News Release

NPS Releases Visitor Use Management Plan for the Virginia Triple Crown Segment of Appalachian National Scenic Trail

The iconic Dragon's Tooth.

NPS Photo

News Release Date: September 6, 2024

Contact: Ed W. Clark, superintendent, Appalachian Trail

Harpers Ferry, W.Va. -- The National Park Service and its partners have published a Visitor Use Management Plan for the Virginia Triple Crown Segment of Appalachian National Scenic Trail. The Virginia Triple Crown Segment includes the iconic Dragon’s Tooth, McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs areas. This plan will guide long term visitor management in this area.

The plan focuses on:

• Safeguarding natural, cultural, and scenic resources
• Improving the visitor experience
• Addressing safety and facility concerns.

The visitor use management plan was developed as a collaborative effort among cooperating management partners (National Park Service, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club, and US National Forest Service) and regional partners (Virginia Department of Transportation, Roanoke County, Botetourt County, Roanoke City, and Roanoke-Alleghany Regional Commission). Community members also contributed greatly to the planning process. The NPS appreciates the substantial partner participation and support.

“The Visitor Use Management Plan is our roadmap for improving visitor experience in this area as visitation numbers have risen significantly,” said Ed Clark, Appalachian National Scenic Trail superintendent. “We look forward to working with partners and the local community on improvements for this iconic section of trail.”

The Appalachian Trail is a 2,190+ mile long public footpath that traverses the scenic, wooded, pastoral, wild and culturally resonant lands of the Appalachian Mountains. Conceived in 1921, built by private citizens and completed in 1937, today the trail is managed by the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, numerous state agencies and thousands of volunteers.

Find the plan and a summary of the 2023 public comments at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/appavum.

-NPS-

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