Hiking Old Rag Mountain: A Complete Guide to This Bucket List Hike

Hiking Old Rag Mountain in Shenandoah is an unforgettable experience. Here’s everything you need to know to tackle this bucket list hike.

Old Rag Mountain stands at only 3,284 feet. Its height doesn’t put it at the highest elevation in Virginia or even in Shenandoah National Park. Nonetheless, the extreme inclines and epic rock scramble claim this mountain’s spot as the most dangerous hike in Virginia. While it’s the most dangerous, it’s also one of the most rewarding trails and is worth the difficult trek.

Table of Contents

• Popular Trail Options
• Old Rag Permit System
• How to Prepare for Hiking Old Rag Mountain
• Tips for Scrambling
• Hiking Old Rag Mountain: My Experience
• More From Shenandoah National Park

Popular Trail Options

Berry Hollow Parking: Old Rag Summit Hike

Trail Stats:

• Distance: 5.4 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1,760 feet
• Trail Format: Out and Back
• Rating: Strenuous
• Estimated Time: 6.25 hours of hiking
• Pets: Not Allowed

If the idea of the infamous rock scramble scares you or you don’t feel you’re in good enough shape to tackle it, this is the hike for you. This still goes to the Old Rag Summit, but you’ll park at Berry Hollow Parking.

From Berry Hollow Parking, follow Berry Hollow Fire Road to Old Rag Fire Road. This is likely where the ranger will be ready to check your permit (read more about this below). Follow Old Rag Fire Road up past the Old Rag shelter and turn left onto the Saddle Trail. This will take you to the top of Old Rag Mountain.

Although this bypasses the rock scramble, hiking Old Rag Mountain is no easy feat, and you can still expect rocky sections with significant incline and just under 1,800 feet in elevation gain. This is not a hike for the untrained.

Old Rag Circuit Hike

Trail Stats:

• Distance: 9.4 miles
• Elevation Gain: 2,348 feet
• Trail Format: Lollipop (loop trail with initial out and back section)
• Rating: Very Strenuous
• Estimated Time: 7.5 hours hiking time
• Pets: Not Allowed

This is the infamous rock scramble route that people refer to when talking about hiking Old Rag Mountain.

You’ll start at the Old Rag parking area and take the Ridge Trail, following the blue blazes towards the summit. This will take you through the rock scramble and to the top of Old Rag. From there you will take the Saddle Trail down until the Old Rag shelter where it becomes the Old Rag Fire Road.

At the end of the Old Rag Fire Road you’ll take a right onto the yellow-blazed Weakley Hollow Fire Road. This is the intersection where the ranger might be stationed, checking your Old Rag day hiking permits (more about this below). The Weakley Hollow Fire Road will intersect back with the Ridge Trail and route you back to the Old Rag parking area.

This is not an easy hike, so please be mindful of your ability and fitness level before deciding to do this trail. The rock scramble and strenuous incline results in injuries, dehydration, and medical evacuations every year.

That said, this is the route that I took and I can’t recommend it enough. Find more about my experience below.

Old Rag Permit System

Old Rag Mountain is located in Shenandoah National Park. This means that you will need to have either a:

• Shenandoah Entrance Pass (valid for 7 days, purchase at park entrance station or online here)
• Shenandoah Annual Pass (valid for 1 year, purchase at park entrance station or online here)
• America the Beautiful Pass (valid for 1 year at ALL National Parks, Monuments, and Lakeshores, limited availability at park entrance station or can purchase online here)

In addition to your pass to enter the park, as of 2022, there is a pilot program requiring a day-use ticket for hiking Old Rag Mountain. These must be purchased in advance online. 400 tickets will be released 30 days in advance of your chosen date (10 a.m. EST) and another 400 tickets will be released 5 days in advance. For busier summer months, be sure to plan ahead and secure your ticket early. The fee per person is $1 and tickets are non-refundable. This pilot program will run through at least November 30, 2022.

Purchase your Old Rag Day-Use Permit at Recreation.gov here.

