Three Ridges Loop

Author’s Note: Some of the links on this post may be affiliate links. If you do end up making a purchase through one of them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for the support!

Hello friends & strangers, and happy 2025!!! It has been a long winter, but now that the snow has thawed, I am ready to get back on the trail. I have a lot planned this year (Hint Hint, WONDERLAND TRAIL!!!).

For my first hike this year, I decided to stay close to home and take on the Three Ridges Loop in central Virginia. This hike was actually one of the very first overnight trips I completed when I was first getting into backpacking. Three Ridges is one of the more popular hikes in Virginia. It is situated 45 miles southwest of Charlottesville, with great vistas on the Appalachian Trail, and waterfalls and natural swimming pools on the Mau-Har Trail. To make it a bit more interesting, I decided to go counterclockwise this time as opposed to clockwise, which I completed last time.

Part 1: Quick Overview

Part 2: Trip Report

Day 1: April 26th, 2025 (Reed’s Gap Trailhead to Hanging Rock, 10.10 miles, 3,360 ft elevation gain)

I started on a misty Saturday morning. It has been alternating between heavy rain and a drizzle throughout the night. I got to Reed’s Gap parking lot late and slept in my car. After waking up, I waited for a break in the rain to begin. At the trailhead, I found the familiar Appalachian Trail sign and headed south. The first traces of spring were just starting to make their appearance. Small wildflowers dotted the landscape as I worked my way up Meadow Mountain, the first climb along the hike.

The short ascent to the ridge fully woke me up. By the time I reached the information kiosk near the Maupin Field Shelter, I had worked up a good sweat. The first hike after a long break is always a little tougher. I’m always worried that I will have lost my hiking legs and have to start from scratch. After reading some info from the kiosk, I took a short photo break and continued south onto the Mau-Har trail.

The Mau-Har trail is a rugged, scenic trail that traverses alongside Campbell Creek. It is in a dense, beautiful forest surrounded by at least 5 waterfalls. and some pristine pools. The last time I did this hike, it was a lot warmer, and I spent a lot of time swimming. Now, it was still cold and wet, so I was content just taking photos.

I spent a few hours enjoying the sounds and sights of the forest and falls. As the morning turned into the afternoon, the rain began to wane, the mercury began to rise, and the blue sky was starting to bleed through the gray canvas. It was shaping up to be a beautiful spring day after all.

Eventually, the Trail departed the creek and climbed a few hundred feet. This is a notorious section for people going northbound because of how steep it is. Going uphill wasn’t nearly as dangerous, and though it was a tough climb, the switchbacks helped to mitigate it. Once it leveled off, the tread was a gentle downhill to its junction with the AT.

It wasn’t long until I met up with Harper’s Creek, which was running pretty well after the recent rain. A nearby spur trail brought me to the 2nd shelter of the trip, Harper’s Creek Shelter. Comparable to the Maupin Field Shelter, it was a nice, well-built three-sided structure with a privy and close access to water.

I sat near the picnic table to eat lunch and was soon joined by about a dozen members of Tidewater Appalachian Trail Club. They are a volunteer organization that helps maintain the trails in the area. They were there to move some trees that had fallen on the trail. They took a shorter break than I did, and quickly set off to start their mission.

By now it was around noon, and my original plan was to stay at the shelter, or near it, using one of the many established campsites. As I looked at the FarOut app, though, I saw some comments that there were campsites on the top of Three Ridges. With the forecast predicted to be clear, I felt confident that camping on the ridge wouldn’t be an issue. If worse came to worst, I could always just continue to the Maupin Field Shelter. It would make for a long day, but I would have an easy finish tomorrow, and the views from the top of the overlooks would be a great way to end the night.

I filled my water containers to the brim for my potential night on the dry ridge, returned to the AT, and continued my trek. After departing the Harpers Creek drainage, this is where it got real. I found myself hiking upward along a very rough ascent. Large rocks dominated the trail, and the climb up to eh three ridges got steeper and steeper. I distinctly remember going the opposite way on this section last time; it was a killer downhill. I can confidently say that going uphill wasn’t much fun either. The trail crew was trying to remove a large log that was blocking the trail; they looked like they were having a harder time than I was.

