This photo of Old Rag Mountain was taken from the trail up Robertson Mountain towards the end of last fall. The tulip poplars were still in fall colors, but the leaves had turned brown or already fallen at higher elevations.
An Alternative to Old Rag
Old Rag is a spectacular hike, but it can be quite crowded. It is common to have to wait several minutes for hikers to make their way through some of the trickier rock scrambling sections.
Robertson Mountain is a nice alternative if you are trying to avoid some crowds on the mountain. The peak of Robertson Mountain is actually higher than Old Rag. The trail lacks rock scrambling sections, but is very steep, challenging and rewarding.
Getting There
Old Rag Mountain is located near Sperryville, Virginia (U.S. Route 211). From Sperryville, take Route 231 South, make a right on Route 601, make another right on Route 602 and continue to the large parking lot on your left. Note: The road changes numbers a couple of times.
From the lower Old Rag Parking Area (fee charged), hikers continue walking 0.8 miles along State Road 600 to the Weakley Hollow Fire Road trailhead. In Shenandoah National Park, trailheads are marked with concrete signposts containing trail name and distance information. After about 1.5 miles of walking up the Weakley Hollow Fire Road, the Robertson Mountain trailhead is on the right. Once the Robertson Mountain Trail climbs near the top of the mountain, there are some sidetrails that lead to nice views.
You can return the same way you came or make a longer circuit by continuing on the Robertson Mountain Trail, making a right on the Old Rag Fire Road, making a right on the Corbin Hollow Trail, and a left on the Weakley Hollow Fire Road.
Resources
The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club offers a detailed guide to the trails in Shenandoah National Park, which includes three maps covering the entire park. These trails are contained in the Central District of SNP, PATC Map 10.
