Trail of the Week: Old Rag Loop, Shenandoah National Park

Our Trail of the Week feature is made possible through a partnership with Trail Run Project.

Old Rag Mountain is one of the more popular destinations for visitors of Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. It’s a rare mountain in the park with an exposed, rocky summit, and the strenuous-but-doable trail to the top makes it a popular destination in one of America’s most popular national parks.

This trail is the most popular way to get to the top of Old Rag. It is steep, long and requires a lot of rock scrambling. If you get hurt here it can take hours to be rescued so only do this run if you are prepared.

Follow the road about 0.8 miles to the trailhead, marked in blue. If you continue straight you’ll go onto Weakley Hollow Fire Road which can be taken to do this loop in the opposite direction. To complete this loop as mapped, turn left onto Ridge Trail which starts as a fairly gradual uphill to the first viewpoint in approximately two miles. From here, the trail becomes rockier until the second viewpoint. After this, the run quickly turns into more of a climb. There are often tight passages between rocks and stone staircases. If your backpack is too big it might require you to remove it in order to squeeze through the rocks.

After another mile, you’ll reach the summit, which is especially fantastic in the fall. There can be rock climbers around the summit, so don’t throw things off the cliffs.

You are likely to see deer and other wildlife, as well as a steady profusion of wildflowers during the spring, summer, and fall. Watch for changes in vegetation as you gain altitude.

The Data

Miles: 8.8

Runnable: 75 percent

Singletrack: 70 percent

Average Grade: 10 percent

Max Grade: 31 percent

Total Ascent: 2,378 feet

Total Descent: -2,377 feet

Highest Elevation: 3,233 feet

For a closer look, check out the interactive map, data, photos and virtual run simulator courtesy of Trail Run Project: