Rockfish Gap Area Changes

Does the Rockfish Gap area really look like a war zone? Well, according to Dave McNair's article in 'The Hook' issue 0618, titled "ONARCHITECTURE- 'Baghdad' on Afton: Three down, five to go" that might be the case.

The article comments on the decline of the US 250 crossing of Afton Mountain after Interstate 64 was completed and traffic began bypassing the area. Several buildings in the area are either falling down or have been taken down by their owners.

"Indeed, while developments have spread like kudzu in the valley below, perhaps this most spectacular location for a development has remained barren. In fact, another [Rockfish Gap Tourist] information center volunteer, John Wright, tells the Hook that hikers coming off the nearby Appalachian Trail have likened it to a war zone.

"'They call it Baghdad," he says. "That's how bad it looks'."

I'm gonna guess that most of those quoted hikers haven't actually been in Iraq.