Put on a good pair of hiking shoes, fill a back pack with a liter of water, snacks, and bug spray, and get going!! My boyfriend and I hiked old rag for the first time and it was a fun challenge! I consider myself in pretty good shape and this definitely challenged me. I wore my Polar Fit & heart monitor and the results were awesome!! From bottom to top and down again it took us 4.5 hours, and I burned over 1800 calories! Boom! Can't wait to do this again! read more

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Old Rag was my first ever hike and made me fall in love with the whole idea of hiking, soooo maybe I am biased, but IMO this is the momma of all hikes and something everyone should attempt. I've completed Old Rag twice and it does not disappoint. Parking: it's a bitch. Get there early and be prepared to pay someone some cash money. The neighbors sometimes run a parking lot in their yard for 20 bucks, which is worth it. But if you're going on a Saturday/Sunday morning, it's going to be challenging. Try and get there before 9AM and you'll be ok. The hike: STEEP. Be prepared for about 10 minutes of walking up the road from the parking lot and then embarking on the wooded area. It starts off slow and you think "hey I got this!" and then out of nowhere you're going up hill and your heart rate is through the roof. Luckily this is the shortest part of the whole hike, so you'll be ok. The rock scramble: SO. MUCH. FUN. This makes up a third of the hike, and by far the most rewarding part of it all. From the moment you approach the rock scramble, you're greeted with views. At my first go around, I thought that was "it" and was pretty damn impressed, so you can imagine how I felt once I hit the summit. There are some big rocks you encounter in the beginning which are perfect for hanging out on, so this is usually where I take a water and snack break. As you continue on the rock scramble, it gets way more challenging. You have to squeeze in and out of nooks and crannies and do a fair amount of climbing. I can only speak from the perspective of a petite 5'0" female, but it's challenging so bring a tall, strong friend with you and you'll be a-okay. I wish I could say I could do it all by myself, but I just can't. It takes a team effort to get through it so be prepared to help each other out. You will also encounter some lines at some of the more challenging spots, so bring your patience. And help a stranger out when the situation arises. The summit: It's beautiful and so many places to go for photos. The first time, we breezed through it but the second time we spent about an hour hanging out, eating, etc. and it was worth it. The end: This is usually the longest part of the hike but the good news is it's all downhill. You'll leave the rock scramble and go back into the wooded area and take this through all the way back to the parking lot. We came across a snake here one day so keep your eyes open. After: Take your endorphin high to the bar and get a burger & beer. There's some great local places near by. Do your research beforehand though because you won't see cell service for a while on your car ride home. read more

Old Rag Mountain - Hiking Near Me

Old Rag is amazing. I have been here three times during three different seasons, and each time has been unforgettable. I will share the tips and tricks I have learned over the trips here: 1. Make sure you are in decent/good shape before you go. This is a difficult 9 mile hike where your strength and endurance will be greatly tested at several points, including the rock scramble (which only gets easier and more fun each time you go!) and the last 2.5 miles, where you just want to be done and your legs are sore (the first time is the worst because you go all out the first few miles and don't pace yourself - or at least, in my case :)). No one is going to fault you for going your own pace, but there are some scramble points that rack up a line, especially during busy times of the year. The more experienced hikers are good about finding other paths around you (or helping you), but if you are on the path and you can tell they are on your heels, step aside and let them go past you. It's just considerate, and no one likes ankle biters. 2. Prepare more than you think you should. ALWAYS bring more water than you think you need. Pack a light snack or meal for mid-trip. A good resting point is right before the summit or right at the summit, where you can park yourself right on a huge rock and stare out at the gorgeous views. You earned it! 3. Bring cash, especially for the lemonade/ginger ale/whatever drink the cute old man is selling at the last .5 miles of the journey. It's the best drink you'll ever taste. Not to mention, the cute old man is wonderful and makes great conversation. 4. WEAR GLOVES!!! You do not want to rock scramble without them. Any are better than none. 5. Start early and ensure that you have the right address in the GPS (Sperryville is the right one) 6. If you plan to go here or to Shenandoah more than once, you might as well buy the annual pass for $30, the cost of two trips. read more

We spontaneously decided to go for a hike. S/O: Are you sure you don't want to bring water?! Me: Yeah, bringing water will just delay us. We don't need a backpack, either. S/O: Okay...but I am dropping by at Target to get beef jerky and water... 5 hours later... Me: I am so glad you bought beef jerky and water! Boneless chicken...that's how I felt after this tremendous hike! We started the hike at 1305 and finished around 1700. It ended up being a 10 mi hike since we took a longer route. My favorite was the rock scramble. It's all worth it, though. We will definitely be back when the weather gets colder and this time with a backpack, food and water...Oh yeah, bringing my camera, too! read more

