hiking
views
forest
walking
nature trips
wild flowers
birding
wildlife
dogs on leash
kid friendly
waterfall
trail running
river
backpacking
no dogs
camping
beach
scenic driving
horseback riding
dog friendly
Shenandoah National Park encompasses part of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the state of Virginia. This national park is long and narrow, with the broad Shenandoah River and valley on the west side, and the rolling hills of the Virginia Piedmont on the east. Shenandoah's Blue Ridge Mountains are covered by hardwood forests that are home to tens of thousands of animals. The Skyline Drive and Appalachian Trail run the entire length of this narrow park that has more than 500 miles (800 km) of hiking trails along scenic overlooks and waterfalls of the Shenandoah River. The highest peak is Hawksbill Mountain at 4,051 feet (1,235 m).
Beautiful hike-
Easy down but a bit of an uphill battle. Bring water!
Saw a rattlesnake with her babies-
Revisited this falls after a rainy day and it was stunning! Short hike but hiking upwards was very steep
Amazing! Love the 360 view of the surrounding mountains! Very short hike, perfect for sunsets!
Started at 9am and completed in 3 hours (going slow to take pics and enjoy the scenery). The first ~hour was fantastic, lots of rock scrambling, beautiful views, and no one else in sight. I then heard yelling and came across a couple who had been attacked by a swarm of wasps on the trail. I went off-trail to avoid the wasps which was challenging due to it being a steep slope with unsteady ground and covered in prickly plants (not recommended). They said there was another group ahead of them on the trail that didn't appear to have had any issues with the wasps. Shortly thereafter I reached the top of the stairs and started heading down the fire road. The road was pretty uneventful....boring except for the old family cemetery which was interesting to visit. The bugs kept swarming my head on the fire road so make sure you have bug spray.
Great hike with beautiful views. I could have done without the religious service going on at the summit. 40+ people crowded in at the summit giving people the stink eye if that walk up to the summit is not cool. Are religious services allowed in National Parks?
it was amazing
A great day hike with spouse and friends. Old Rag is always a lot of fun, regardless of when you go. The weather was great (80 degrees and sunny) so the crowds were out, but the scramble didn't get too backed up in most sections. Beware of the flood of insects currently residing at the summit (they drove a lot of people off the summit during lunch hour). Also, the park rangers advised that although it might have seemed like a busy day, it was only moderately packed and that October is when this trail gets really jammed with leaf peepers. Worth knowing if you're planning a trip in the next month. They advised that the parking area would be completely full by 8:30 a.m. during the peak fall foliage season.
My best recommendation would be to get on this trail EARLY if you're looking for any degree of solitude and unobstructed scrambling at your own pace without blockages. But again, Old Rag is always a fun time, regardless of when and how you approach it. Not to be missed.