Old Rag Mountain Hike, Shenandoah National Park

Old Rag is a PHENOMENAL hike, and one of my all-time favorites in this region. The trail is well-marked with blazes both for the hike up and the scrambling areas. I would not recommend this hike for small children or anyone in limited, physical conditions The hike starts with a few switchbacks up the mountain and will eventually lead to rocky outcrops that require some light scrambling. There are some areas where you’ll have to lower yourself down or pull yourself up. On the way down, you’ll take a fire road, which is quite lengthy, but a lot easier on the knees than it would be descending the other direction. I would recommend to any of you who read this review to bring gloves (I use old bike gloves) and at the very, very least, a liter of water, especially if you’re doing this hike in the summer. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend doing this hike during the winter as icy conditions would make this hike quite dangerous. We did this hike in the spring and were slipping a bit on leftover ice on inclined areas. Parking can be limited if you arrive later in the day. If you wait around long enough, someone will leave and you can grab that spot. Typically, we arrive by 8-ish to guarantee a spot. There are port-a-potties in the parking lot.

The best day hike in the Mid-Atlantic. Careful if it's been raining. The parking lot will fill up on nice days, as will the trail. Go early!