Tinker Cliffs are the third “Crown Jewel” of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains (along with Dragon’s Tooth and McAfee Knob). The Appalachian Trail cuts closer to the edge than the other two sites, affording breathtaking views and prompting careful attention to the narrow path. For about half a mile, the stones surface prominently from the forest floor, sometimes looking like giant fortresses as hikers wind around them.
The path leading to Tinker Cliffs from the northwest is the Andy Lane trail, named after a man who lived for most of the 20th century (d. 1991) and was a beloved caretaker for the area for many decades.