Although this day-use ticked allows you to park at the trailhead, it does not guarantee parking, so arrive early to find a spot. You will also need to carry your Old Rag day-use permit, park entrance permit, and a form of ID with you on the trail.

Backcountry camping is permitted below 2,800 feet in the Old Rag area, and permits can be found for this here. You will need a day-use permit for each day of your backpacking trip to this area.

How to Prepare for Hiking Old Rag Mountain

Training

Some basic training guidelines to keep in mind: incline and distance.

Make sure your body is equipped for the incline. If there’s not a great place to prepare for this by you, try running or walking stairs and focusing on strength training for you quads and glutes. This will help you build the muscles you need to support your joints going up and down steep, rocky sections of the trail.

Train for distance as well. Plan on this being at least 10 miles. Try completing at least one 10-mile training hike in advance of this trail. You will have to work up to this if you do not usually hike long distances. If you’re training at sea level, consider hiking more like 13 miles to build proper endurance.

It’s not a bad idea to try some bouldering or work on upper body resistance training before tackling the scramble section. I’ve been frequenting my college’s rock wall and I found that those skills were very helpful for scrambling.

Leave No Trace

When visiting any natural area, it’s important to follow the principles of Leave No Trace. There are 7 Leave No Trace Principles that help to preserve and protect that natural spaces that we visit. In case you’re not familiar, they go as follows:

1. Plan ahead and prepare
2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces
3. Dispose of waste properly
4. Leave what you find
5. Minimize campfire impacts
6. Respect wildlife
7. Be considerate of others

If you’d like to read more about the 7 Leave No Trace Principles, visit this link here.

Gear to Bring

• Old Rag Trail Map (download it here)
• Hiking Boots or Trail Runners with great tread
• Merino Wool or Smart Wool Socks
• Water Reservoir
• 3-4 liters of water (1/2 liter for each hour of hiking)
• Electrolytes for hydration
• Small day pack
• Trail snacks/meals
• 10 Essentials (view list here)

Tips for Scrambling

Preparation

Avoid having too heavy of a pack.

I made the mistake of bringing my 30L, thinking that I didn’t pack too much. I was very wrong. My bag was just heavy enough that I didn’t feel balanced enough with it on to tackle some of the scramble sections. I also had to take it off a few times to fit through smaller sections of the trail. While you obviously need to bring the essentials, forcing yourself to fit what you need into a smaller pack is the move here.

Make sure your pack is secure and weight is balanced.

You’ll want a pack with straps for your chest. Waist straps are an added bonus if you like to use them. This will help keep your pack stationary on your back and will aid in scrambling. Be sure that any heavy items in your pack are toward the bottom and everything is secure.

Boots with tractions are essential, but you also need to trust your boots.

You absolutely shouldn’t be attempting this hike without proper footwear. Solid boots or trail runners with excellent traction are a must. But you also need to trust your boots if you’re wearing the right ones. I struggled with this and underestimated the traction they had on exposed rock. It’s important to be comfortable with your shoes prior to this hike so you know how they handle on rocky terrain.

Always follow the blue arrows.

Hiking Old Rag Mountain isn’t a creativity contest. The blue arrows signify the best and safest way to get through the rock scramble. Other methods might be significantly more dangerous or not possible at all.

Technique

Lean forward when climbing or walking up an incline so you’re centered and won’t fall backwards.

There are sections where you definitely need to use momentum and trust your boots to do their job. This is where you’ll want to lean forward and let gravity help you out.

The same methods won’t work for everyone, so watch what others do, but think it through yourself.

I’ll be honest, scrambling requires a lot of thinking. If you’re unsure of how to approach an area, try watching what the people ahead of you are doing. But keep in mind that you’re ability to mimic what others are doing may be impacted by any injuries, variations in flexibility, height differences, or etc. You know your body best, so use your best judgement when approaching a tricky section.

Some areas are tight, so don’t be afraid to take your pack off to shimmy through.