As I went higher, the trees thinned out a bit, and I could begin to see valleys on each side. On the ridgeline, the trail continued to Chimney Rock, which offered fantastic views of the surrounding mountains. Three Rdiges was inching closer, and the final ascent to the summit was another series of switchbacks. By this time, I was struggling mightily. It was a 2,000 ft gain from Harper’s Creek to Three Ridges Summit, and I felt every bit of it.

Beyond the high point, the next half mile proved to be a gentle stroll across its forested ridge. There were a number of suitable campsites, and I contemplated which one I was going to use. At the north end of the ridgeline was the largest and most spacious rock outcropping, Hanging Rock. It’s vista included the southern portion of Three Ridges and the Priest, which is a mountain on the other side of the Tye River Valley. The Priest is notorious for being one of the more difficult climbs on the Virginia section of the AT.

Nestled within the trees right near Hanging Rock was a very small flat area just the right size to cowboy camp. Cowboy camping is simply sleeping without a shelter. You just place your sleeping pad on the ground (or groundsheet if you have one) and sleep under the stars. In order to do it, the right conditions have to be present: little to no insect pressure, dry conditions, lack of wind, etc. It was around 16:00 when I arrived, and though it was finally sunny, there were hardly any bugs, and the wind wasn’t too bad. I was going to give it a shot.

I unpacked, laid out my gear, dressed in my sleep clothes, and claimed the space in case anyone else had the same idea. The last time I hiked this loop, this overlook was by far the most popular part of the hike, but over the next few hours, I had the place mostly to myself. The trail was not empty either, it wasn’t as crowded as i did it last time, but I did pass a fair number of people on the trail.

That night was one of the most peaceful I had on the trail. While I ate dinner, I was treated to a brilliant sunset that lit the valley ablaze with golden light. It was one of the most picturesque moments I’ve seen on the trail. When the sun fell below the horizon, the valley turned a deep blue, and small speckles of light appeared in the valley and off in the distance. I couldn’t have asked for a better ending to the day.

Day 2: April 27th, 2025 (Hanging Rock to Reid’s Gap Trailhead, 3.6 miles, 482 ft elevation gain)

I woke up a few times over the course of the night to see if the Milky Way was going to make an appearance, but unfortunately, the light pollution was a bit too strong. There were plenty of stars overhead, but the city lights in the distance were too bright at the horizon to the southeast. I wasn’t too disappointed, though, the temperature dropped to the upper 30s (Fahrenheit), and the wind was gusting like crazy. Staying in my sleeping bag wasn’t the worst thing.

This is where I am going to say how important a good, down sleeping bag is. They are expensive, but having a 20-degree bag has kept me warm through some cold nights, and this was no exception. With no tent to shelter me from the wind, my Feathered Friends bag kept me toasty through the night and allowed me to get a decent night of sleep despite the frigid temps.

My alarms went off an hour before sunrise, and it was colder than ever. With no tent, packing up camp was a cinch. Just as the early morning rays were poking through the trees, I set off to finish the loop. Before I was off, I sent another check-in message to my wife with the Bivy Stick. Once the message went through, it was time to go.

Almost instantly after Hanging Rock, the trail descends almost 1,000 ft in the next mile. The north side was considerably easier than the south side of the mountain. The path was much more forgiving, and there were no rock scrambles. It leveled out briefly before a quick, 200 ft climb to Bee Mountain. Then I descended back down near the intersection with the Mau-Har Trail. The rainbow of tents was all gone now, and the air was full of birdsong. Unlike Yesterday, the clouds had all but disappeared. it looked to be crisp, clear spring day. After taking a short break, I made the final push along the AT back to my vehicle. My first hike of 2025 is completed.

