It’s nice to be popular, but for Old Rag Mountain in Shenandoah National Park, enthusiastic visitors are almost loving it to death. More than 80,000 people hike Old Rag each year, sometimes as many as 1,200 a day. That’s a lot of boot traffic for this local natural treasure, which is as ecologically fragile as it is beautiful.
To control the effects of constant crowds, Shenandoah National Park is trying out a pilot project that it hopes will improve the visitor experience while also increasing safety and protecting the mountain’s trails and natural resources.
Starting March 1, hikers on most trails at Old Rag (Saddle, Ridge, and Ridge Access) will need to obtain a day-use ticket in advance for visits March through November. Ticket availability will be limited to 800 per day. During the one-year pilot, tickets will be $1. After a one-year trial, the park will evaluate and share the results of the pilot’s success and possibly adapt to a permanent system in the future.
Old Rag is just one of several high-use National Park locations–such as Zion, Arches, Glacier, Rocky Mountain, and Acadia–that are experimenting with ways to stagger and pace out traffic on park trails and parking lots. The pilot project at Old Rag is the result of data collected in a 2020 park-commissioned visitor-use and expectations study.
One of Old Rag’s most popular trails is the Old Rag Circuit, a 9.4-mile hike with an elevation gain of more than 2,300 feet. Classified on the difficulty scale as very strenuous, it takes an average of 7.5 hours to complete the hike. Much of that time is spent navigating the section known as the Rock Scramble. “This is where heavy crowds destroy the visitor experience,” says Claire Comer, interpretive specialist for Shenandoah National Park. “There are days when there are two-hour waits along the Chute, and that’s not the positive wilderness experience that visitors expect or deserve.”
Long waits at the boulder pinch points and areas where shorter hikers need assistance climbing up sometimes prompt frustrated hikers to go off-trail in search of bypasses, causing harm to fragile ecosystems and also increasing the difficulty of search and rescue missions when such detours result in injury. “How long before those footprints begin to degrade the resources?” asks Comer. “Our mandate is to pass on to the next generation resources that are unimpaired, so we have a responsibility to protect the area.”
In a March 2019 Outside article, Old Rag Mountain was actually named among “The Top 25 Hikes in the World Right Now,” but for Northern Virginia locals it has long been a spontaneous destination choice. “Hey, it’s beautiful today – let’s hike Old Rag,” is a common on-the-spot suggestion in friend groups all around the region.
Spur-of-the-moment hikers may be caught off guard by the new ticketing system at Old Rag, and they will have to adjust by learning to plan ahead. News of the new ticketing requirements has already reached social media websites, such as the Northern Virginia Hiking Group Facebook page. While most response is overwhelmingly positive, with commenters acknowledging that limiting crowds will provide a better visitor experience while protecting the environment, others express concerns or questions, such as local hiker Ashley Young. “I have no issue with the current plan; I am fearful, however, that they couldn’t give a projected price for what happens after the trial,” says Young. “One great thing about hiking is that it’s free … if you need to spend more money per person, it rapidly becomes nonviable.”
Planning a Trip to Old Rag?
The scramble to Old Rag’s summit provides 360-degree views guaranteed to make you feel on top of the world, but plan in advance for that great experience.
Come Prepared
Old Rag is a strenuous hike, and search and rescues are, unfortunately, common. Determine whether your physical fitness is a good match for this hike before attempting.
Bring a trail map and keep it with you at all times. Pack lightly, but bring plenty of water and snacks. Bulky packs make it difficult to maneuver through the rock scramble.
Arrive early. Parking lots fill early, and it’s a long hike. Note: No pets allowed on the Ridge, Saddle, Old Rag Access, and Ridge Access trails.
Tickets
Beginning March 1, hikers must purchase their $1 tickets in advance via www.recreation.gov. Tickets will NOT be available at the Old Rag fee station, and there is very little cell phone coverage in the area. Tickets may be purchased up to 30 days in advance and are valid for the day of arrival only. Although a total of 800 tickets will be available for each day, 400 will be released 30 days in advance and the remaining 400 will be released five days in advance. A day-use ticket does not guarantee a parking spot, and NPS entrance fees still apply in addition to the day-use ticket. View this NPS video for a visual guide to the process.
Note that individuals may buy up to four tickets in their name per day. If you have a group of more than four people, a different person from your group needs to purchase the additional tickets. Each person who purchased tickets must be present and provide a photo ID at the Ranger Station when entering the park. IDs are not required from anyone other than those who purchased the tickets.
For more places to hike around NoVA, subscribe to our Parks and Recreation newsletter.