Mountain · 1 route

Highcock Knob

3,088 ft · Virginia

Summit
3,088 ft
Routes
1 way up

Route up Highcock Knob

  1. Appalachian TrailExpertFrom Petites Gap A.T. Trailhead · about 6,228 ft of climbing28.0 miSee the route
Map of the route up Highcock Knob, with each route's start numbered and the summit marked
Appalachian Trail · starts at Petites Gap A.T. TrailheadMap © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap contributors

About Highcock Knob

Highcock Knob is a summit of 3,088 feet in Virginia's James River Face Wilderness, within the Glenwood and Pedlar Ranger Districts of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest. It also lies along the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. The nearest town is Big Island, about 5 miles away. For comfortable weather, aim for late spring or early fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 71°F and September highs around 75°F, with July the warmest month at about 83°F. Several trails start close by. The Glenwood Horse Trail is under a mile away, the Appalachian Trail is about a mile off, and the Sulphur Spring Trail is just over a mile away. For an overnight base, Hopper Creek campground sits about 4 miles from the summit.

Forecast on Highcock Knob

Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and petites gap a.t. trailhead for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.

Questions about Highcock Knob

How tall is Highcock Knob?

3,088 ft (941 m).

How many routes go to the summit of Highcock Knob?

One: Appalachian Trail.

Where do the routes up Highcock Knob start?

Appalachian Trail starts at Petites Gap A.T. Trailhead.

Mountains nearby

More mountains in Virginia

Facts about this place

When to go

Best time to go: Apr–Oct. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 64–83°F and lows of 36–60°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Montebello Fish Cultural Stn, VA weather station, 26 mi away. High / low in °F.

  1. Jan41° high19° low
  2. Feb45° high20° low
  3. Mar52° high25° low
  4. Apr64° high36° low
  5. May71° high46° low
  6. Jun80° high56° low
  7. Jul83° high60° low
  8. Aug81° high58° low
  9. Sep75° high51° low
  10. Oct65° high39° low
  11. Nov53° high29° low
  12. Dec44° high24° low

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020

Where it is

Nearest town
Big Island, Virginia · 4.7 mi

Source: Wilderness.net boundaries; USFS EDW boundaries; NPS Land Resources boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places

Conditions

Active alerts for Glenwood and Pedlar Ranger Districts as of Oct 9, 2026:

Source: USFS forest alerts

Nearby

Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)

Is Highcock Knob open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in George Washington and Jefferson National Forest. It doesn't name Highcock Knob, so check the source for the area it covers (3 listed).

As of · Source: USFS · George Washington and Jefferson National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Highcock Knob

Best months: April–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

  1. Jan

    41° / 19°

  2. Feb

    45° / 20°

  3. Mar

    52° / 25°

  4. Apr

    64° / 36°

  5. May

    71° / 46°

  6. Jun

    80° / 56°

  7. Jul

    83° / 60°

  8. Aug

    81° / 58°

  9. Sep

    75° / 51°

  10. Oct

    65° / 39°

  11. Nov

    53° / 29°

  12. Dec

    44° / 24°

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Montebello Fish Cultural Stn, VA, 25.8 mi away at 2,667 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.