider local sources for ingredients and products.
Traveling
better
Travel is inherently carbon intensive. Whether you are taking a mini-break or an annual vacation, consider ways to minimize your impact by staying longer in one place, reconsidering how you travel to the destination, and supporting businesses that are working to make their community and the world a better place.
