old rag mountain hike

The view at the top is satisfying but not spectacular. The hike is easy. The path is shaded almost all the way. This makes the hike bearable even in the heat of summer. I also enjoy viewing Fall colors on this trail. There is nothing to buy. Take snacks and drinks.

My friend and I hiked Old Rag a couple of days ago on November 25th, 2014. The weather was perfect: partly sunny and in the 50's. Not quite sure what to expect, we powered our way up the Ridge Trail (huffing and puffing but determined to keep our pace). At the top, the views were incredible. We also went off the trail (shh) and climbed some boulders to get the full 360 degree view.When we started at 9 AM, we saw a two smaller groups of 2 and 3 people and a larger group of about 5 people. There were about 10 cars in the parking lot. When we got back to the lot at 12:45 AM, there were about 30 cars in the lot, and we saw about 5 more groups on our way down the trail. Overall, I truly enjoyed this hike. The trails were very clearly marked, challenging but very doable, and the panoramas were amazing, especially since the fall foliage made the closer mountains glow red. I am still shocked that we were back at the car in 3 hours and 45 minutes, including time spent off the trail and eating lunch. I can't wait to bring the rest of my friends and family to do this hike!!

The hike took us about 7 hours. There were some tricky rocky party but we made it. Beautiful views from up there!

My wife, two daughters 9 and 10, and I went on Veteran's Day, Tuesday 11/11/14, and it was still crowded. While this hike is so popular and always crowded, it really only backs up through the rock scramble. I have done this hike many times in the past and it typically would take us about 3.75 - 4.5 hours including stopping at the top, depending on who I was with. This was the first time I took my daughters and they loved it! While it took us a little longer (6.75 hours) than normal, this was partly due to waiting in the lines of people through the more technical sections of the rock scramble.We approached the hike from the east side going up the ridge trail. The first 1/3rd or so of the uphill takes you through the switchbacks, then some more typical hiking trails (2nd third), with the last third being the rock scramble. This was perfect for my daughters because they were so excited by the rock scramble I think they forgot how tired they were. I had to lift or lower them through only a couple sections only. When our family got separated by a person or two in line from my daughters excitedly running ahead, there was always a friendly hiker helping us get our girls through those hard sections.Both daughters wanted to go back the next week, while I think my wife was not as excited because the downhill hike can be hard on bad knees.

My son and I, 27 and 59 years of age respectively, did a spectacular hike and rock scramble to the top of Old Rag. We accomplished the 8.8 mile circuit in slightly over five hours. This is a strenuous adventure but doable if you are in reasonable shape. The well maintained Ridge Trail zigzagged up the mountain at a moderate incline, though some sections are steeper than others. The real fun and fantastic views began when we reached the first boulders on the ridge-line and the beginning of the rock scramble. Following the blue trail marks painted onto the rocks, we hiked, crawled, slid on our butts, slithered on our bellies, leapt across and dropped down into crevices and squeezed between boulders as we ascended to the summit of Old Rag at 3,291ft. elevation. At times I wished my upper arm strength was better, I was a foot taller and two belt sizes thinner to more easily navigate my way through the boulders. Gale force winds pummeled the summit and kept us from getting too close to the edges the day we hiked. The views are tremendous.Many folks use the easier Weakley Hollow Fire Road to reach the summit from the back of the mountain. This trail is easier, but still challenging in sections. Whichever trail you choose, be sure to bring water and wear a pair of shoes that have good tread on them. Many of the rocks are very smooth and you’ll need the traction. I would not recommend this hike in rainy or muddy conditions. Start early and only hike this trail if you have enough daylight. The footing on the trail can be treacherous in spots.The best part of the day was when my son said – “I’m impressed, Dad”.

This trail was awesome on the way up with a gentile dissent through the woods. There were a couple spots where we lost the trail and a couple where we were behind people that could not handle the climb. The most technical part was a chimney section where you have to jimmy yourself up in a narrowish slot between two boulders.

My wife and I are in pretty good shape (but not amazing shape) and I'm 41 yo. We did this hike in 3.5 hours and that included taking a photos along the way and stopping for lunch. I would say the average person can do this in 4-5 hours without a problem. If you are in poor shape and not nimble, it will take you 5+ hours. The final 1/4 of the climb is the most challenging and will require you to rock scramble and you will need some upper body strength. Do NOT do this hike in the summer on a weekend unless you want to do it with 100 other people from DC. Pick a weekday or weekend in the fall/spring and go early to beat the traffic. The views are beautiful from the top. I recommend doing the entire loop. While the return trip is far less challenging and mostly on fire road it was still pretty and a nice change of pace from the trip up. If you are used to climbing 14ers in Colorado, this will be a breeze.