Went on a Wednesday in mid-December. There were not a lot of people on the trail, but more than I would have expected - seemed like a good number of them were college-aged students out of school for the winter break. Did my hike solo - arrived at 11am and headed up to the trailhead (3/4-mile up the road from the parking lot) at 11:15am. Arrived at the summit in about 2 hours at a moderate pace up the main rock scrambling trail with a few breaks. Spent an hour at the summit. 1:45 to get down the longer fire road trail with no stops. I could see how it could take longer on a crowded weekend, as I had to wait for a few parties to get through some tight sections of the scramble even on a less-crowded day. Some reviews caution not to do this hike solo - I'd say that if you can climb a 6-ft fence, then you can hike this trail, but wear some good hiking boots or trail shoes and be prepared to use your upper body to pull yourself over some rocks and lower yourself down into some deep crevices. If hiking with a friend or two, just about anyone can get over some of the tough obstacles with help. This was a spectacular hike - worth the time and effort. You park just outside of Shenandoah NP, so the $20/car fee does not apply, but it's $10/person to hike in (rates as of Dec 2015). read more

I absolutely loved (and sometimes hated) this hike! Getting there: print really good directions because there is little to no cell service. We were completely lost and just picked a car or two to follow (tip: follow a zip car if you get lost). There's a big lot to park in and admission is something like $10 if I recall correctly. Bring water and snacks because there is nowhere there to buy anything. The hike: I'm not a terribly avid hiker, and my expectation was that we'd be walking generally uphill for awhile and eventually get to the top of something. I'm in decent shape so the 9 miles didn't scare me. But this was incredibly challenging. It's uphill the whole way with a lot of switchbacks, and at the end the rock scramble is quite difficult (for me, anyway). I'm a little bit afraid of heights and at times I was actually jumping across boulders and kind of afraid of slipping and breaking a leg or something. But I saw a man well into his 80s making it happen, and lots of children, so it's definitely doable. On that note, it was a little bit crowded on a Saturday afternoon, and at some points only one person can pass at a time so there was a line backed up. The view from the top was INCREDIBLE-- best I've seen, and a great reward for a difficult day. And then the way back is just an evacuation road-- very easy. (If you want to do an easy walk and see a great view-- maybe with someone who's older or something, I think you can just walk up that way and get the same view.) read more

Old Rag Mountain - From the summit - Hiking Near Me

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I did this hike first when I was about 30- and it was fun and a bit adventurous- now that I am a woman of a certain age- this thing kicked my a-s! I'm in pretty good shape but the boulder scrambling during the last 1/3 of the ascent was a real workout- not as sure footed as I once was and needed help on a few of the crawl ups. Note: there is a short-way (3-4 hour R/T) and a long way (4-6 hour R/T- 9 miles) up the mountain. The short way is at the end of Berry Hollow Rd/Weakley Hollow Rd; the long way (with rock scramble) is at the end of Nethers Rd. (600) I did the short way back in the spring, and it was a normal trail up and down the backside of the mountian; but you get the same amazing views as a reward without any rock scramble. The Berry Hollow parking lot also does not have a ranger post so you can do the hike for FREE! That lots holds about 16 cars. This is probably the most popular hike in Virginia so its crowded most weekends between March and December- with the warm months being really packed. read more

This was my first time hiking and I really liked it I read many reviews that said the difficulty level was really hard and not ideal for beginners but I went anyways and the reviews were right it is very challenging but it can be done it took about 8 hours altogether so make sure you get there early so you don't hit sundown and make sure you check the weather I wouldn't recommend going when it's really hot because I was sweating so much and it was like 75. My over all experience was really good i felt great afterward but I was surprisingly sore even though I go to the gym regularly. read more

Old Rag Mountain - This wasn't even the top and the view was already great - Hiking Near Me

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Fun hike and probably the highest peak to hike near DC - although - its only 3,000 some feet some its not that high. The uphill was lots of fun with various rock scrambles and crawling, jumping, climbing around rocks. Great fun. If you're looking for solitude, though - forget it. We passed lots of people on the way up (most lacking proper hiking shoes) and got stuck behind 4 college girls in the boulder section. They were our companions until the summit - and we were joined by many, many other companions at the summit. Not exactly getting away from it all. read more

