Old Rag Mountain Trail is considered by many to be a “Right of Passage” for serious Mid-Atlantic hikers and is definitely one of the most popular trails in Virginia, if not THE most popular trail. Solitude is not this trails best attribute, the views on the other hand are hands down some of the best in the Mid-Atlantic.
I did this hike clockwise which means I have to go through 1.1 miles (1.8km) of rock scrambles before I reach the summit. The rock scrambles were by far the most fun I’ve had in any hikes I’ve ever done. Some areas were not easy to navigate and for the first time, I actually regretted bringing my DSLR with me. Thank goodness for my lens hood, because my camera took a beating today, climbing hand over hand and navigating tight rock crevices did not make it easy to lug around a large camera. Old Rag Mountain is listed as one of the 20 best hikes in a U.S. National Park by National Geographic, I would have to agree.
(Click on the images for a larger view)
