Its western sections are moderate and follow roads and North Bend Rail Trail through rolling hills and fields. Stretching 2,100 miles from Georgia to Maine, the Appalachian Trail skirts state border in Monroe County at Peter's Mountain and in Jefferson County along the crest of the Blue Ridge. North of Harper's Ferry, the trail crosses the Potomac River into Maryland. This high-country tail stretches from Judy Gap to Smoke Hole Caverns, following the eastern slope of North Fork Mountain near its ridge line. This loop trail follows an old jeep road and footpath between Long and Buck mountains to Trout Pond, West Virginia's only natural lake.
Wildlife includes bear, deer, and turkey.
The 248-mile trail was developed as an alternate route for the Appalachian National Scenic Trail and extends south from Pennsylvania into Virginia. Its West Virginia section traverses the Sleepy Creek Wildlife Management Area and the George Washington National Forest. An interpretive loop, this trail begins and ends at Spruce Knob's summit, West Virginia's highest point, at 4,861 feet above sea level. The trail leads to an observation tower that provides spectacular views of the region's massive mountains and broad valleys.