This was so much fun! It has been on my bucket list of places to hike, but I hadn't known much about it until I experienced each aspect myself. It was a spontaneous trip with my friend, and it was a blast. Not gonna lie, it was pretty challenging, and we had to pep talk ourselves to the finish, because our legs were wobbly by the end! We had planned to make a pit stop to use the restroom before we arrived at the site. There were a couple gas stations 20 miles out. We didn't stop there because we figured there would be something closer, but there wasn't. The porta potties are only at parking area I believe, but they weren't as terrible as I thought. We went on a Monday in July, on a super hot day, so there weren't many people on the trail. Literally maybe 10 that we encountered. The hike up was mostly under the shade, so it wasn't bad. We parked and paid our $20, and was pleasantly surprised that the ticket is good for a week, in case we want to come back (we didn't realize what we were in for lol!) It was about a mile from the parking lot to the start of the trail, thus the beginning of our journey. It was a steady incline for a couple miles, and I felt like it I was on a stairmaster workout. Luckily I'm somewhat in shape so I could get through without dying . There were a couple places before you hit the rock scrambling part where you can get in a couple good shots, so we took some pictures on the way, and got to hide in the shade for a bit to cool off. The rock scrambling part was definitely the highlight of the hike for me. I don't have much upper body strength (can't do a pull-up) but was okay enough to get through it all! Lots of climbing, a bit of jumping, tad bit of thinking how to contort your body to get through small areas. My friend and I brought gloves in case the rocks hurt our hands, but didn't end up needing them. I didn't have hiking boots so it was a little slippery at times, but as long as you got some traction on your shoes, you should be fine. We were so exhausted by the time we got to the summit that we didn't do any extensive photoshoot. Took a couple pictures of the view and was ready to be on our way home! We took the Saddle Trail and fire road back, which was another 5 some miles. Now that took forever. Good thing my friend and I keep each other in good company and chatted the whole way down, but it literally, physically, and mentally felt neverending! To me, it felt like this was the hardest part of the hike. Oh, and we saw a bear :o This was at like 2 pm, and we freaked a little, but just went along our way and it didn't bother us. Fun story to tell our friends, though, when we came out of it~ Overall, an awesome experience! Do it!! read more

What a great, hard, and gorgeous hike! Close to DC, not sure how it took me so long to get do it. We started at 2:30pm on Saturday of Memorial day weekend and it wasn't too busy. I'll be back! read more

The Billy Goat Trail ain't got nothin' on Old Rag. Prepare to hike. A lot. The uphill hike takes lots of energy out of you, so prepare to bring lots of water, some snacks, and a lunch to eat, once you reach halfway on the top of the mountain (if you make it.....kidding!) Some hiking boots are really helpful as well. Go early so you beat the crowd! We got there at around 8:30am and started the hike around 9am. You actually have to walk a bit to get to the actual trail! Going in November is good because the weather isn't too cold. Be careful when you jump the rocks at the top of the mountain! The scramble was actually my favorite part, and the view at the top is pretty extraordinary. When you finish the entire trail, you will feel like dying and your feet will fall off, but it'll be worth it. I hope. read more

Hailing from the beautiful flat lands of Illinois, Old Rag Mountain was such a treat. I was lucky to have visited on a day with perfect weather-- all you need is a light jacket! Jokes aside, it really is smart to bring packable layers; the summit will be colder than the base. Also bring lots of water, a snack, and bandages, especially if you're like me and don't like wearing gloves. The hike (and especially the rock scramble) is pretty challenging so listen to your body and take breaks and stay hydrated! Also if you're like me, the hike will take you all day because you will stop every ten minutes to take pictures. It's just too pretty. I couldn't help it. read more

Overall I enjoyed the hike. Here a few of my thoughts. 1. Start early - I went on a Friday and arrived at the main parking area at about 8:30am. At this point, only a handful of cars. I took the Ridge trail both ways, and by the time I was coming down, i passed no less than 30-40 people along the way. 2. Get ready for the incline. It's been year since I last went up Old Rag, and for some reason, I don't remember it being as difficult as I remembered. I'll chalk that one up to old age. From a physical standpoint, it's definitely much more strenuous than the Billy Goat trail in Great Falls. 3. Views were very nice but I can't say they were spectacular. Sorry, but I was a bit disappointed on this front. 4. Rock Scramble - in my opinion, this is the best part of the hike. The trail takes you along some really interesting rock formations and tight spaces. You do have to be careful and it does require upper body strength, flexibility and general agility, but it was a lot of fun jumping from rock to rock. I definitely recommend exploring off the train a bit. 5. Water - i tend to drink a lot but i definitely brought too much. I say 2 liters is about right. 6. Kids - I didn't take my kids, but i would be comfortable bringing my 9 year and 12 year old here without any hesitation. They are both active and love climbing on rocks and hiking. Due to the incline on the first 2-3 miles of the hike, they might complain a bit, but I think they will enjoy the hike and overall challenge. Note - I'm pretty sure I saw a kid or two that looked a little bit younger than my 9 year old. read more

