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Submission
Be sure to adhere to camping restrictions for these areas: https://www.ratc.org/mcafee-knob-and-the-triple-crown/
Exit 140 and take Highway 311 north for 11 miles towards New Castle. Dragon’s Tooth parking lot is on the left, just past Catawba Grocery.
Had a good time hiking this. Took me just under 2 hours to make it up and 1:30 to come down. Like most said, first 1.7 miles isn't bad. The last .7 miles is interesting. Did have to take a few breaks but I made it. Had fun playing ham radio while up there. Talked to people in Europe. Good times.
I could only hike 45 min up and then back down due to achilles tendon issues but it was very beautiful! Not too strenuous as least as far as I was able to go but I hear that it gets harder farther up. I plan to keep hiking it, each time increasing until I can finally reach the top. Hopefully this will be a good rehab for my tendons. It will be even more beautiful in the spring when all the Rhododendrons are in bloom!
Looking at the pictures, you might expect to see a monolith, a single pillar of stone. In fact, the Dragon's Tooth is a range of several stone slabs sticking up from the ground. I count three teeth.
It's not a long hike. You'll go 1.5 miles on the Dragon's Tooth Trail, and then 1 mile on the Appalachian Trail. I hiked pretty quickly and covered the entire distance in less than an hour each direction.
If you want a rockier, more solitary path, take the yellow-blazed Boy Scout trail that starts after the second footbridge, 0.2 miles from the parking lot. That path will get you to the Appalachian Trail faster but not as close to the Dragon's Tooth.
The final segment of the Appalachian Trail includes several stone staircases, climbing up diagonal crevices in rock faces, and metal ladders sunk into the face of a cliff.
The trailhead parking lot was half full at 8 a.m. on a Saturday in mid-July and full at 10:15 a.m. The trail was still pretty quiet and didn't feel full. I saw two pieces of trash.
There are lots of campsites all along the hike. There were several tents pitched at the campsite where the Dragon's Tooth Trail meets the Appalachian Trail. Besides that location, I saw only one tent.
Great hike. Do keep in mind that you have to climb so plan accordingly who you bring. And wear shoes with good grip so you don't slip. But at the top it all pays off with a beautiful view!
Moderate difficulty level and a little bit of rock climbing is required at the very top of the hill which is the end point of the trail. Breathtaking view of the blue ridge mountains from the “tooth”. Make sure you carry drinking water and light weight snacks for energy as there is nothing available here till you get down. Not for pets or infants and kids must be accompanied by adults.
