Shuttle Service Solves Parking Congestion at Popular Visitor Destination

About the Program

Category: Transportation (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

Roanoke County’s McAfee Knob is the most photographed location on the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (AT) and has sparked increased visitation. McAfee Knob is between Dragon’s Tooth and Tinker Cliffs and is the most popular of the three sites in Virginia’s Triple Crown, with photographs frequently taken at the “diving board” bluff viewpoint. The McAfee Knob Trailhead shuttle service addresses the increasing parking demands at the trailhead parking lot by shuttling hikers from the Interstate 81 Exit 140 Park and Ride located in Roanoke County to the McAfee Knob trailhead parking lot in Catawba, Virginia. This service is offered Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, with occasional Mondays (i.e., Memorial Day and Labor Day) from the beginning of March through the end of November for 10-12 hours per day. The round-trip fare is $10 per rider plus booking fees. The number of visitors substantially increased in the last several years causing parking and the safety of visitors and the community to be a concern. The shuttle service addresses these concerns by providing visitors a convenient alternative. This type of investment in transit helps offer a sense of excitement for visitors, attracting them to return again, and promotes tourism for the region.