Incredible (for East Coast) 9.2 mile circuit hike up the rock scramble and down the fire trail. Bring at least 2L of water per person if it's warm out - this is a strenuous hike at times with a rock scramble that you'll never forget. Magnificent views and photo ops. Our 9 year old made it, though he's in pretty good shape. I've seen plenty of older folks make it, too. Just take your time and you'll be done in about 7 hours. Arrive early or the lines might get bad on the narrow passages. Try to come on a weekday. Never, ever, hike the rocky side of this trail if it's rainy or snowy...way too dangerous. You could conceivably go up the fire trail side of the route to the top if it wasn't too wet or snowy, though. Either way, you want hiking boots and a light pack with lunch/snacks. Park at the ranger station and hike up a road for 0.8 miles, then take a left up the rocky trail. Everything's well marked. $20 to park and there are some unkempt port-a-johns in the parking area. read more

Old Rag Mountain is beautiful. The part with all the rocks are challenging, but nothing impossible to accomplish. Just remember to bring enough water, snacks and camera to register the great view. The only problem in my opinion was to find an adress or coordinates to get int he right parking lot. For some reason, there isn`t any address or geography coordinate available in the official website, the directions that I found were kind of confusing. Once I found the parking lot I checked the geographic coordinates to spread online and make someone else life easier. Put in your phone or GPS these coordinates: 38° 34' 14" N 78° 17' 13" W When you get at the route 522, turn right at the route 602 and go straight until you see the parking lot. Never cross any bridge. Simple as that. read more

Old Rag Mountain - View of the parking lot - Hiking Near Me

Totally worth the long hours of hiking! Breathtaking view throughout the entire hike :) make sure you wear the right shoes, take plenty of water and snacks, stay hydrated!!! Please check out my boyfriend's "Old Rag Mountain" vlog video that he put together via YouTube! It portrays our awesome experience from here :) http://youtu.be/uLd4aA_lVaE read more

Challenging, but it's a lot of fun and pretty exciting, especially if you choose to do the rock scramble. The rocks can be a little tricky and it definitely helps to have a little bit of upper body strength (or a strong person to hoist you up). By the time you reach the summit, you're going to be exhausted, but the sense of accomplishment and the view will definitely give you the boost you need for the decent! read more

Old Rag is my absolute favorite hike in this area. The rock scramble is so much fun, and the views at the top are breathtaking. I definitely don't recommend doing this hike alone, as there are several places where I needed assistance, and I'm pretty fit myself. My group started early in the morning, and it took about 6 hours to complete, but we didn't take many breaks other than lunch and photography. I always reserve a full day for this hike, and fall is my favorite time of year for it. I try to go back annually. read more

One of the best hikes we've ever done. Wish we would've come more prepared with water and snacks as we didn't realize it was 9.2miles not counting the .8mile walk to the car! Absolutely breathtaking views. The rock scramble was fun. Recommend taking the Ridge Trail up to the Rock Scrambler then the Weasely Fire Escape down, and it was more fun doing it as a pair we think. Enjoy! read more

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I have hiked this mountain twice and it is definitely a great hike on a gorgeous day!!! Highly recommend it. Only thought is the downhill trek back towards the parking area can be very mild and seem long compared to the uphill hike. For future hikes, we will probably take the Ridge Trail up and back down. read more

Pretty strenuous. We kept thinking we were at the top, but were fooled by several "false summits". The hike itself wasn't too hard, but the rock scrambles had some tricky spots. I wouldn't have been able to do a couple of them without a hand from my husband, even though I am in pretty good condition and hike a lot. We went on a Monday in lae October, didn't get there until 1:30, and it was not very crowded at all. Highly recommended! read more

If you've come here you've probably already got your heart set on hiking Old Rag! So I'll just recap my experience. I visited Shenandoah Nat'l Park over the July 4th holiday and only had 1 day for hiking. I had asked around for hike recommendations and it seemed this was the overall winner! Reading the national park service website had me a bit concerned as they called this Shenandoah's 'most dangerous' hike so I really didn't know what to expect going in! Also I was hiking alone and was worried about not being tall enough to make it over boulders or losing my way with no one around. Luckily neither of those were a concern! I wouldn't say the trail was 'crowded' but there were definitely enough people around. I got to the parking area (which is a whole other story. It's NOT off Skyline Drive. You have to drive pretty far into VA farmlands to access it!) about 11:45am and began the hike around noon. (Not an early riser over here). There was still plenty of parking, maybe some people had finished already? I did the hike the standard clockwise route - going up the Blue trail and back down the Yellow/fire road trail. I brought a lot of water and snacks thinking this was going to be an all day hike (park website says allow 7-8 hours) which it was not. It took me just under 4.5 hours and that was with stops at various vistas and lookouts to sit, take pictures, etc - although I did not stop for lunch at the top as many do. I ended up drinking only 1 bottle of water and a Clif bar the whole time. I was also thankful that for July the weather was not hot. It was around 75 degrees but actually got chillier up top (prob 5-10 degrees cooler). It also started raining towards the end and got very cloudy which completely obscured the views at the summit! It was all mists and clouds and sadly I could see none of the beautiful valley below :(. Luckily I stopped at several of the 'false summits' on the way up while it was still partially sunny and saw some fantastic views. The Rock scramble portion of the hike is THE absolute highlight and so much fun! It's like an adult jungle gym. You will be climbing up, down and between boulders so be aware you will need to use your entire body (i.e. may be difficult if you have a broken hand or something!) I also could not imagine very small children or elderly people being able to make it through this portion. Most of the rocks are consistently marked with the blue blazes to keep you on track but sometimes I'd veer off only to realize I'd hit a dead end! After that, there's still some ascent to actually get to the summit. After you reach the summit there's about 2 miles of downhill trail hiking and then you get to the really boring fire road part that will get you back to the lot. That was just basically a gravel road through the woods that I wish I could have fast forwarded through :/ All in all this was an amazing hike, and leaves you feeling very accomplished for having made it through! I would say a clear spring or fall day would be the best times to go. I definitely would not advise going when it's pouring down rain, icy or snowy. Too dangerous. So glad I did this one and look forward to coming back to Shenandoah to explore some more trails! read more

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By far, this is the most amazing hike that I have been able to find in the SNP area. I love visiting Old Rag Mountain during different times in the year. The foliage color change is magnificent and always a soothing experience. I highly recommend hiking this one by yourself. I find time to clear my head, meditate, and fine inner peace. Or you could bring a group of friends and have a great time as well. read more

Quick note: Regarding the numerous comments about Google Maps being wrong, there is a Google Maps entry entitled "Old Rag trail - Car park, State Route 600, Etlan, VA" which is the correct location to the parking area. My friend and I hiked this this past Saturday, the first time for both of us. The advice we received from the rangers the previous day was to not show up to park between 10:00am and 2:00pm as this is when the lot tends to be full on nice weekend days. We arrived at about 7:55am and were one of the first 40-50 cars there. When we came back later in the day, the lot certainly appeared to be (or recently had been) jam packed. I am 6'4", 42 years old, a bit on the heavy side, and don't exercise much, and I made it up without too much difficulty, but it certainly is a very challenging hike. There are a few places where I think someone who is not either slender or tall would have a hard time without help. My long reach helped me out quite a bit. There was also at least one place where I genuinely did have to pull up my own weight almost entirely with my arms. The three or so mile hike just up to the base of the rock scramble is a fairly strenuous hike all on its own. The good news is that it becomes less of a cardiovascular challenge at that point, but it also becomes far more difficult. Another reason to get there early, besides avoiding any risk of not being able to park, is to avoid lines. There are at least two places on the scramble, one pretty early on, where there tends to be a pretty big backup. We made it through the first one with only a 5-10 minute wait, but looking down on that spot from up above about an hour later the line was immense and probably 30+ minutes. When you finally get to the front of the line, it becomes obvious why there is a line there. The cautionary note about not hiking the scramble in wet or ice conditions is spot on. If it is raining, has just rained, or is likely to, and you have not done this climb at least a couple of times before, don't do it. Pick another day. There are already enough slippery rocks from where thousands upon thousands of hiking boots before yours have scraped a rock surface smooth. Adding wet rock to the equation is a bad idea. The NPS video, if my memory serves, states that it is only about a 20 minute hike from the peak down the Saddle Trail to the Old Rag Shelter and a bathroom. I would say that this estimate is a bit off. It's more like 45 minutes and the one bathroom is pretty disgusting and may or may not include toilet paper. I would avoid bringing two trekking poles, but I carried one and found it useful far more often than it got in the way. We just handed our poles to one another in a few places where they would have gotten in the way. Overall, its an amazing hike/climb and totally worth it, but only attempt it if you are in at least reasonable shape. It is a 2200 foot ascent, the equivalent of walking to the top of a 220-story building. My most strenuous scramble before this past weekend was taking the Echo Canyon trail up to the top of Camelback. That was a nice challenge, but the Old Rag climb was substantially more of an effort. read more

Old Rag is the best hike within striking distance of DC. I understand people who give it demerits because of the number of folks you'll be hiking with but there is a reason for the crowds. It's simply the best hike I've found in the area and if you want solitude you probably shouldn't be picking one of the most popular hikes in the east. There are better outings for peace and serenity. I generally find that if I am surrounded by people who chose to climb a mountain on a Saturday I am in good company. If you'd like less of a crowd you'll be best served by getting there early and reaching the summit before 11 or noon. Some people knock this thing out in a couple of hours. I am NOT one of those people. I plan a full day for my Old Rag adventures to allow for the drive time to and from the parking lot and a good 6 hours on the mountain. The trip to the rock scrambles will get your heart pumping along a couple miles of steady ascent with a few nice vistas along the way which offer a little foreshadowing of what's to come. However, upon arriving at the first of the scrambles the fun really begins and you'll quickly forget about the trip up the mountain. Under, over and around a maze of boulders, shoots and tunnels Old Rag will force you to contort your body in ways you may not have experienced or thought possible. Numerous views along the way offer great opportunities to catch your breath or let it be taken away. Pack a lunch for the summit and no matter who prepared it you'll be in for one of the most amazing meals of your life. I hesitate to discourage those less fit to tackle this hike but is worth nothing that you need to be in at least reasonable health and exercise caution along the route. There are dangers along the scrambles and the last time I went there was a man being air lifted off the summit after injuring himself on the rocks and spending the previous night on the mountain. That being said, this is a wonderful hike and one I very highly recommend. read more

Honest review - Our group of 4 just completed the hike and 2 of us were a little nervous after read all the reviews. This is an honest review of the 9 mile circuit hike to help out people who are worried if they can complete the hike. Parking - Lower lot parking and its free. It's a little less than a mile walk to the trailhead and it's all paved. The walk starts with about 0.3 miles of flat pavement and then a moderate incline (maybe 4-5 degrees) for about 1/2 mile to the Trailhead. Hike - The total hike distance BEFORE you get to the rock scramble is about 2 miles. However, don't be fooled. This hike on the trails is not a walk in the park. The 1st quarter mile starts out with a moderate incline. About 1/2 a mile in, the trail starts to get steeper and switchbacks are frequent and steep. You don't need to be an elite athlete to do complete this part - I would say if you can run 2-3 miles without stopping, you should be ok. Don't be afraid to take some breaks during this part. There are 2-3 scenic stops to rest, get some water, have a snack, take some pics. The climb and incline is steady and pretty steep at times - but doable if you are in ok shape. On a scale of 1-10, I would say you need a 5 fitness level. Rock Scramble - The treeline will thin out and after a semi-strenuous 3 mile hike from the parking lot, you will come upon the rocks. The first encounter with the rocks is fairly intimidating if this is your 1st time. You stare up and your first test is to climb up about a 10ft rock on steep grade with few footholds. After that, it's about 1 mile of climbing up rocks, big boulders, sliding down rocks, slithering through crevices, crawling on all fours under rocks, jumping over 2-3 ft crevices. From a cardio perspective, its not too bad as you're going up and down rocks and taking a lot of breaks (also waiting in line in some places as people queue up). I've read a reviews about needing a lot of upper body strength. This is somewhat exaggerated. I have moderate upper body strength (can do 40 pushups, maybe 5-6 pullups) and I didn't find any rock scramble section difficult from an upper body point of view. I will say if you are afraid of heights or claustrophobic - there are certain parts where those fears will be tested. Wear shoes with good traction as there is a ton of climbing on bare boulder surfaces that are fairly steep. The 1 mile rock scramble takes longer than you would think. There are 3-4 areas where you think you are at the summit and then there's more to go. Towards the end of the scramble, the rock climbs get steeper and steeper - then eventually, you will see the sign for the summit - and you're there. Views are pretty incredible at the top. Stay for as long as you like because there's a looooong descent on the way down. I was fairly tired at the summit after hiking and climbing for 3 hours (about 4 miles from parking lot to summit in total.) Descent - I won't spend a ton of time on this. The 1st 2 miles of the descent is pretty steep and rough on the knees - a lot of rocks and steps. You will be tempted to go fast but be careful. It's pretty easy to twist an ankle on the uneven surface. Eventually you will get to the Fire Road - the last 3 miles to the parking lot is a moderate decline and gravel - much much better on the knees but also kind of boring. We found ourselves just trying to get it over with towards the end. It took us 2 hours to get from the summit to the parking lot. Conclusion - In total, the 9 mile hike took us just a hair under 5 hours. We took a few brief breaks and stopped for about 15 min on the summit for a quick lunch. We are NOT avid hikers and the 4 of us were all in medium - very good shape. We got to the parking lot at 9:15am on a Saturday and were back by 2:10pm to the car. For mid-November, it was cold and there was a moderate crowd at the summit. All in all, it was strenuous but not as difficult as some of the reviews would have you believe. You will get a great workout, get some awesome views, and then be bored on the way down. Good luck! read more

Ok. In an earlier review I might have said Billy Goat Trail was intense. Maybe not. I don't quite remember. However, if I did, I obviously didn't know what I was talking about because this hike is ridiculous. Taking the advice of the park ranger that is stationed at the parking lot ($15/car) that is a respectable distance from the actual trail, we went on the Old Rag Trail Circuit that she recommended. We're very glad we did because although we took what seemed to be the longest possible route to the top, going down that section of the trail wouldn't be nearly as fun as going up the same trail. I'm sorry for not remembering the names of the particular trails we used but here's how the trail was. After the parking lot, we walked for what seemed like a mile to the actual trail. I'm pretty sure we passed a home/business of some sort. I wasn't aware you could live on a national park. When you get into the trail itself, it starts off flat and easy. Then you reach the incline and that just goes on forever. The angle of incline ranges from moderate to there-should-be-steps-here-instead but when you think you're at the top (I promise you, you'll have that thought multiple times during this hike), you'll be greeted by boulders. I don't know how these boulders got here, but they're obviously there to be in your way. You're going to go around, climb over, squeeze through, and sometimes slide underneath them just because you can. I have no idea how they carved a path through some of these rocks but this is the fun part of the whole trail and it's a lot of it to traverse. You're going to reach a bunch of points where you think you're king of the mountain but you're only at a checkpoint. The actual summit is at about R40 or something. You'll see some inscription on the markings they have along the trail. The path down isn't nearly as exciting in my opinion. Maybe because we were getting tired or we saw it all already. However once you hit the dirt road, it's just a long downhill ~3 mile walk to your car. I wish they had a bike rental option. You would fly down this path so fast... Anywho, bring lots of water and some snacks so you can complete the trail. I'd like to think the trail is nice and clean because your fellow hikers are responsible human beings who don't need their mothers to clean up after them. Don't be the idiot who does. Yelp address is a lie. Google address is a lie. Look up Nethers Rd in Sperryville, VA and drive along that road into the park and you'll see the parking lot I mentioned. read more

This hike was a bit challenging. It took us about 6 hours to finish the 9 miles. I would recommend that you go early so you'll be able to finish before the sun sets because it might be hard to find your way back once it gets darker outside. Parking costs $20 (you can pay in cash or credit) and you'll receive a map. I think the parking ticket lasts for a couple days if you want to go back that same week. We went on a Sunday and it was pretty packed. It would be ideal to go during the week to avoid waiting in lines. The parking lot was full so a lady that lived in the house next door, let us park in her backyard for $10. I would recommend bringing $10 in cash just in case. Make sure to use the bathroom beforehand however there are porta potties in the parking lot. Make sure to bring a lot of water!!! I went with my boyfriend and we bought 6 water bottles and we drank 5 of 6 water bottles and make sure to pack some snacks!!!There was a lot of walking up the mountain, my quads were hurting a lot afterward and I go to the gym 4 to 5 days a week. If you're not fit or this is your first time hiking, I would recommend that going on a easier hike because this hike is pretty intense. Wear some study shoes, I slipped a couple times on the rocks. There are also some rock scrambles that were a bit challenging and not ideal for little kids. We went in February when we randomly had nice 70 degree weather. It can get a chilly in the mountains so bring a light sweater or hoodie. read more

Old Rag Mountain - My Fitbit results after the hike. Steps, Distance, Floors and Active Minutes. - Hiking Near Me

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Great hike and gorgeous view! The hike itself is long but not too difficult. If you are prepared with good shoes, clothes, water, and knowledge of your ability, you will definitely be fine. The great thing about hikes is they never get dull, you notice new and wonderful sights each time! read more

Went with a group in late November. It was not crowded, but they had predicted rain that day so I think that kept people at home. Also the colors had already faded. Still, I much prefer this hike when it's empty. Waiting in line to scramble up a rock is no fun. Overall this is a great hike that I think everyone in the area should check off their list. The bouldering and rock scrambling are by far the most fun parts, but be aware that larger/very short people or those with no fitness will have some trouble. They can get it done, they just might be hating life a little. Parts of the trail require squeezing through crevices and under boulders, pulling yourself up the sides of boulders, and jumping between rocks. You don't have to be a ninja to get it done, but you'll have more fun if you have at least moderate fitness and are with a group that can help you out. Bring snacks and water (camelbak is best), allow for 6 hours so you aren't rushed, and don't attempt if it's rainy, snowy or icy. Another point- the first half of the trail (if you go clock-wise) is a moderately steep trail climb and the rock scramble which takes you to the summit. Then you descend on trail for a bit and finally hit the fire road. The fire road is BORING. If you are really wiped out, you might welcome the break. But if you are feeling good and enjoyed the rock scramble, my recommendation is to go back down the way you came. Especially if the trail isn't busy. Tip- most people do this trail in hiking boots that come to the ankle. Because of the rock scrambling, I've actually had better luck in trail running shoes with good lugs in the tread. I think they give better traction and agility on the boulders. Main points- This hike is worth doing. Go with a group, avoid the weekends, especially when the fall colors are out, be able to run a few miles and do a pull up, and skip the fire road if you feel fresh enough and want more fun. read more

Hiking to Old Rag should be perceived as a reconnaissance mission if you want to avoid the crowds and sound of humans (dropping a cell phone into a ravine for example). If you come early (that means leaving your place at 6AM and starting hike at 8:30) you can enjoy nature at all its glory. You would have a hard time of getting lost as this is the most popular hike in DMV region. There are stories of how many time someone hiked Old Rag and those stories trump any other local hike story. I have seen kids as young as 6 finish it - but I have not been around them at the end to see how cranky you may get at the end. The sad part is that you will probably not see any wildlife but you will definitely have great vistas that will stay with you for years to come. After all, aren't the memories (good or bad, exciting or not) all that we really own/have. Old Rag elevation is 3,284' but keep in mind that Georgetown (DC) elevation is just 755' so you do get to hike some ways. If you are a late sleeper you can expect that time of your hike doubles - from 3 to 6 hours as there are many bottlenecks on the trail and long lines can be formed if you come late. Plus you have to pay for a parking on a private lot near NPS site. Do not hike if it rains or if it rained a day before because it gets slippery on the rocks that you have to scramble. Enjoy your hike on billion years old mountain and rest your eyes on the never-ending horizon. read more

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I went with my husband a Saturday early March. The route was packed, lines of 20 minutes at few points (yeah, for a hiking). At some points I thought it was an amusement park instead of a mountain. Avoid peak season and go very early in the morning. read more

I grew up hiking in New Hampshire, and so far, this is the closest thing i have been able to find that is on par with anything up north. its a decent hike, good views, and fun bouldering, but its just so damned crowded. we were able to take an alternate route around one of the bottle necks to get ahead of a slow group, expect to wait as others on the trail will slow you down. read more

Just completed our first hike at Old Rag.....and needless to say we are already looking forward to returning. The town of Sperryville that you drive through to get to the old rag parking lot is full of charm. We arrived at 7:30am after reading the reviews of how busy the climb gets and I am glad we did. The boulder scrambles are an amazing adventure.....we completed the full loop ending by walking down Fire Road and wound up at our car at 1:20 pm. The hike was great for cardio on the way up.....the scrambles are great for some strength and agility and the view from the summit is even better than I imagined. We met some amazing people along our hike....everyone was super friendly and there to enjoy themselves. This day trip will not disappoint! read more

Best hike ever :) We did the night hike to reach the mountain top to experience sun rise from the beautiful valley of Shenandoah. Amazing view from the top and the rock scrambling on the way up is just amazing. Going again this weekend. read more

Even with hazy weather and the impending thunderstorms, Old Rag was a great hike. The beginning can be a bit tedious if you're too late for the upper parking lot which only hold about 15 or so cars. The fee to Shenandoah National Park was up to $8 per person when we were there, which is completely worth it. The rock scramble is where the fun begins, and i was impatient to get to that part of the hike. By the time we got to the top I felt richly rewarded with great exercise, some scrambling that falls just short of climbing, and spectacular views. Two of us went through 4 litres of water on the trip and we were lucky enough to catch the thunderstorm on the fire road hike down, and see a deer on our way as well! read more

Long (9 miles) hike with a long of uphill BUT completely worth all the effort. Stunning views throughout the hike to keep you motivated to continue on. Great day hike; just make sure to bring plenty of water. This is not the hike for you if you're looking for solitude since it is pretty popular. Also, you do have to pay to go on the hike unless you have a national park pass. Parking can be tough on more crowded days, so bring an extra $10 for overflow parking just in case! read more

My first hike which involved a rock scramble and simply put, it was awesome - temperature around high 60s cannot hurt ;-) It is a challenging hike of around 9 miles (but the first and last 0.8 miles is just a walk from/to the parking lot). I went there on Memorial day weekend and started in the afternoon, so it was busy at the area with the rock scramble as you need to wait for other groups. The descent from the summit can be hard on the knees once in a while. Finally, don't forget to get water with you (I ended up drinking more than 2 litres by the end). read more

This is one one of the best hikes on the east coast. It's 11 miles and about 3 of them are a challenging rock scramble with great views along the way. To do the rock scramble be prepared to pull yourself up at times, have shoes like trail running or hiking boots that grip rocks, and it helps if you are tall. You will also need to jump at least once from boulder to boulder. That jump is only 2 feet wide. This hike usually takes 5-6 hours but if you go on a Monday and you are in family good shape you can get through it in 4 hours. read more