Hiking Old Rag Mountain
Shenandoah National Park
Hugging the Blue Ridge Mountain region in Virginia sits a 105-mile-long National Park, Shenandoah. In 2021, I ventured out to Glacier National Park to hike with friends, and when I returned home, I quickly started Googling what national parks I could drive to from Ohio. I settled on Shenandoah for a 2022 adventure and was thrilled when friends decided to tag along for a long weekend.
We headed down on a Friday and arrived home on a Monday evening. I would have loved another day or two of hiking, but you can fit some great things in the long weekend. We did one 10-mile hike and a few shorter 2-4-mile ones on the other days. While we stayed in the nearby town of Luray, there were plenty of things to do and places to eat and drink. If you are nearby, be sure to check out Hawksbill Brewery. They have a “Pay It Forward” wall where you can purchase a drink for a friend. If we had taken our dogs, one was from “One Aussie to another!”
Today though, I wanted to highlight one of the best hikes in the park: Old Rag Mountain. Old Rag Mountain is underlain by Old Rag Granite, hence where you get the name. The hike to the summit is a 9.4-mile loop with a 2,582-foot elevation gain. Every time you think you’ve reached it- you haven’t! Visitors will need an Old-Rag day-use ticket (along with your NP car pass) to hike this, so plan when venturing out. The trail is steep and described as “brutally awesome,” and I have to admit, I fully agree with that.
The Hike
While we were hiking up, my husband Dan referenced how I told them (our friends and him) that there was a rock scramble to this hike. He said, “ Han, this is nothing!” Then we kept hiking. After about four miles at a steep incline, we reached the start of scrambling. I panicked as I saw the divide I had to get below. We each began to maneuver our way along the rocks one breath at a time. I overheard a man say, “Oh yeah, this isn’t anything yet!”
The last mile to the summit was long, it was brutal, and I think we each stopped with hesitation at least once, but somehow we made it to the top. When I posted pictures for friends, they thought Dan was crawling on an even surface. Nope. He crawled at a severe angle with our heavy pack on his back. Once arriving at the top (you’ll know when you find the summit sign) we were encompassed by the surrounding mountains and enjoyed the sunny September day at the top. We ate lunch and took photos before the remaining hike ahead of us. It weaved gradually down the mountain with, thankfully, no rock scrambles.
For people wanting to attempt this hike, I suggest starting around 8:00 AM. You’ll want to give yourself plenty of time for breaks and lunch at the top. A smaller backpack is preferred since larger ones won’t fit in parts of the rock scrambles. Hiking shoes or sturdy sneakers are a must, as parts of the rock are smooth and at a severe grade. Further information on Old Rag can be found here.
It was the most challenging hike of my life, but I was thrilled to have done it. I’ll now continue my Google searches on National Parks and rock scrambles while Dan anxiously awaits what I tell him we are doing next.
Have you tackled a rock scramble before? Do you have any recommendations for our future trips? I’d love to hear them in the comments below.
Shenandoah Facts:
Before it was a park, Skyland Resort sat in the mountains as a retreat for people looking to get away. When the park opened, it constructed new facilities to continue its legacy. From the National Park Service, “Twelve historic Skyland structures remain and allow modern visitors to experience life at the turn of the 20th century.”
Skyline Drive is the famous route that leads visitors from one end of the park to another. It stretches the park and features many of the main trailheads.
Currently, 101 miles of the Appalachian Trail wind their way through the park.
Unlike other national parks, almost all the trails are dog-friendly.
Other notable hikes in the park include Dark Hollow Falls Trail and Upper Hawksbill Trail.
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Happy Travels, Hannah