We had a great time in the hike. As a beginner hiker I have to admit that this was intense. The views are beautiful but some areas are just very difficult. We came prepared with shoes, light meal, water and this helped a lot. I would definitely recommend doing this hike but be prepared to challenge yourself to the max. We arrived at 9 am during a saturday and it was pretty crowded (specially during the difficult parts) so maybe for the next time will be there earlier. Also gloves would have helped. We did the circuit and it took us 6 hours and the next day was very sore. I was very tired at the end but felt very accomplished!

7 hours or more round trip lots of rock scrambling and a couple pretty hairy areas. For people in decent shape who aren't afraid of hieghts. It's awesome though if your a hiker! Gorgeous views, strenuous work out, awesome rock scrambling.

The trail can be a challenge because the rock scramble. The beginning of the trail is nothing impressive. But the last 1/3 part can be very fun when you try to figure out how to climbing in those rocks. It's not very hard though as long as you are fit. I saw old people on the trail as well. It really worth a try if you see the beautiful view from the summit. Wearing gloves and hiking shoes are highly recommended! Gloves with the whole but not half fingers! Avoid going there in raining days since rocks can be very slippery. I assume this is a very popular trail since I had never seen so many people while hiking other trails. We went there on weekend, the parking lot is very crowed. So get there early if you want to find a convenient parking space.

Exciting and fun. A unique hiking experience. Although a long hike for kids, the rock scramble to the top was enough to keep them excited. If hiking with elderly or children, be thoughtful to their mobility levels. Some folks in your party may need some help climbing up a rock face or jumping over crevices... height makes a difference. Beginning canyoneering skills came in handy. Limber, confident, and energetic is a must. We have hiked all over the US and the description of difficult hike is accurate. It was not what I would call dangerous... just challenging. Skip the hiking poles - they get in the way ... you need your hands free. You will want a light packed back pack... some of the scrambling is narrow passages and the pack gets stuck. Bring small first aid kit.... you may get scraped or cut on the climb. Consider a dry day as rocks faces can get slippery making the scramble more difficult.

All I can say is Wow after this hike! After reading several reviews of this trail online I was excited to try it out. My wife and I came here on July 2nd, which was a weekday and also the hottest day of the summer. I packed my bag with plenty of fluids and snacks. Probably could've packed a lot lighter, but my mindset was more is better. Now looking back, plenty of water and maybe just a light snack would've been sufficient. Getting toward the top was just normal trail hiking, then you get to a large rock and the scramble begins. The rock scramble is very exciting, probably best without a heavy pack on my back, and can be very challenging at some parts. There was at least one spot that I thought I couldn't physically get past, but a little determination is all I needed. When we finally made it to the top, the views from up top were just so amazing. We were exhausted from all of the heat, high 90's and thought that it would've been nice if someone built a water slide for the way down! Of course that's just a joke though. The way down was much easier than going up. Total round trip with us having long stops at the scenic spots was about 7 hours. All in all, this trip was so awesome! We want to do it again sometime.

The hike was really great. The views were great and the rock scrambles was the best part about this hike. took me and my friends about 5.5 hours for the entire hike including 30 mins for lunch and some pictures along the way. Some people decide to go back down as well along the rock scrambles as it's more challenging. we didn't do that on the way back and took the simpler way as we were short on time.

I loved everything. the weather was perfect. The other visitors were friendly. All enjoying the sites and sound.

Take off a weekday and head to the mountain. I've been 5 or 6 times in my life and have always been fortunate about how many people are there. I have heard stories about lines snaking up the mountain due to over-use.I've been in late November and had luck (with weather and crowds), early March when the top was still ice covered and had the place to ourselves in places.This is the mid-atlantics premier hike. While there are plenty of other hidden gems, Old Rag has the right combination of views, length, and ruggedness to draw people.This loop is 8 miles, the last 5 down the back of the mountain and around a fire road. The first 3 will take 80% of your time (w/o a line!). There are multiple false summits, so be prepared to think you've beaten the mountain only to realize you have a few hundred feet more of elevation.Take your time, a camera, some food, and plenty of water.