Dragon's Tooth

Dragon's Tooth is a striking quartzite rock formation on the Appalachian Trail in Jefferson National Forest, located in Roanoke County, Virginia. The trailhead sits at 1904 Catawba Valley Drive in Catawba — the same valley that hosts nearby McAfee Knob — and is reached via I-81 Exit 141 followed by US-311 North. Parking is free at the gravel trailhead lot, which typically fills on spring and fall weekends by mid-morning.

The hike covers 4.6 miles round-trip with an elevation gain of 1,454 feet (443 m) to a high point of 3,020 feet (920 m). The first two miles gain elevation at a steady grade through hardwood and pine forest on a well-maintained trail surface of packed dirt with embedded rock. Blue blazes of the Appalachian Trail mark the upper section. At roughly the 1.5-mile mark, the AT junction offers views north toward McAfee Knob and south into the Catawba Valley.

The final 0.5-mile push to the Dragon's Tooth itself is the most challenging section. The trail steepens sharply over exposed sandstone and quartzite boulders before depositing hikers at the base of the Tooth — a 35-foot quartzite rock spire rising directly from the ridge. Scrambling to the top of the Tooth requires the use of both hands and is rated Class 3; the summit perch is narrow and exposed, with drop-offs on multiple sides. Many hikers choose to view the formation from the saddle below rather than climb the spire itself.

Views from the saddle and from the top of the Tooth extend west across the Catawba Valley and east toward the Roanoke Valley. The Tooth is particularly dramatic in morning light. No water sources are available on the trail; hikers should carry at least two liters. The descent retraces the ascent route.