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Activity Old Rag, Shenandoah

Old Rag Mountain

An activity in Old Rag, Shenandoah, budget-friendly ($) and worth most of a day (about 7 hours). Best time to go: Spring or fall.

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Old Rag Mountain in Old Rag, Shenandoah
Photo: Acroterion · CC BY-SA 4.0 · license

Why go

Rock-scramble summit hike, the park's most famous and toughest day hike.

It is one of 10 curated places we feature in Shenandoah, alongside 4 outdoor spots, 2 places to eat and 2 sights. The closest of our other picks is Stony Man Trail, 4.7 mi away as the crow flies. Set aside most of a day (about 7 hours) here; it works best as the anchor of a day rather than a quick stop.

Type
Activity · Adventure
Neighborhood
Old Rag
Price
$
Time needed
7 hr
Best time
Spring or fall

Nearby

The 6 closest curated picks in Shenandoah, measured as straight-line distance.

  1. 1
    Stony Man Trail

    Easy 1.6-mile loop to cliffs with wide views over the Shenandoah Valley.

    Outdoors · 4.7 mi straight-line
  2. 2
    Pollock Dining Room at Skyland

    Park lodge dining room with valley views and blackberry ice cream pie.

    Food · 4.9 mi straight-line
  3. 3
    Hawksbill Summit

    Highest point in the park, with a stone observation platform.

    Outdoors · 5.6 mi straight-line
  4. 4
    Dark Hollow Falls Trail

    Short, steep hike to a 70-foot cascade near Big Meadows.

    Outdoors · 8.0 mi straight-line
  5. 5
    Skyline Drive

    105-mile ridgetop road through Shenandoah National Park with 70 overlooks.

    Sight · 11 mi straight-line
  6. 6
    Luray Caverns

    Large show cave with stalactites and the Great Stalacpipe Organ.

    Sight · 12 mi straight-line

On these curated routes

Old Rag Mountain is a stop on our Blue Ridge Parkway Slow Drive route. Open it to see the full day-by-day plan.

More to do in Shenandoah

Old Rag Mountain is our only activity pick in Shenandoah; here is what else we recommend there. See the full Shenandoah guide.

When to go

Average daily highs in Shenandoah run from 34°F in January to 82°F in July; May is usually the wettest month. For Old Rag Mountain itself, we suggest: Spring or fall.

Modelled monthly averages for Shenandoah from NASA POWER, not a forecast. Full Shenandoah weather by month.

Getting there

Map links open a live search for Old Rag Mountain, so hours and directions come straight from the map app.

Address
2577 Nethers Rd, Etlan, VA 22719, USA
Coordinates
38.57071, -78.29381
Destination
Shenandoah, Virginia

Old Rag Mountain: quick answers

How much time do you need at Old Rag Mountain?

Plan on most of a day (about 7 hours) at Old Rag Mountain. That is our curated estimate for a typical visit; groups that linger will want more.

When is the best time to visit Old Rag Mountain?

Our pick: Spring or fall. Insider tip: Day-use ticket required Mar–Nov via recreation.gov.

Where is Old Rag Mountain?

Old Rag Mountain is at 2577 Nethers Rd, Etlan, VA 22719, USA, in Old Rag. The Google Maps and Apple Maps links on this page open it for directions.

Which TripsCircle routes include Old Rag Mountain?

Old Rag Mountain appears on Blue Ridge Parkway Slow Drive, a curated route you can open on TripsCircle and plan with your group.

Add Old Rag Mountain to your crew's plan

Save it to a shared TripsCircle itinerary, settle the timing with a quick poll, and split the costs with everyone going to Shenandoah.

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Curated recommendation, not live listing data. Confirm hours, prices, bookings and access before you go.