A new trailhead, parking area and pedestrian bridge over Catawba Creek officially opened Thursday, Aug. 20, providing improved access to the Andy Layne Trail and one of the most popular destinations along the Appalachian Trail in Virginia.
Del. Terry Austin, joined representatives from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club, Titan America and Botetourt County for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of the project.
“Projects like this don’t happen overnight,” Austin said in a post on his Facebook page. “They are the result of years of partnership, collaboration and planning.”
The 3-mile Andy Layne Trail serves as a connector to the Appalachian Trail near Tinker Cliffs, one of the three destinations that make up Virginia’s Triple Crown along with McAfee Knob and Dragon’s Tooth.
The new trailhead is located less than a mile south of the former trailhead and includes space for 50 vehicles and a rerouted beginning section of the trail leading to a new pedestrian bridge over Catawba Creek. Roanoke Cement Co. fully funded the project.
The improvements address long-standing issues at the former trailhead. According to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the old parking area frequently overflowed with visitors on busy spring and fall weekends, while the previous bridge over Catawba Creek was nearing the end of its lifespan.
Photos courtesy of Office of Terry Austin
Kathryn Herndon-Powell, Virginia regional director for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, said in an Aug. 20 news release that the project is part of a broader effort to improve trails and accommodate visitors while protecting the natural resources that draw hikers to the region.
“These changes are also evidence of broader trail improvements along the A.T. as it passes Roanoke due to the region’s popularity as a hiking destination,” Herndon-Powell said in the release.
The Andy Layne Trail has been maintained through a partnership between Roanoke Cement, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club since 1991. The trail is marked by blue blazes and crosses land owned by Roanoke Cement.
As the company has expanded its operations, it worked with the trail organizations to maintain public access.
“For 35 years, Roanoke Cement has partnered with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy because being a responsible operator and community partner means caring for the natural resources and recreational opportunities that surround our operations and that make our region special,” said Kevin Baird, president of Titan America’s Mid-Atlantic Business Unit.
Baird said the partners have maintained trail access, repaired storm damage and designed the new route with a safer creek crossing, expanded trailhead and additional parking to serve the thousands of hikers who visit each year.
Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club President Linda Mulheren said in the Appalachian Trail Conservancy release that the Andy Layne Trail provides an important entry point to Tinker Cliffs, which is relatively remote.
“Without Andy Layne Trail, the awesome sights from atop Tinker Cliffs would be far more difficult for hikers to reach,” Mulheren added. “People come from around the world to hike Virginia’s Triple Crown.”
Tinker Cliffs, along with McAfee Knob and Dragon’s Tooth, is among the most visited locations on the more than 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine.
The Andy Layne improvements follow the completion of a dedicated pedestrian bridge over Virginia 311 in spring 2025. That project improved access to McAfee Knob, another destination on the Virginia Triple Crown.
The Andy Layne Trail is named in honor of Andy Layne, a World War II veteran, outdoors enthusiast and longtime member of the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club.
Austin said the Andy Layne Trail is “a tremendous asset for Botetourt County and the entire region” and praised Titan America, the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy for working together to improve access while protecting the recreational resource.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy said the new trailhead provides access to a 7-mile round-trip hike to Tinker Cliffs.
~ Fincastle Herald staff report
