Molly's Knob

Located within Hungry Mother State Park, Molly’s Knob is a 3.8 mile out-and-back hike to beautiful views looking towards the Mount Rogers Wilderness. The trail can connect with the Lake Trail within the state park, but the shortest route is to access to trailhead from a parking lot just past the park cabins. Here the trail makes a short but steep climb for the first .4 miles on a white blazed trail, before intersecting with the Ridge Trail. Turn left for a viewpoint where you can rest and look up at the viewpoint above you, and then continue up a steady but mild incline for another .9 miles and enjoy the beauty of the trail, regardless of season. Here the trail connects to the vista trail, for a difficult 347 foot elevation gain for the next .4 miles, and where the trail gets its difficult rating. Because this is a tough climb, kids may have a hard time, especially as it comes at the end of the hike, but once you get the to the top the views are absolutely incredible, and as the elevation gain leading to the Vista Trail is much gentler this section is thankfully short. There are two benches on the knob, and it is not a sheer drop-off, allowing for kids to stretch their legs, play, and take in the gorgeous views, without the risk that often comes with summit hikes. The trail can connect with several other trails in the park to make for a longer hike, but simply retrace your steps for an out-and-back to the parking lot.