Do I need a ticket to hike Old Rag?

Yes. From March 1 through November 30, every hiker on the Ridge, Saddle, or Ridge Access trails needs a $2 Old Rag day-use ticket from Recreation.gov, in addition to a Shenandoah National Park entrance pass. 800 tickets are sold per day: 400 released 30 days ahead and 400 released 5 days ahead, both at 10 a.m. ET. No day-use ticket is needed December through February.

How long does it take to hike Old Rag?

Most hikers take 5.5 to 7.5 hours for the full 9.4-mile circuit. The NPS lists it at 7 hours 30 minutes. The shorter Berry Hollow route (5.4 miles round trip, no rock scramble) takes most people 4 to 5 hours.

How hard is the Old Rag rock scramble?

The scramble is about 1.1 miles of hands-and-feet climbing over and between granite boulders, including squeezes, a crevice descent, and short chimney moves. No ropes or climbing skill are required, but you need both hands free, sticky-soled shoes, and comfort with heights. Most fit hikers manage it; it is not appropriate for young children, dogs (which are prohibited), or anyone with knee or shoulder injuries.

Where do I park for Old Rag in 2026?

The main Old Rag parking lot near Nethers is closed for construction through November 2026. Hikers currently use the signed overflow parking areas along Nethers Road and walk to the trailhead. Arrive early — overflow fills on fair-weather weekends. The small Berry Hollow lot on the mountain's south side is the alternative for the no-scramble Saddle Trail route.

Can I bring my dog on Old Rag?

No. Dogs are prohibited on the Ridge Trail, Saddle Trail, and Ridge Access Trail — the entire Old Rag summit route. If you're hiking with a dog, White Oak Canyon and Cedar Run, a few minutes away, are spectacular waterfall hikes where leashed dogs are welcome.

Can I hike Old Rag without the rock scramble?

Yes. Start at the Berry Hollow trailhead on the south side and take the fire road to the Saddle Trail. It's 5.4 miles round trip with 1,760 feet of gain, rated strenuous but with no scrambling — you simply return the way you came instead of descending the Ridge Trail.

What if Old Rag tickets are sold out?

Check Recreation.gov again at 10 a.m. ET five days before your date — a second block of 400 tickets releases then. Cancellations also reappear at random times. If your date is truly gone, hike Old Rag December through February when no ticket is required, or choose White Oak Canyon, which needs no day-use ticket.

How high is Old Rag Mountain?

Old Rag's summit is 3,284 feet (1,001 m). The exposed billion-year-old Old Rag Granite is what creates the open rock faces and the famous 360-degree summit views — rare for a Blue Ridge peak.

What time should I start hiking Old Rag?

On spring and fall weekends, be walking by 7:00 a.m. — parking fills, and the scramble bottlenecks badly by mid-morning. Summer hikers should start early to beat heat and afternoon thunderstorms. Staying nearby the night before is the only realistic way to do a sunrise start.

Is there cell service on Old Rag?

Effectively none — not at the trailheads, and only spotty coverage on the summit. Download offline maps before you leave pavement, tell someone your plan, and don't count on calling for help. This valley simply doesn't have coverage.

Hike Old Rag: Tickets, Parking, Routes & the Rock Scramble (2026)

Written by Jim · Host at an 1865 homestead in Berry Hollow, right near the trailhead · @hikeoldrag

Last updated August 18, 2026 — parking and ticket info current for the 2026 season.

Old Rag is the best hike in Shenandoah National Park, and one of the best on the East Coast — a 3,284-foot granite dome with a mile-long rock scramble and true 360° summit views. It's also the park's most regulated hike: you need a ticket in advance, the main parking lot is closed for construction through November 2026, and the scramble surprises people who show up unprepared. Our 1865 homestead sits at the base of this mountain, a short walk from the Berry Hollow trailhead. Here's everything you actually need to know, kept current season by season.

