![]() ![]() ![]() Hundreds, likely thousands of broken stones rise in a natural jagged pile. Views extend for miles in multiple directions from the summit of boulder-strewn Blackrock. Make an easy walk from Shenandoah National Park’s Skyline Drive to an incredible rock jumble on the Appalachian Trail. Go hog wild since you just burned a boatload of calories. Find out more information on the National Park Service Old Rag day-use ticket FAQ page.*īeyond the Summit: Drive to Culpeper for a well-deserved meal at Shawn’s BBQ. *From March 1 – November 30, 2022, visitors to Old Rag Mountain, including hikers on the Saddle, Ridge, and Ridge Access trails, will need to obtain an Old Rag day-use ticket in advance, in addition to a Park entrance pass. Leave the rugged mountaintop and reenter the lowlands via the pretty valley of Brokenback Run on a foot-relieving gravel fire road. From here you can see all directions, with the drop off to the east most pronounced. Certain areas are cordoned off to protect the vegetation. Wind-sculpted vegetation clings to life among the cracks and crevices up here. Enter a maze of boulders, with some bona fide rock scrambling to reach the summit with stellar views. Strike up the north slope of Old Rag, emerging onto a massive granite slab, revealing incredible panoramas. The well-loved Shenandoah classic loop from the eastern lowlands is a difficult hike. ![]() Old Rag is Virginia’s contribution to great mountains of the world. Trailhead GPS Coordinates: 37.96874, -78.89613 Photo Credit: Nate Dennison Take a cave tour - shopping, souvenirs, and camping, too. And the hike certainly shows off the Roanoke River Valley in a spectacular setting.īeyond the Summit: Drive back down to the lowlands near Salem and head underground into Dixie Caverns, a commercial show cave that been in business a long time. That being said, the hike is done by thousands every year. Be apprised that part of the hike, a part that is on the Appalachian Trail, does require a modicum of rock scrambling using hands and feet. This is a fun yet challenging hike to a geological formation that is fascinating to see while providing a vista from its tiptop. This deservedly popular destination travels up Cove Mountain to a vertical stone slab providing 360-degree panoramas. Parking along Highway 80 is not permitted, and violators will be ticketed. Park beyond dc full#If the parking area is full when you arrive, please come back another time. Note: The parking area is limited to 10 vehicles. This Virginia natural area preserve deserves its protection, and is one of the most unusual rock formations in the Appalachians.īeyond the Summit: Before the hike grab lunch at the Harvest Table, a local Meadowview eatery doubling as a general store. Nearby are The Channels, a maze of slender paths running between, around, and under huge sandstone monoliths. The hike from Hayters Gap climbs a little over 1,000 feet to the high point atop Clinch Mountain - Middle Knob in the shadow of a retired fire tower. Trailhead GPS Coordinates: 36.86484, -81.94704Įxperience incredible mountain views and see an old fire tower and warden’s cabin, in addition to the unusual rock formations that give the Channels a name. ![]() Makes for a great base camp to explore the area. High Knob is also the start of the Chief Benge Scout Trail, a 19-mile one-way trek that passes remote valleys, waterfalls, and small lakes, as well as nearby national forest campgrounds.īeyond the Summit: Consider overnighting at High Knob Campground, a national forest facility just below the summit. In addition to Virginia, see Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina and West Virginia. The circular structure allows pure 360-degree vistas. The tower has been recently restored and is attractive in its own right. It is but a short walk to this restored tower atop highlands above the Clinch River and Guest River Valleys. ![]()
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