This letter from Myron Avery to C.S. (Clint) Jackson, May 13, 1932, provides very useful insights into the difficulties the Appalachian Trail Conference had in scouting out a route for the trail west of the New River in the early 1930s. In the letter, Avery describes his efforts to find a route along Iron Mountain in the Houndshell Gap area between Flat Ridge and Sugar Grove. Even with the help of a local resident, Avery struggled to find a route that suited his needs.

The trail guide for this section makes it clear just how difficult the task was, because in the early 1930s, this region was still largely unmapped by the U.S. Geological Survey. Avery was relying on a military map created by Henry Lindenkohl in 1864. Iron Mountain and the surrounding area had been incorporated into the Unaka National Forest (now the Jefferson National Forest) in 1920, and Clint Jackson was the supervisor of the forest between the New River and Damascus, Virginia. In that capacity, he was instrumental in helping Avery find a route for the trail through the Unaka Forest and then helped to maintain the trail in this region for more than a decade.

Built in 1960, the Harper's Creek Shelter is maintained by the Tidewater Appalachian Trail Club. It is the only shelter within the Three Ridges Wilderness area and is several miles north of the Tye River in Nelson County, Virginia.

The Punch Bowl Shelter is located in the Jefferson National Forest (VA) between the James and Tye Rivers. It was built by the U.S. Forest Service in the early 1960s and is maintained by the Natural Bridge Appalachian Trail Club.

The Thunder Hill Shelter is located on northern slope of Apple Orchard Mountain in the Jefferson National Forest (Virginia). Built in the 1960s by the U.S. Forest Service, this shelter is of the later Forest Service structures that were plank and post construction rather than being built from logs. This shelter is maintained by the Natural Bridge Appalachian Trail Club.

The Thunder Hill Shelter is located on northern slope of Apple Orchard Mountain in the Jefferson National Forest (Virginia). Built in the 1960s by the U.S. Forest Service, this shelter is of the later Forest Service structures that were plank and post construction rather than being built from logs. This shelter is maintained by the Natural Bridge Appalachian Trail Club

The Fulhardt Knob Shelter is located in the Jefferson National Forest in Virginia and was built by the U.S. Forest Service. It is one of the few Trail Shelters with no spring nearby. Instead, water is gathered in a large rain cistern behind the shelter. It is maintained by the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club.

Volunteers and officials of the U.S. Forest Service at the dedication of the Niday Place AT Shelter on August 26, 1962. The Niday Place Shelter is a typical example of the plank sided lean-to favored by the U.S. Forest Service. It is located in the Jefferson National Forest in Virginia, south of Roanoke, and is maintained by the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club.

The Matts Creek Shelter is located in the James River Face Wilderness Area of the Jefferson National Forest in Virginia. It is the first shelter south of the James River and is a typical example of the plank sided lean-tos found along the Trail in U.S. Forest Service lands. This shelter is maintained by the Natural Bridge Appalachian Trail Club.

The Johns Spring Shelter, formerly known as the Boy Scout Shelter, was built in 2003 by the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club as a replacement for the older Boy Scout Shelter. John's Spring Shelter is a memorial to John Haranzo, an avid AT hiker and RATC member.

The Johns Hollow Shelter is the first shelter northbound hikers encounter after crossing the James River footbridge. Built in the standard U.S. Forest Service style in the 1960s, this shelter is maintained by the Natural Bridge Appalachian Trail Club.

Bobblet's Gap Shelter, July 21, 2016. A typical light wood frame shelter was built by the U.S. Forest Service in 1961 and is named for a local farmer (Will Bobblet) who used to live nearby.