Hiking Old Rag Mountain

View from the summit

I am almost ashamed to say I have lived in Central Virginia for over 18 years and this past Tuesday (September 24th) was the first time I have hiked Old Rag Mountain. What a jewel we have right here in Virginia! If you are up for a very challenging hike with breathtaking 360 degree views, then the Old Rag Mountain hike is for you.


Old Rag Mountain is located in the Shenandoah National Park and there are several websites that have directions and what to expect when on the trail. I recommend going to the websites and reading about the trail before attempting this challenging hike. Here are two sites I found very helpful: National Park Service and
Hikingupward Old Rag

Alex enjoying the view Ridge Trail

Now for my experience. I went early on a weekday morning with my 19 year old son Alex. We arrived around 8:30 and there were only two other cars in the lot. The ranger station appears to be sparsely attended, so we completed the self pay form and off we went. It is approximately .7 miles from the parking lot to the trail head. At the beginning the trail splits in two. To the left or south is the Ridge Trail and is the most difficult trail. Straight ahead is the fire road which leads to the easier Saddle Trail to the summit and should be used if traveling with children or folks just not ready for a very difficult hike. Alex and I made it a circuit hike going up the Ridge Trail and returning by the Saddle Trail to the Weakley Hollow Fire Road. Let me say the rock scramble at about the 3/4 mark on the Ridge Trail is very difficult. Even though I had read about climbing over some large boulders and thought I was prepared, I was surprised how much upper body strength it took. I came close to asking Alex for a boost a couple of times, but made it up on my own, and with determination and maybe a helping hand from a friend (I do not recommend hiking this alone or with small children), most healthy adults would be able to complete this hike. Once over the boulder field or rock scramble you come to an open area Alex and I called the false summit. We spent 10 minutes here taking pictures and then noticed the trail going up towards a rock formation even higher. We hiked another 10-15 minutes and finally saw a sign that confirmed we had reached the real summit and all I can say about the views is wow! We spent another 20 minutes or so on the real summit before heading back down the Saddle Trail to the Fire Road and on to the parking lot. The total hike was right around 8 miles and took us 4 hrs 46 min, including our stops for picture taking. This was a very fast pace and I recommend allowing some time for a lunch and longer break on the summit.

Panoramic from the summit

Me taking a break on the summit

Alex and I both had hydration packs and power bars and I would recommend these items as minimum. We also took light jackets. The rock scramble has some tight places, so I do not recommend large packs or balky equipment. For the views, make sure you don't just rely on you phone camera and bring a good digital camera to capture the awesome scenery. Our cell phones had no coverage most of the way, so we just left them in airplane mode to save the battery. Finally, we went on a weekday, having read all the horror stories about large crowds on the weekends. We only saw a total of maybe 10 hikers on our journey and found it to be both peaceful and exhilarating. I highly recommend this hike to all my friends especially all my Virginia friends!

Update: Another website was recommended in the comments, I checked it out and it's full of good information on hiking and Old Rag Mountain: Old Rag Mountain Hikes