Jackie Steffan — 3.2 miles (OR 5.5 mile loop) — 1.5 hours (2.5 hours) — Moderate — 970′ elevation gain —
Some consider Molly’s Knob to be one of the best overlooks in Southwest Virginia. It is pretty spectacular; but we find it hard to pick a #1 view since there are so many good ones. This may be one of the quickest accessible from a major interstate though. Molly’s Knob is located in Hungry Mother State Park; one of the original six Virginia state parks and arguably one of the best names for a state park anywhere.
Getting There
From I-81 (about 1 hour north of Johnson City, TN area)
- Take VA Exit 47 onto US-11/Marion and turn off ramp towards Marion (US-11)
- Turn left onto US-11 S / N Main St. and travel 1.1 miles
- Turn right onto Park Blvd / B F Buchanan Hwy (after passing the McDonalds that’s on the left)
- Travel 3.8 miles, then turn right onto E Hungry Mother Dr.
- Pass through the pay station
- At least in late 2023, the fee per car is $7. If the pay station is closed (off-season), there should be an honor system self-service envelope at the pay station.
- Continue 0.6 mile, and turn right onto Lake Dr.
- A few small parking areas and trailhead should be in roughly 0.5 mile, shortly after a hairpin turn
The Hike
Molly’s Knob hike can be completed in an out-and-back fashion or in a longer loop. We recommend the longer loop if you have time. Whether doing the loop or out-and-back, we recommend starting from the same spot and going clockwise on the loop. The trail should begin moving away from the lake and ascending upward with some nice lake views along the way. This hike is no slouch, as the first ~1.5 miles to the vista cover the almost 1000′ gain.
In 0.4 mile (200′ gain), reach the main loop. As mentioned before, turn left to travel clockwise around the loop. There is a viewing platform here, but we didn’t find it worth much time since better views could be seen along the way and at the top. Maybe in the summer it provides a better view of Molly’s Knob than the trail views along the way.
Continue on the Molly’s Knob Trail for another 1 mile, taking in views of the vista looming above you peaking through the trees. This next stretch is ~550′ gain, reaching another intersection.
Continue straight (slightly left) for the final 0.4 mile, ~300′ ascent to Molly’s Knob vista. This is definitely the steepest part, but not overbearing in our opinion.
It is probable that you will meet several people at the top, resting on the benches and enjoying the expansive 180 degree views since this is a rather popular destination. Fortunately we went on a cold winter day and had the view essentially to ourselves!
When you are ready to either head back or continue the loop, descend back down 0.4 miles to the trail intersection. If doing the out-and-back hike, retrace your steps back to the car. If continuing on the loop, turn left and head slightly downhill. You may find yourself completely alone for the rest of the loop hike, depending on the time of year.
Continue travelling downhill for 0.5 mile, and keep straight at the trail intersection to stay on the loop. Again, you’ll likely get some peak-a-boo views of the surrounding mountains.
Travel another 0.8 mile back towards the lake. You’ll round a bend in the trail close to the lake and can enjoy some decent views. Keep straight at this next trail intersection. Proceed another 1.4 miles, zig-zagging to and from the lake. At the next intersection, you have a choice. If you turn right and go 0.2 mile, you’ll reach the Molly’s Knob viewing platform that you passed at the beginning of the loop hike and can turn left to head back down to the car. Alternatively, you can choose to keep straight, following the Lake Loop Trail for another 0.5 mile. This part of the trail skirts right along the water and meets back up with the road, right at the hairpin turn you drove in on.
If you have additional time, you can enjoy other parts of the park, including a beach area, boat rentals, camping, or other trails. If you want more details on the park or the legend of the park’s name, visit Hungry Mother State Park’s website.