Part 3: Important Details

Logistics:

The Three Ridges Loop is easy to plan. The parking lot at Reed’s Gap is not large, but the two times I parked there, there were spots open. It is within 3 hours of DC.

Closest Airports:

• Charlottesville–Albemarle Airport (CHO): This is the closest airport to Reed’s Gap. It is approximately 45 miles, a 52-minute drive.
• Richmond International Airport (RIC): . Approximately 115 miles; a 1-hour 48-minute drive.
• Dulles International Airport (IAD): Approximately 163 miles; a 2-hour 26-minute drive.

Camping/Permits/Fees:

The Three Ridges Wilderness has an incredible amount of great campsites along each trail. The best ones are located near the Maupin Field Shelter and the Harper’s Creek Shelter. The Harper’s Creek Shelter is especially good. It is located approximately halfway through the loop. This location makes it convenient for an overnight trip. Both of these first-come, first-served shelters fit up to 8 people. They have a water source nearby, and there is also a picnic table and composting privy. In addition, the Maupin Field Shelter also has a metal bear-hang post.

Permits are not required to hike or camp.

Navigation:

This loop is made of two trails, the Appalachian Trail and Mau-Har Trail. Both trails are well marked, and the pathways are obvious. The Appalachian Trail is marked with white blazes, and the Mau-Har Trail is marked with blue blazes. For my hike, I used a GPX file from Alltrails and loaded it into my Garmin Tactix 7 Pro to navigate.

Water:

The Appalachian Trail section does not have many water sources (including a 7-mile dry section). Make sure you have enough, especially if you decide to sleep up at the Three Ridges Summit or Hanging Rock. The Mau-Har Trail follows Campbells Creek, and there is plenty of water available.

If the conditions are nice and you are feeling a little adventurous, my suggestion would be to cowboy camp at Hanging Rock like I did. There is a nice spot enough for 1 or 2 sleeping bags right near the rock outcropping. The western views are some of the best I’ve seen along the Appalachian Trail. Just make sure it’s not going to storm, and bring a warm enough sleeping bag, because it is very windy up there.

Wildlife/Insect Pressure:

I did not encounter a single tick or mosquito. It was glorious. There are a lot of bees out there, though. Previous FarOut comments alluded to this, so be prepared for lots of bees and wasps, and be careful not to disturb their nests, or you’re gonna have a bad time. In addition, you will want to be bear aware, as there have been black bear sightings in the past.

Remoteness/Solitude:

The trailhead is right off the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is well-trafficked. It is far from any towns, and I saw a few people while I was out there. I had cell reception for most of this hike (Verizon).

Hazards/Environmental Concerns:

Some of the sections of the Appalachian Trail and Mau-Har Trail are pretty steep and require a small bit of rock scrambling.

Difficulty:

Maybe it was because this was my first hike of the season, but I found the Three Ridges Loop to be quite difficult. Going Counterclockwise meant going uphill on the steepest sections. The 2,000 ft climb to three ridges was steep, even with the numerous switchbacks. Going clockwise would make it physically easier, but going downhill on the steeper sections would put more strain on your knees.

Last Word

The Three Ridges Loop is popular for good reason. It is an easily accessible, no permit required hike along the famous Appalachian Trail. For a 13+ mile hike to include great overlooks, a beautiful, lush forest, two shelters, and waterfalls, it is hard to beat. I would absolutely recommend this one for all skill levels. I speak from experience when I say it would make an excellent shakedown hike for those wanting to test out their gear.

Normally, I end my trail guides by asking you to check out my other posts, but this time I want to bring attention to the crisis that our National Parks and wild places are in. Due to the current administration’s decisions, they face staffing shortages, lease terminations, and an abundance of other issues that threaten the future of our National parks. If you can, please donate to the National Park Conservation Association. The NPCA is an independent, nonpartisan organization dedicated to the National Park System. They are 100% privately funded and rely on donations from us to help them fight for our parks.

Thank you, and happy hiking!!!