A new 1.7 mile natural-surface trail from the Catawba Sustainability Center that links to the Appalachian Trail and offers alternative parking for McAfee Knob hikers cut the ribbon this morning. Virginia Tech operates the Sustainability Center, which conducts “agri-forestry” research just off Route 311. There are 25 additional parking spaces for McAfee Knob hikers there; a roundtrip is just over ten miles. Roanoke County Supervisor Martha Hooker represents the Catawba District: