Best Hikes In Shenandoah National Park: Ultimate Old Rag Mountain Guide

Need to Know Info

• Reservations to hike Old Rag are now required!
  • You must purchase them here before arriving at the park. No passes are sold at the park.
  • $2.00 passes are required from March 1st through November 30th, and each person needs a pass.
  • Print or save a digital copy of your reservation QR code and bring your ID to show the rangers.
  • A day pass does not guarantee a parking spot, so plan to arrive early. Parking is prohibited on the public roads in the area.
• In addition to the Old Rag Pass, an entrance fee is required at Shenandoah. We recommend getting an annual pass if you plan on visiting multiple parks in one year. Visit our gear page to purchase your America the Beautiful Pass online at REI’s website.
• Pets are prohibited on this trail – use the Robertson Mountain Trail as an alternative.

Old Rag Mountain

Quick facts about the hike:

• Length: 9 miles, loop
• Elevation Gain: 2,300 feet
• Difficulty: Strenuous

The trailhead starts at the parking areas along Nethers Road. From Charlottesville, VA, or the Big Meadows area, this is about an hour drive, so plan to hit the road early and arrive at the trailhead before 8:30 am. Remember, even if you have a pass, you are not guaranteed a parking spot.

There are three lots here: the upper lot, the lower lot, and the overflow Lot. The upper and lower lots are closest to the Ridge Trail, with the lower lot being the larger of the two. If you can get a spot here, the trailhead is just a few steps away, along with a pit toilet.

If you have to park in the overflow lot, take the Old Rag access trail to link up to the Ridge Trail, but please stay off of private property in this area. This adds a negligible 0.3 miles, so it’s really no big deal. Another reminder: you are not permitted to park on the public roads near the trailheads here. You will be ticketed or towed.

Ridge Trail to the Summit

Let’s hit the trails! From the trailhead, follow the blue-blazed Ridge Trail and work your way through the forest, gradually climbing to the summit. After about 3 miles of hiking, the views really open up, and the rock scramble begins.

This is probably the most fun part of the hike! There are some narrow sections here when you’ll have to squeeze through the boulders and climb your way up the rocks, sometimes using all 4s or getting help from your fellow hikers.

For that reason, smaller backpacks or fanny packs are recommended for this hike. We took our regular packs and were just fine, but if you have a full backpack, you may need to take it off while you rock scramble.

Continue to follow the blue blazes as you reach the summit at around 3,200 feet. From there, the trail dips slightly in elevation, and the views on this part of the trail are absolutely amazing. If you can plan your hike here during the fall, while the leaves are changing, it will be amazing!

The Ridge Trail turns into the Saddle Trail around the 3.7-mile mark. Continue on this trail.

Saddle Trail to Weakly Hollow Fire Road

The Old Rag Mountain loop continues along the Saddle Trail past Byrd’s Nest Shelter 1, which is a day-use shelter only. From here, the Saddle Trail descends back into the forest as you make your way to the Old Rag Shelter. Keep following the blue blazes here.

After hiking for another mile or so, you’ll reach the Old Rag Shelter, where there are pit toilets available. Stay on the trail here until you reach a 4-way trail intersection. Then, turn right and follow the sign that says “Old Rag Parking Via Weakly Hollow Fire Road”.

📖 Don’t miss our full Shenandoah Itinerary. Check it out here!

Weakly Hollow Fire Road to The End

The Weakly Hollow Fire Road Trail is the final part of the Old Rag Mountain Loop. Use this fire road to hike 3 miles back to the Old Rag Parking Area. Stay to the right/straight as you come to the junction of the Robertson Mountain Trail and Corbin Hollow Trail as you hike toward your car.

When you reach the chain gate, you have two options: continue hiking on the road to return to your car, or use the Ridge Access Trail, which leads to the Ridge Trail. If you use this trail, hike to the Ridge Trail and take a left at the junction to reach the parking area.

This isn’t the most exciting part of the loop trail, but turning around on the Ridge Trail/Saddle Trail would be difficult, as most hikers are using this trail to ascend the rock scramble to Old Rag Mountain, and this trail gets very crowded.

When you arrive at the parking lot, take a rest, eat lunch, and prepare for a nice scenic drive on the only road that travels through Shenandoah: Skyline Drive.

Skyline Drive

This is a great activity to do after a nice morning hike, or really, if you don’t want to hike at all. During the fall months is probably the best time to drive the road, but anytime will provide some great scenery!

Skyline Drive runs 105 miles and spans the entire park from north to south through the Blue Ridge Mountains. It takes about 3 hours to drive the entire stretch in one day, as the speed limit is usually about 35 MPH. Drive as little or as much as you want!

Note that Skyline Drive may close during the winter months due to weather conditions or if trees have fallen onto the road.

There are plenty of scenic overlooks along the drive, and be on the lookout for animals crossing the road! Our favorite time to explore Skyline Drive was near sunset. The views are gorgeous!

If you are looking for some overlooks you can’t miss, check out the information on our full Shenandoah itinerary, right here in the Day 2 section.

🍷 There are some great wine tours, food tours, and ghost tours that you can also take near Charlottesville. Check them out on Viator!

Where to Stay While Visiting Shenandoah National Park

Shenandoah National Park is a bit secluded from the more populated areas of Virginia. If you are looking to stay in an area with numerous amenities, consider nearby Charlottesville, which is just about an hour from the park. Conversely, getting a cabin in the area is also a great option for some peace and quiet.

• Explore the cabins near Shenandoah on VRBO. Reserve one with a hot tub, or something with views overlooking the amazing scenery. You can’t go wrong there, but you might have to do some light cooking. Book your stay now.
• Big Meadows Lodge – Located right on Skyline Drive in the middle of the park near Big Meadows, this is the most convenient option. Main Lodge rooms and detached cabins, along with on-site dining. Reserve your room on Expedia.
• Skyland – Ranging from updated premium rooms to charming, detached cabins, stay at 3,680 feet, the highest elevation on Shenandoah National Park’s scenic drive. Find the best room for you on Expedia.
• Stay in Charlottesville if you are looking for plenty of amenities, but know that you’ll have to make the trek to Shenandoah each day. Discover a place to stay on Expedia or Booking.com.

Final Thoughts

Old Rag was definitely one of the best hikes in Shenandoah National Park that we completed! During our time here, the reservation system was not in place, but it’s probably a good thing they have implemented this plan because it was VERY crowded when we went.

We were not sure what to expect during the rock scramble, but it was definitely the best part of the hike. Climbing up and over the narrow boulders was super fun, and the views from the summit were really amazing.

In certain areas during the rock scramble, we had to wait in lines for people to climb the rocks, so it was a great idea for the park to implement a reservation system to help alleviate bottlenecks along the trail.

After hiking, we took it easy with a short drive on Skyline Drive, grabbed a bite to eat, and then went back to watch the sunset from one of the many viewpoints along the road to close out the day. What a perfect first day in Shenandoah National Park!

🛏️ Book your cabin on VRBO now! We enjoyed staying close to the park in a peaceful cabin in the woods.