A First Timer’s Guide to Hiking Shenandoah’s Old Rag

The Old Rag hiking trail is widely regarded as one of the best and most difficult hikes on the East Coast. It includes about 2 miles of increasingly steep switchbacks followed by roughly a mile of intense rock scrambling atop the mountain ridge.

Your reward for navigating these difficulties is some of the most stunning views that Shenandoah National Park has to offer! This post will walk you through everything noteworthy you’ll encounter when hiking Old Rag.

It’s not a hike for the faint of heart. You have to be at least moderately physically fit due to some of the hand-over-hand climbing that is involved during the mile-long rock scramble. It is also not recommended if you have a fear of heights because of the elevation involved along the ridge.

Updated 05/2023

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Hiking Along Old Rag’s Ridge

After 2.5 miles of uphill hiking you’ll arrive at the start of Old Rag’s ridgeline. As you leave the forested area, you have to scramble either over or under some large boulders to proceed.

I soon realized this was going to be challenging. I hiked Bearfence the day before and kept recalling how I remarked to a fellow hiker that Old Rag couldn’t possibly be much more difficult. It’s still amusing to think of how ignorant I was.

The trail gets increasingly difficult before the first real obstacle where you have to lower yourself about 10 feet into a narrow passage. Before going further, I want to issue a small warning. Most of the blazes are obvious, but around this point I somehow missed the blaze pointing you down into this passage.

Somewhere immediately before that point there is a blaze towards the top of a rock. I mistook this to mean that I needed to climb over this rock. Pretty quickly I thought I made a mistake because of how hard it was to get over this point. Then, when I came out on a boulder with no obvious path forward and sheer drops on three sides down the mountain, I was certain I did something wrong!

I’m admittedly bad at directions, but I can’t help but think I’m not the only person to ever make this mistake. Make sure when you are getting near this point that you keep your eyes peeled for a down arrow.

A Mile of Rock Scrambles

From 2.5 to 3.6 miles, you’ll continue with more rock scrambling. You’ll shimmy, jump, crawl and climb over various boulders. Here are just some of the highlights in the order you’ll encounter them:

• A roughly 10-foot drop into a tight passageway after which you emerge on a rocky ledge with stunning views.
• A small cave you have to pass through.
• A walk up a narrow, natural stairway that has a large boulder wedged between the two sides that you have to crawl under.
• A flatter section with two massive boulders hanging out precariously over the trail on either side.
• Many, many gorgeous panoramic views of either the valley to the one side of the trail and mountains on the other side.
• At least two or three sections where you are hand-over-hand climbing over nearly vertical rocks.
• The false summit around 3.2 miles with a large boulder balanced on its side with amazing views in every direction.

Reaching the Summit of Old Rag

From the false summit mentioned above you still have about another 0.3 miles or so till you reach the summit. Most of this is not as difficult as what came before with a couple exceptions.

This section has at least one or two other parts of hand-over-hand climbing; these are not quite as steep or lengthy as the earlier sections, though, so they’re not too bad.

There’s also a span where you have to traverse the top of several boulders. This is not difficult except for one part where you have to leap from one boulder to the next. The actual jump is small, but because of the height involved, it can be mentally daunting. Try not to psych yourself out j, and just make the leap!

Around 3.6 miles you’ll finally reach the summit where you’ll have several overlooks to relax at while you admire the views. It’s worth taking your time up here to reflect on what you just accomplished and take in the scenery. You’ll also need to rest a bit after everything you just passed through.

There are two things to be careful of at the summit. First, this is a common area for black bears. If you are hiking early and are by yourself, be prepared for this possibility. The second is there were (when I was there around early summer) many, many bees. Just be ready for this prospect if you have a fear of bees.

If you’re heading out west, don’t miss the Grand Circle road trip through Utah’s mighty national parks and the Grand Canyon in Arizona!

Hiking Back Down Old Rag

It’s hard to imagine when you’re at the summit, but you are not even halfway done with your hike at this point. Even though you still have about 5.5 miles left, it goes at least as quick as the climb up. It is almost all downhill with no rock scrambling and few things to stop and look at. Parts of it are, frankly, kind of boring.

Around mile 4.5 you’ll come to Byrd’s Nest, a small shelter where you can rest if needed. Behind this is a view of some large boulders. If you have the time and energy, there is also some more rock scrambling here if you want more thrills.

The Fire Road

You’ll reach the fire road near mile 6. The next mile or so is where the hike gets tedious. For the most part, it’s just a walk along the road without much to look at. I think being out in nature is always great, unless you just hiked 6 miles with 3.5 of them being pretty exhausting.

There is a reprieve around mile 7 with a stream coming close to the road. This stream has a few sections with some pretty small waterfalls, cascades and footbridges. The road is not always near enough to the stream to see much of it, but when it does pop up, you’ll be grateful for something to break up the monotamy.