Birch's Library cabin reflected in its pond at the foot of Old Rag

Skip the 6 a.m. drive Sleep right near the trailhead

5+ private acres bordering Shenandoah National Park. Walk to Old Rag and White Oak Canyon. Whole property to yourself.

Check Dates

On this page

Old Rag at a glance
Do I need a ticket?
Parking in 2026 (read this)
Which route should I hike?
The rock scramble, honestly
When to start
What to bring
Hiking with dogs
Safety notes
FAQ
Sleeping at the trailhead

Old Rag at a glance

Full circuit	9.4 miles · 2,348 ft gain · NPS rating: Very Strenuous · plan 5.5–7.5 hours
No-scramble route	Berry Hollow via Saddle Trail · 5.4 miles round trip · 1,760 ft gain · Strenuous
Summit	3,284 ft (1,001 m) — exposed Old Rag Granite, full 360° views
Ticket	$2/person day-use ticket required March 1 – Nov 30 (plus park entrance pass)
Parking	Main lot closed through Nov 2026 — use signed overflow on Nethers Road
Dogs	Not permitted on any Old Rag summit trail
Cell service	None. Download maps before you arrive.

Do I need a ticket? (Yes — here's exactly how it works)

From March 1 through November 30, everyone hiking the Ridge, Saddle, or Ridge Access trails needs an Old Rag day-use ticket in addition to a park entrance pass. It's not a lottery and it's cheap — $2 per person on Recreation.gov — but it sells out on good-weather weekends, so the release schedule matters:

800 tickets per day, total.
400 release 30 days ahead of your hike date, at 10:00 a.m. ET.
400 more release 5 days ahead, at 10:00 a.m. ET.

Missed both? Cancellations trickle back at random — keep refreshing the night before and the morning of. Print your ticket or screenshot it: there is no cell service at the trailhead to pull it up, and rangers do check at the Ridge Trail junction. Full ticket guide, including what to do when your date sells out →

The quiet-season loophole No day-use ticket is required December through February. A clear, cold winter day on Old Rag — granite dry, views forever, a tenth of the crowd — is one of the best-kept secrets in Virginia. (You still need a park entrance pass.)

Parking in 2026 — the part every old guide gets wrong

The main Old Rag lot near Nethers is CLOSED for construction through November 2026. If a guide tells you to park in the big lot at the end of Nethers Road, it's out of date.

Until the project wraps, hikers park in the signed overflow areas along Nethers Road and walk the road shoulder to the trailhead — budget an extra 10–20 minutes each way depending on where you land. On fair-weather Saturdays in spring and fall, overflow parking fills before mid-morning. If you're driving out from D.C. day-of, you are gambling; the people who start from a bed nearby simply don't have this problem.

Two other options worth knowing:

Berry Hollow (south side): a small gravel lot at the end of VA-600 — the start of the no-scramble Saddle Trail route. It holds only a handful of cars and fills very early on weekends. This is the trailhead right by our place; I post its status on Instagram on busy mornings.
Weekdays: parking pressure drops dramatically Monday–Thursday. If you can hike midweek, everything about Old Rag gets easier.

Which route should I hike?

1. The classic circuit — the full Old Rag experience

9.4 miles · 2,348 ft · Very Strenuous · 5.5–7.5 hrs. From the Nethers side, climb the blue-blazed Ridge Trail through switchbacked forest to the scramble, work the granite for about 1.1 miles to the summit, then descend the Saddle Trail past Byrds Nest and Old Rag shelters, returning on the Weakley Hollow Fire Road. Do it counter-clockwise exactly like that — scrambling up is far easier and safer than down-climbing, and it's the direction everyone moves, so you won't fight traffic in the squeezes.

2. Berry Hollow — the summit without the scramble

5.4 miles round trip · 1,760 ft · Strenuous · 4–5 hrs. Start from the Berry Hollow lot on the quiet south side: fire road to the Saddle Trail, past the Old Rag Shelter, straight to the summit, and back the way you came. You get the same 360° payoff with zero scrambling — the right call for kids, anyone shaky on exposure, bad knees, or short winter daylight. It's also the closest trailhead to our cabin; you can walk to it.

