Shenandoah Park Emergency Number (800-732-0911) In the event of an emergency, please note the closest number on a blue marker to provide to the emergency responders.

Beginning at Old Rag Parking lot, located south of Sperryville, Virginia, this circuit hike ascends Old Rag Mountain to the well-known boulder scramble and leads to spectacular views of the Shenandoah valley from the top of Old Rag. The Ridge Trail begins the ascent, through the strenuous rock scramble to the summit and returns by way of the Saddle Trail passing two shelters and continues on Weakley Hollow Fire Road and return to the Old Rag parking area.

Bring at least two liters of water per person, food, cell phone, and an emergency kit. Plan on this hike taking at least seven hours to complete. You will be using both upper and lower body strength due to the boulder scramble. A pair of workout gloves is helpful on the boulder scramble section.

This is an incredible and rewarding strenuous hike. Old Rag takes no prisoners, so make sure you’re well fit before attempting this hike. The Mountain Club of Maryland considers this their highlight hike during the fall so that one can experience all of the fall color glory in Shenandoah National Park. Try to take this hike during the week and cut down on the amount of people on the trail. Take friends as there are parts of the boulder scramble that require teamwork to overcome. Injuries can occur during the scramble, so take your time while traversing this section. Total elevation gain 2674 and equal loss.

This hike, along with many others within Shenandoah National Park provides this area as a wonderful destination for a holiday. Many activities are available within the park, including horse-back riding, wildlife viewing and dining. Luray Caverns in close to Skyline Drive off of VA-211. Sperryville is a charming mountain town worth a visit.

DIRECTIONS TO THE HIKE SITE:

From the Baltimore Beltway:

Take I-70 west towards exit 32 (39 miles from I-695.) Go 39 miles to Exit 52 onto US 340-south/west to Front Royal. Go 58 miles and turn left onto US 522 in Front Royal. Go 16 miles and turn right to remain on US-522/US-211. Go 8 miles, and turn left to remain on US-522 in Sperryville. Go 1 mile and turn right onto VA-231. Go 6 miles and turn right onto VA-707 (brown sign to Old Rag). Go 1 mile and turn right onto VA-600, bear left to remain on VA-600. You’ll see large grass National Park parking area to your left. Register your car at the self-service fee station in the lot. You must have a valid Shenandoah National Park pass to enter. Park Fee Info Here

NOTE: This is a very popular hike and during the summer months, this lot gets quickly full. Plan on an early start to get a jump on the crowd.

HIKE DESCRIPTION:

This hike begins with a one-mile walk up the road to the original Old Rag Parking lot (port-a-pots here.) Turn left onto the Ridge Trail and begin your approximate two mile ascent with switchbacks before reaching the boulder scramble section. There are handwritten numbers below the blue trail blazes throughout the trail. You’ll be going up, down, in between, around, and underneath granite boulders throughout the scramble.  While going through the boulder scramble, keep your eyes open for the blue blazes, as sometimes they are in the strangest places. If you have a fear of heights, or jumping across crevasses, this will challenge you and encourage you to overcome your fears.

Each time you think you’ve reached the summit – you haven’t ! This mountain likes to play with you and has several false summits. You’ll know that you’ve reached the top when you see the Old Rag Mountain brown elevation sign. Find a lovely rock with a fabulous view for your lunch spot here, before starting your descent on the back of the mountain by way of the Saddle Trail. Rock hopping down, you’ll pass two shelters. First the Byrds Nest Shelter, then the Old Rag Shelter (privy here) before hitting a cross-roads. Stay to your right to continue back on the Weakley Hollow Fire Road for about four miles to return to the parking lot. This section can seem like it’ll last forever. You will pass through beautiful forests and see Brokenback Run that leads into the Hughes River.

COOKIES FOR THE HIKE:  Classic Scottish Shortbread – which happens to be our fearless trail leader for Old Rag Mountain, Dan McQueen’s favorite ! Recipe Here

For those that know me..well, I didn’t totally give away my secret Pecan Shortbread recipe. But this one shown above is pretty darn close. Just be creative with it and add anything that you want to the shortbread. If you include nuts, make sure they’re grounded well so that they don’t break up the cookie.

COMMENTARY:  A very special thank you is due to Dan McQueen for being such a steward of this hike for the Mountain Club. He is a truly impressive and amazing trail leader and hiker. I’m not sure just how long he’s been leading this hike but for me, the hike wouldn’t be the same without him.

Well, I must confess – I absolutely love this hike. This hike loves to kick my butt ! The first year that I did this hike, I ended up having terrible hip bursitis as the result of an overuse injury. The second year, I was smart and trained for four months prior to the hike, and managed to remain relatively pain-free. However, the third year I had slacked with my training and my quadriceps were sore for days. Either way, I can’t wait to challenge this mountain again next year. It is just such great fun, an incredible physical challenge, the company and the views are just matchless.

I had purchased a new helmet camera for the most recent trip to Old Rag Mountain. The one I got is the Drift HD170 Stealth Helmet Camera and found it just wonderful to work with, and the wrist remote was super easy to use. Because the video clip is about 20 minutes long, I opted to go with a lower quality video so that other people viewing it could see it easily without load problems.

TRAIL MAPS

Shenandoah National Park Map Old Rag SNP Map
My GPS Track Delorme Map Share Old Rag Mountain

http://youtu.be/CiVLWEnXo24