Schedule
Calendar of Events
Next Event
About Our Events
PATH organizes monthly work trips on the third full weekend of every month beginning in March and running through October. Members are of course free to work at any time outside of formal work weekends, coordinated with one of our trail supervisors.
On work weekends, we normally utilize one of two sites for camping and group meals:
The first one is the U.S. Forest Service Work Center in Sugar Grove, VA. At Sugar Grove, you have the option of pitching a tent or staying in one of the A-frame pods if one is available. The pods have two or three single beds but no bedding so either bring your own or use a sleeping bag (recommended). The pods are open air so the outside temperature is the same indoors but you do have a roof over your head.
The second is the U.S. Forest Service Stony Fork Campground north of Wytheville, Va. Camp sites without electricity and water are available for PATH volunteers at no charge on work weekends. Stony Fork has rest rooms and showers available free of charge.
No matter which facility we use, most of our dinners are potluck in that everyone brings a dish to share with the group. If you are on our email list, you will receive notice of the events ahead of time so you will know what people are bringing and you can add to the list. It is not required that you bring anything to share but we do ask for a small donation to cover the costs of items that the club provides like stoves, plates, utensils, etc.
Fun Hikes & Activities
Golden Winged Warbler Habitat
We are very fortunate to have part of the Tilson property set aside for the Golden Winged Warbler. This presents an opportunity to be part of the effort to not only save but to improve and grow the habitat for this endangered bird. Birders from all over the Southeast are drawn to the area to spot the Golden Winged Warbler.
Other Opportunities
For members, we offer opportunities to learn Wilderness First Aid, Sawyer and Cross Cut Certification, Leave No Trace, invasive species identification, and hazardous tree identification along with tuition reimbursement when needed.
Other Ongoing Events Include:
Summerfest – This four-day event takes place in the field in June instead of our normal work weekend and usually involves car camping and tenting. You can participate one day or the whole four-days at your option.
Boundary Monitoring – This is challenging and fun task that is essential to the protection of the Appalachian Trail corridor. A little like geo-caching, participants locate, log and maintain boundary markers for the AT. It often requires good map reading, bushwacking, measuring skills and a keen eye to find the original surveyor monuments.
Driving Directions
At Wytheville I-77 and I-81 separation:
From here, the direction depends on the campsite where we are staying. For most of the work trips the campsite is the US Forest Service Stony Fork Campground, take I-77 north to exit 47. The first few work trips each year, or on special work trips, we may stay at the US Forest Service, Sugar Grove, VA. Take I-81 south to exit 45.
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From I-81 and I-77 split in Wytheville, follow I-77 north (exits to the right) towards Bluefield, W. VA. [If you see the U.S. 21 exit you've gone too far so turn around and backtrack keeping your eyes open for the I-77 heading north to Bluefield, West Virginia]
Follow I-77 about 6 miles, exit onto VA 717 and go left 4 miles to US. Forest Service Stony Fork campground. [The VA 717 exit is very easy to miss as you are speeding downhill on I-77 north so keep your eyes peeled. Missing this exit will bring you to the Big Walker Mountain tunnel through which you should continue. Turn around on the other side and come back. Soon after emerging from the tunnel again, exit to to the right onto VA 717. Go 4 miles and turn left into the U.S. Forest Service Stony Fork Campground.]
Follow Interstate 81 to Marion, VA, which is 29 miles south of Wytheville, VA.
Get off at EXIT 45 when you get to Marion
Turn east (left) onto US 16 and go 10 miles until you come to the VA 601 intersection in the village of Sugar Grove. There's a Dollar General first and VA 601 is the first left after the Dollar General. There is a very small sign for VA 601.
Turn left onto VA 601 and go about a mile. Along the way there is a place where the road may appear to fork. Take the left fork.
After crossing a bridge turn left into the US Forest Service driveway on the left.
If you miss this signed driveway you'll come across another USFS sign but the gate there will be locked so turn around and come in at the first gate.
Camping Information
The facilities are as follows:
- Tent, trailer or RV sites.
- Bathroom with showers with hot water after official opening in the spring.
- Flush toilets.
- Water spigots near sites.
- Picnic Tables
This is where the Appalachian Trail Conference's Konnarock volunteer seasonal crew's headquarters and USFS station are.
Sleeping pods: these are small unheated buildings that contain 2-3 single beds with mattresses.
- Showers with hot and cold water in season.
- Flush toilets
- Kitchen
- Large meeting room with wood stove, chairs , couches, and tables
PATH Brochure
Ever wish you had a brochure about PATH to distribute at a sporting goods store near you or to hand out at an upcoming meeting? Your wish has just come true.
Here is a PATH brochure in PDF format that you can download to your computer and print out as needed for distribution in your area. This brochure was updated in 2012 by Marcia Cope.
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By supporting PATH you are helping to protect for future generations America’s most iconic footpath, the Appalachian Trail.