3. Ridge Trail out-and-back — the scramble twice

For strong hikers who want maximum granite: up the Ridge Trail and back down it. Shorter mileage than the circuit but harder — down-climbing the scramble is slow, awkward, and unkind on wet rock. Skip this on crowded days; you'll be salmon swimming upstream.

Old Rag summit granite in autumn, with yellow and red fall foliage across the Blue Ridge below — The summit in October. Fall weekends are spectacular — and exactly when tickets and parking are tightest. Photo: NPS (public domain).

The rock scramble, honestly

The scramble is why Old Rag is famous, and it's real: roughly 1.1 miles of hands-and-feet travel over, between, and occasionally under granite boulders. You do not need ropes or climbing experience. You do need both hands free, shoes with grip, and a little nerve. What's actually in there:

The squeezes. Slots narrow enough that big packs get shoved through ahead of you. Travel light.
The crevice descent. Early in the scramble you drop down into a narrow rift and walk its floor — the move that surprises people expecting only "up."
The chute. A smooth low-angle wall with a crack for your feet. There's always a pause here on busy days; watch the person ahead, then do what they did.
False summits. The first open ledge with a view is not the top. Neither is the second. Keep following blue blazes painted on the rock.

Fit first-timers do this every single day and love it. The people who struggle are the ones in worn-smooth sneakers, carrying a huge pack, hiking on wet rock, or hitting the bottleneck at 11 a.m. behind two hundred others. Control those four things and the scramble is the best hour of hiking in Virginia.

Wet rock changes everything. Old Rag Granite is grippy dry and treacherous wet. After rain — or on icy winter mornings — take the Saddle Trail up and down instead. The mountain will still be there next weekend.

When to start

Spring & fall weekends: be walking by 7:00 a.m. Parking and the scramble bottleneck both go bad by mid-morning.
Summer: start early for heat — most of the circuit's climb is exposed — and be off the summit before afternoon thunderstorms build. Bare granite is nowhere to be in lightning.
Winter: short days demand an early start; the Berry Hollow route fits daylight better. No tickets needed.
Sunrise from the summit is life-list stuff, and only practical if you sleep at the base of the mountain — it's a 2+ hour climb in the dark from Nethers. This is precisely why we bought a homestead at the foot of the mountain.

Breakfast at 6:45, on the way to the trail Graves Mountain's Market Deli in Syria opens at 7 a.m. — made-to-order sandwiches, coffee, snacks, beer and wine, minutes from the trailhead. It is the only thing within reach that can feed you before an early start, and it means you don't have to drive to Madison the night before or hike on a granola bar. Grab lunch for the summit while you're there. More local spots →

What to bring (and what to leave)

Water: 2–3 liters per person. There is none on the mountain. Underestimating water is the #1 mistake we see hikers make in summer.
Grippy, close-toed shoes. Trail runners or hikers with real tread. Not smooth-soled sneakers, not sandals.
A small pack. It has to fit through the squeezes with you.
Offline maps, downloaded at home. There is no cell service in this valley — not at the trailhead, barely on the summit. Tell someone your plan before you leave pavement.
Layers. The summit routinely runs 10–15°F colder and windier than the trailhead.
Headlamp, always, even on a day hike. The circuit takes longer than people expect.

Hiking with dogs: the answer is no (here's where to go instead)

Dogs are prohibited on every Old Rag summit trail — Ridge, Saddle, and Ridge Access. It's one of the few dog-free trails in Shenandoah, and it's a hard rule; the scramble would be genuinely dangerous for them anyway.

The good news: two of the best dog-friendly hikes in the park are minutes away. White Oak Canyon (six waterfalls) and Cedar Run welcome leashed dogs, need no day-use ticket, and start from the same valley. Our cabin is dog-friendly and sits steps from the White Oak Canyon connector — plenty of guests hike Old Rag one day and waterfall-walk the dog the next.

