Old Rag Mountain, a peak with the
deserved honor of the most popular mountain in Shenandoah National Park,
offers the hiker the chance to complete an exhilarating class 3 scramble on
the way to a lofty summit with incredible panoramic views. The most popular
route, and the one we followed, is to ascend via the scenic and challenging
Ridge Trail to the 3,291-foot summit, descending via a combination of the
Saddle Trail and the Weakley Hollow Fire Road. Two parking lots are available
to hikers, an upper lot (located right at the trailhead) and a lower lot
(overflow)—if you are one of the lucky ones who arrive at the upper lot before
it is full, your hike will be 7.2 miles in length roundtrip. Unfortunately,
the upper lot fills quickly, as it did the day of our hike, so we parked in
the lower lot—increasing the roundtrip mileage to 8.8 miles (0.8 miles up
Nethers Road to the trailhead and back).
We arrived at the lower parking lot
at 9:34 am, prepared our gear and made a quick stop at the ranger booth to pay
the $5.00 climbing fee (covered by our national parks pass) before trekking
the 0.8 miles to the trailhead. Despite the extra mileage, the walk along
Nethers Road was quite pleasant and we even spotted some pink ladyslippers in
full bloom—an added bonus that made the extra walk worthwhile. Twenty minutes
after leaving the lower lot, we were standing at the trailhead ready to set
out on an invigorating journey of discovery—just 2.7 miles and 2,200 feet of
elevation between the rocky summit and us.
Our journey along the Ridge Trail
began on a wide, easy to follow path through a young hardwood forest of oaks,
maples, and hickories. At approximately 0.3 miles into the hike, you will
notice a large boulder off to the right of the trail—the product of an ancient
landslide. Soon after passing the house-size boulder, the trail begins to get
narrow and rocky and more boulders appear through the forest—a hint of what
lies ahead. Continuing upward along the path, you will notice that the canopy
soon opens up, offering the first good view of a nearby mountain range. It was
at this elevation that we began to notice an abundance of wildflowers—wild
geranium, mountain azalea, showy orchis, and a carpet of trillium lined the
trail. We even came across yet another patch of pink ladyslippers—a showy
spring bloomer if ever there was one.
Somewhere around the 1.5-mile mark,
the trail begins to take on less of a hiking feel and more of a rock-climbing
atmosphere—now the fun begins. Those who have experience with elementary
rock-climbing techniques have a distinct advantage on the remainder of the
hike—climbing the last mile of the Ridge Trail demands strength and balance
and sometimes a boost from behind. One particularly intimidating section for
some, occurs after crossing over several hundred feet of rock near the 2.4
mile mark—here, you must lower yourself into a narrow crevice about 8 feet
deep. Negotiating your way through this obstacle proves too much for some, but
thankfully, we managed without much trouble. The “trail” from this point
onward is marked by blue blazes painted on the rocks—without them the route
would be very difficult to navigate. Always be sure that you have located the
next blue blaze before setting off on a route. After getting yourself into
some interesting positions within the first maze of boulders, the next
highlight that you encounter as you make your way to the summit is the natural
staircase—complete with a chockstone wedged between the narrow walls. At this
popular photo spot, the three of us took turns demonstrating our Hercules like
strength by posing beneath the rock. Just above the staircase the vistas open
up for a short while and then it is back into the maze of rocks—be prepared to
crawl in, around, and through a labyrinth of boulders. When you emerge from
the second maze, you will find yourself perched along an open ridge with wide
sweeping views—the perfect place for a lunch break.
From this point,
the trail becomes littered with humongous rounded boulders—a unique addition
to the already stunning mountain scenery. The summit lies just ahead.
A cement post marks the summit of Old
Rag Mountain—take a right at the post to claim as your reward the wonderful
views of the Blue Ridge in the distance and Weakley Hollow below. The weather
and views were absolutely perfect on the day of our summit, and we took full
advantage of the warm weather by spending almost an hour up top.
From the summit, we continued
following the Ridge Trail to the Saddle Trail, which we followed until coming
to the Weakley Hollow Fire Road—the final leg of the journey. As we made our
way down the mountain, we enjoyed several more spectacular views, including
glimpses of the summit through the trees. We soon passed by Byrds Nest Shelter
No. 1, taking in the sights and sounds of the forest such as the staccato of a
woodpecker and the shredded remains of a log that had been worked over by a
bear in search of grubs. In another mile we reached the Old Rag Shelter, the
last landmark before leaving the Saddle Trail for the yellow blazed Weakly
Hollow Fire Road—a wide and level road which makes for an enjoyable end to a
challenging hike.
Approaching the Hughes River, which
parallels the fire road for a while, you will cross via a bridge—the first in
a series of four. As you reach the fourth footbridge you are nearly at the
upper parking lot—just another 0.8 miles to the car from this point. We
arrived back at our car at 4:25 pm, for a roundtrip hiking time of 7 hours.
After completing this amazing hike, there is no question as to why it is so
popular—spectacular views, some of the best in Shenandoah, and a class 3
scramble that can only be described as fun, combine to make this a hike not be
missed.
