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A guide to the best hikes and microbreweries around DC, Virginia and North Carolina. Beer lovers and hiking enthusiasts, these 40 Old Dominion and Tar Heel State hikes are for you!
Explore the area one hike and one craft beer at a time. This guide features 40 carefully selected hikes through mountains, lakes, battlefields, rails-to-trails, and coasts, each ending near a local brewery or brewpub.
Includes:
- Detailed trail descriptions with access, difficulty, duration, points of interest, and highlights
- Beer recommendations at each hike’s end, with tasting notes on aroma, flavor, and appearance
- Full-color photography showcasing mountains, rivers, forests, and coastlines
- Profiles of local brewers and their creative craft traditions
Perfect for hikers, beer lovers, and day-trippers, Beer Hiking Virginia, North Carolina, and DC is the essential companion for exploring the region’s trails, breweries, and scenic beauty.
Part of the Beer Hiking book collection—bestsellers around the globe.
English Knowles and Jim Knowles are siblings who grew up in the shadow of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. English has a passion for multi-day adventures and has completed treks around the world. She developed an interest in craft beer while working in the fermentation industry in California. English currently works as a Family Nurse Practitioner and splits her time between Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley and Chamonix, France. Jim got a taster for the combination of real ale and hillwalking while living in the Scottish Highlands in the early 1990s. He polished his palate on Czech pilsners while teaching in Prague. When not hiking, Jim teaches medieval and early modern literature in the English Department at North Carolina State University. He lives in Durham, NC with his wife and family of hikers.
- Raven Rocks (Bluemont, VA)
- Little Devils Stairs (Sperryville, VA)
- Old Rag (Etlan, VA)
- Blue Ridge Tunnel (Waynesboro, VA)
- Humpback Rocks (Afton, VA)
- Chessie Nature Trail (Lexington, VA)
- Sharp Top Mountain (Bedford, VA)
- McAfee Knob (Roanoke, VA)
- Dragon’s Tooth (Catawba, VA)
- The Channels (Saltville, VA)
- Great Falls Park (McLean, VA)
- Quarry Trails (Fredericksburg, VA)
- Boars Head-Ragged Mountain (Charlottesville, VA)
- High Bridge (Farmville, VA)
- National Mall (Washington, DC)
- Maymont Gardens (Richmond, VA)
- Buttermilk/James River (Richmond, VA)
- Petersburg National Battlefield (Petersburg, VA)
- Grandview Nature Preserve (Hampton, VA)
- First Landing State Park (Virginia Beach, VA)
- Great Dismal Swamp (Suffolk, VA)
- Grandfather Mountain (Banner Elk, NC)
- Shortoff Mountain (Nebo, NC)
- Craggy Gardens (Weaverville, NC)
- Old Fort Gateway Trails (Old Fort, NC)
- Kitsuma Peak/Lookout Trail (Black Mountain, NC)
- Chimney Rock (Chimney Rock, NC)
- John Rock (Brevard, NC)
- Dupont State Forest (Hendersonville, NC)
- Hanging Rock (Danbury, NC)
- Nat Greene Trail (Greensboro, NC)
- Eno River State Park (Durham, NC)
- Occoneechee Mountain (Hillsborough, NC)
- New Hope Creek (Durham, NC)
- Haw River Trail (Saxapahaw, NC)
- Umstead State Park (Cary, NC)
- Lake Norman State Park (Mooresville, NC)
- Raven Rock (Lillington, NC)
- Plain Jockey’s Ridge (Kitty Hawk, NC)
- Cape Hatteras (Hatteras, NC)
- Cliffs of the Neuse (Kinston, NC)
- Carolina Beach State Park (Wilmington, NC)