Backpacking to DRAGON'S TOOTH \ BEST Campsites on the N. Mnt. Trail - Virginia Triple Crown Part 3

In the final episode along the Virginia Triple Crown, we leave camp at sunrise to finish up the North Mountain Trail and descend back down to the Dragons Tooth Trail Head before making our way up to the iconic vista. Also, I discuss in detail where the 12 campsite options are between Andy Lane Trailhead and Dragons Tooth Trailhead in case you decide to camp along the North Mountain Trail.

Dragon’s Tooth was our favorite! Be sure to watch the video in its entirety to see the stunning drone footage we captured! Please note that we did not fly the drone at McAfee Knob or Tinker Cliff’s as the use of drones is prohibited there, which are both on NPS land, however, Dragon’s Tooth is outside of the Appalachian Trail corridor and is in Jefferson National Forest where drone use is not restricted.

This hike has been on my radar for years, so while my son was home on college break we decided to backpack the Virginia Triple Crown Loop in Catawba Virginia. This two night, two and a half day adventure began in the Dragon’s Tooth Trail Head parking lot on a beautiful mid December day. We chose to go counter clockwise and see McAfee’s Knob first and stayed our first night at the Pig Farm Campsite near Campbell Shelter right along the Appalachian Trail, just below McAfee Knob.

The sunny, dry weather was perfect for an early winter backpacking trip. However, we did encounter some very deep leaf litter along the way which made this hike treacherous at times while descending certain sections. Also, we would not recommend relying on the water source at Pig Farm/Campbell Shelter as it was nearly dried up completely. Even though Pig Farm campsite is fairly large it does not have many tent options that are level or root free, but hammock options are numerous.

Episode 1 - McAfee Knob
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWak9...

Episode 2 - Tinker Cliffs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n59NEZZ839c