Safety notes from the neighborhood

Old Rag generates more rescues than any other spot in the park — mostly ankles and knees descending, mostly late in the day. Save energy for the way down.
Storms build fast on summer afternoons. If thunder rolls while you're on open granite, get down off the exposed rock immediately.
Black bears live in this valley (they cross our property regularly). They want nothing to do with you — make noise, keep food packed, never feed.
Ticks are serious in this valley spring through fall. Treat clothes, do a full check after.
With no cell coverage, self-sufficiency is the plan: map, water, layers, headlamp, and a person back home who knows your route.
Nearest hospital and urgent care is Novant Health UVA Culpeper Medical Center, about 40 minutes out. Worth knowing the name before you need it. Other local logistics →

Sleep at the trailhead

Wake up at Old Rag. Walk to the trail.

Birch's Library is our 1865-homestead cabin on 5+ private acres bordering the park — the closest rental to the Old Rag trailhead, steps from White Oak Canyon. Beat the parking scramble, hike at sunrise, soak your feet in the creek after. Book direct and skip 14–20% in platform fees.

★ 5.0 on Airbnb (Guest Favorite) · 10/10 on Vrbo · Dogs welcome

Check dates at the cabin →

Birch's Library cabin reflected in its pond at the foot of Old Rag Mountain

Frequently asked questions

How long does Old Rag take?

Plan 5.5–7.5 hours for the circuit (the NPS says 7:30; fit parties go faster), 4–5 hours for Berry Hollow. Add buffer for scramble traffic on weekends.

Is Old Rag too hard for me?

If you can hike 9 miles with 2,300 feet of climbing, you can do the circuit; the scramble is about nerve and patience more than strength. If the mileage or the exposure worries you, take Berry Hollow — it's a strenuous but ordinary trail, and the summit is identical.

Can kids hike Old Rag?

Confident kids roughly 8+ who already hike do great on the scramble (often better than their parents). For younger children, use the Berry Hollow route.

What if tickets are sold out for my date?

Try again at 10 a.m. ET five days out (second release), watch for cancellations, come midweek, or come December–February when no ticket is needed.

Where's the nearest food after the hike?

Graves Mountain in Syria is closest — Southern farm cooking, and a Market Deli that opens at 7 a.m. for trail sandwiches. In Madison, Pig 'N Steak is the barbecue institution and Los Brothers covers Mexican. DuCard Vineyards pours wine in sight of the mountain, Blue Quartz Brewery handles the beer, and over the gap in Sperryville The Black Twig is the proper sit-down meal. Full local guide →

Do I still need a park pass in winter?

Yes — entrance fees apply year-round. Only the $2 day-use ticket pauses December–February.

Keep planning

📷

@hikeoldrag

Life at the foot of Old Rag

Trail conditions, parking reports on busy mornings, waterfall levels, and cabin life at the 1865 homestead — posted from the base of the mountain.

The 1865 homestead cabin with its red roof

Follow @hikeoldrag

How to Hike Old Rag Mountain

Old Rag at a glance

Do I need a ticket? (Yes — here's exactly how it works)

Parking in 2026 — the part every old guide gets wrong

Which route should I hike?

1. The classic circuit — the full Old Rag experience

2. Berry Hollow — the summit without the scramble

3. Ridge Trail out-and-back — the scramble twice

The rock scramble, honestly

When to start

What to bring (and what to leave)

Hiking with dogs: the answer is no (here's where to go instead)

Safety notes from the neighborhood

Wake up at Old Rag. Walk to the trail.

Frequently asked questions

How long does Old Rag take?

Is Old Rag too hard for me?

Can kids hike Old Rag?

What if tickets are sold out for my date?

Where's the nearest food after the hike?

Do I still need a park pass in winter?

Keep planning

Life at the foot of Old Rag