With my larger pack, I definitely had to take mine off more often, but there’s a good chance that you’ll have to take yours off regardless of your pack size at a few points. Hand your pack to your hiking partner if you’re doing this hike with others. If not, try tossing it up ahead of you or pulling it through with you.

Use your hands and feet to navigate the rocks.

This isn’t like hiking. It’s more like bouldering on a rock wall, but less extreme. You’ll need to use your upper body to navigate the rocks, whether it’s for balance or to pull yourself up in some areas.

Trail Etiquette

Let people that are faster pass you ahead of longer scramble sections.

While you don’t necessarily want to skip to the end of the line, you don’t want to hold up any hikers that are significantly faster than you either.

Don’t start more complex sections until the person ahead of you is done.

Some of these sections require momentum, especially when there’s a large incline. You don’t want to be stuck in an awkward spot waiting for the next person to clear the area.

Reminders

Slow down and take breaks as needed.

Make sure to rehydrate and take a couple minutes to rest during this scramble, especially if this is new for you. Slow down if you’re unsure, and think motions through to avoid injury.

Practice extra caution near more exposed scramble sections.

Just remember that this is a dangerous hike and people have been injured climbing Old Rag! Always practice caution and be mindful of your surroundings!

Hiking Old Rag Mountain: My Experience

Before the Hike

I won’t lie, I was really nervous about hiking Old Rag Mountain. It’s known as the most dangerous hike in Virginia. Not to mention the elevation gain. I’m used to hiking on sand dunes at sea level in Michigan, so 2,700 feet of elevation gain and rocky terrain seemed daunting to me.

My friend Rachel that came to Shenandoah National Park with me reassured me that we would just take our time and we’d be fine. She had summited Mount LeConte in 2021 and wasn’t worried.

The weather was in our favor to do this hike on Wednesday, the middle day of our trip. It was mid-May, and temperatures stayed right at 70 degrees and windy which was perfect. I don’t recommend tackling this summit on a really hot day.

We left Big Meadows Campground just after 5:00am and arrived at the trailhead shortly after 6:30. Make sure you plan in advance for this, since Old Rag cannot be accessed from Skyline Drive inside the park. After eating oatmeal at the trailhead, we started out right after 7. Only one other person made it on the trail before us.

Summiting Old Rag

The first couple miles feature some steep incline that we made it up with frequent breaks to catch our breath. And the last mile to the summit is the infamous rock scramble. I’ve been bouldering and top roping at my college rock wall about once a week, and this experience was invaluable for scrambling.

As a scrambling newbie, I had a blast. It was a great break from the incline to slow down and think things through here. I always err on the side of overly cautious, so I definitely struggled with some sections. My pack was also too heavy, so this made it difficult to balance on some climbs, and I had to take it off and pass it ahead.

The rock scramble wasn’t crowded that day. We did let a few people pass, but I couldn’t imagine waiting in the lines that span through this section on busy summer days.

The summit was everything I imagined it would be and well worth the climb. We stayed for around a half hour, taking in the views, refueling, and shooting content.

The Descent

The next section going down is murder on the knees. Expect rocky terrain and a trail going almost straight down. This is the trail that the Berry Hollow Parking route goes up and down, and I can’t tell you how glad I am we didn’t go up this way.

There’s a day-use picnic shelter and then Old Rag shelter further down. There’s a pit toilet here if you need it, but bring your own toilet paper and use the wood shavings provided when you’re done.

After this the Old Rag Fire Road is a great break. At the intersection between this and the Weakley Hollow Fire Road, we found the ranger checking permits. She only asked for the last name on the registration, but be sure to have all of your papers just in case.

The Weakley Hollow Fire Road took us to an intersection where we turned right. There is a sign here if you’re unsure. What felt like forever later, we met back up with the Ridge Trail and took it left down to the parking area.

Recap

In total it ended up being around 11 miles, and took us 8 hours, including our half hour of rest at the summit and several short breaks. Not only is this the hardest trail I’ve tackled to date, but it’s also my favorite!

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