After 8.5 miles of hiking, you’ll come to an intersection. I had to turn right up the hill because the other direction was closed. The first bit is pretty steep, but after this it’s not bad. Still, after all of the prior hiking, you’ll probably just be ready to be done.

You’ll wander along this last section for nearly a mile before ultimately reaching the parking lot. And just like that, you’re all done!

I learned later that you can turn left at that intersection to go straight to the parking lot. You’d be much better served to skip the detour and head in this direction.

Top Tips for Hiking Old Rag

Come on a Weekday and Arrive Early

It’s not absolutely necessary to do either of these things, but if you are looking for a quiet experience you should plan to start before 7:00 a.m. I arrived at the parking lot around 6:45 a.m. on a Tuesday morning, giving me an experience that I was able to enjoy wholly by myself until I arrived at the ridge.

On a non-holiday weekday, you could probably arrive a little later in the morning and be mostly okay. If you try to hike Old Rag on a weekend later than 7 a.m. you risk crowds and wait times at a few of the tighter bottlenecks during the rock scramble.

As the rock scramble is what Old Rag is known for, it would really detract from the experience having to put your hike on pause at these points. The one upside is that it would give you plenty of time to experience the views during the hike.

When I returned to the parking lot around noon, it was totally full, and people were starting to use some of the side lots.

I hiked Old Rag shortly before they instituted a reservation system. Crowds should be better controlled now regardless of when you arrive, but you may still want to come early for the least amount of people.

Bring Lots of Water

This is one those pieces of advice that I undervalued. My suggestion is to bring close to 2 liters of water.

I brought 44 ounces (plus I had about 12 ounces before setting out). However, shortly after leaving the summit I was already wishing I had more water.

I had to ration the water I had left to make sure that I had enough for the last 5 miles. I never felt unwell with that amount of water, but because it was so hot, I definitely found myself wishing several times that I could just drink without having to worry about conserving my water.

Bring more water than you think you’ll need, not the minimum you think you’ll need!

Bring at Least One Snack

For similar reasons to the need for plenty of water, you will want a small snack after finishing the rock scramble to replenish all of those burnt calories.

Some fruit or a small bag of trail mix should suffice. Whatever it is, make sure it has a good combination of carbs, healthy fats and protein. Avoid the wasted calories found in things like cookies, chips or candy bars.

Wear Shoes With Good Grip

Most hikes do not require heavy duty hiking boots or trail runners. This is not one of those hikes. You’re going to be planting your feet at some awkward angles as you navigate over and around some of these rocks, so you’re going to want shoes that are able to grip those surfaces.

I recommend trail runners over hiking boots due to the odd angles your feet will be in while you do the rock scramble. Trail runners afford your ankles a little more flexibility than sturdy hiking boots. Further, if your regular trail runners are a year or two old, it might be time to purchase a new pair before heading to Old Rag.

Pack light

This last tip is not as important as the others I listed, but it can still be helpful. There are several very tight squeezes during the rock scramble where a full backpack can make things difficult.

It’s easy enough to throw your pack ahead of you to grab once you get through these spots. On the other hand, I think it’s worth it to save yourself the extra time and thinking that goes into that. You’re already going to be mentally exhausted and physically fatigued; spare yourself that extra step and keep your pack small.

Practical Info to Know Before Hiking Old Rag

Driving to Old Rag

Getting to Old Rag’s trailhead can be time-consuming to get to unless you are staying east of Skyline Drive. The trailhead is located near Sperryville on the eastern border of the park. Even from Sperryville, there is still about a 15-minute drive to get to the trail.

Make sure you look up directions from where you’re staying ahead of time so you can factor that into when you wake up the morning of your hike. You should also save the reverse directions to get back to your home base after hiking as there is not a reliable signal at the trailhead parking lot.

One tip: If you are already getting up early, you should plan for an additional 15 minutes or so to stop along Skyline Drive to watch the sun rise over the mountains.

Looking for more outdoor fun in the Appalachian Mountains? New River Gorge National Park is an underrated gem in West Virginia just three hours west from here.

Park Fees

Even though the trailhead is not along Skyline Drive, you do need to either have a valid park pass or need to purchase an entrance pass from a park ranger at the trailhead upon arrival. If a park ranger is not present, there is a self-pay option in the parking area.

Eighty percent of entrance fees go towards supporting maintenance and upkeep of the park, so it is worth the money!\

You can also purchase a National Park Pass for steep discounts on entrance fees if you will be visiting several federally owned parks throughout the year.

Reservations

Starting in March 2022, Shenandoah National Park began a reservation system to hike Old Rag in order to manage overcrowding. Visit Recreation.gov to purchase tickets.

Tickets cost only $1, but you will still need to pay the typical park fees on top of this to access the trail.

Resources to Book Your Trip to Shenandoah National Park

Whether you’re looking for tours, hotels or flights, here are some tools to help get you started planning your trip to Shenandoah!

Look for activities and tours offered through GetYourGuide or Viator!

Still can’t find what you’re looking for? Check out my travel essentials pages for more of my recommendations.

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