McAfee Knob

This is a very straight forward hike to a beautiful view, and will likely be quite busy, because McAfee Knob is known to be one of the most photographed locations along the Appalachian Trail. I would usually say if you don't like crowds, then it might be a good hike to avoid, but I won't in this case. The view is absolutely stunning, with a nearly 270° view.

I would consider the hike to be moderate, only because of the length and it's uphill nearly the entire way, but it isn't strenuous if you take your time. You will climb roughly 1600 feet of elevation over the course of the hike.

I happened to visit on a holiday weekend and the parking area was overflowing. Many people had to park alongside a nearby road. I can't imagine this is always the case, but be prepared to expect crowds if visiting on the weekend. With that said, the hike was enjoyable and the reward of the view from the top definitely made it worthwhile. I didn't get near the rock overhang because I'm not a big fan of falling from a landform like that, but many people do go out and take a selfie or have someone else take a picture. I was still able to get near a drop that I was comfortable with and chill for a bit while I ate a snack, as can be seen in one of the pictures below.

In my track below, you will see that I took a different path down. I did this mostly out of curiosity. It is labeled on the maps as a fire road. While it did make for a pleasant hike back because very few people were taking this route, and because it's technically a road so the hiking is easy, there really wasn't much to see. If you are concerned about crowds or would like an easier path to the top, this is a path you could definitely consider.

As for my rating of the hike, it surely loses some points simply because of the crowds in my opinion. But as already stated, the view is wonderful and it's a great place to take the pack off and take a lunch break. I'll rate it 7/10.