So I’m back from Cleveland…thankfully. Don’t get me wrong, I had a wonderful dinner Tuesday night and I truly enjoy the company of my co-workers. But still….Cleveland. For anyone who is forced to visit there, I do highly recommend the Marble Room for dinner (especially if you’re eating on the company dime as it’s a bit pricey). The food and the ambience is top notch for sure.
So I’m officially taking the rest of the year off for the holidays. I have a lot of plans for walking the dogs and nothing too stressful on the agenda otherwise. I’m definitely looking forward to this weekend and hiking with my daughter in Shenandoah National Park.
I have my America the Beautiful Parks pass ready to go. (if you enjoy hiking and are visiting any of the US National Parks, this is a great pass) https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm
This is short trip so I think we are going to just do a quick warm up hike when we arrive this weekend and hike Mary’s Rock via the Appalachian Trail before checking into our VRBO in Luray, VA. Seems to be a nice little place to stay not too far away from Skyline Drive. The big one will be the following day when we hike Old Rag Mountain. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/virginia/old-rag-mountain-loop-trail
I’ve heard great things about this trail/hike/rock scramble. It’s listed as the top hike in the park and we can’t wait. Because we are doing this hike the weekend before Christmas, we don’t even need a special pass and I don’t anticipate the trail being crowded at all vs hiking this any other time of year. We know we can handle the hike but the added challenge for us will be the weather. It looks to be dry but temps could be in the single digits at the peak. Should be fun!! Can’t wait to share the experience and post pictures for everyone.
Best trails in Shenandoah National Park
4.5·166,035 reviews·United States: #11 of 60national parks
OLD MAN MOUNTAIN LOOP
Try this 9.4-mile loop trail near Etlan, Virginia. Generally considered a challenging route. This is a very popular area for hiking, so you’ll likely encounter other people while exploring. The best times to visit this trail are April through November. You’ll need to leave pups at home — dogs aren’t allowed on this trail.
Permits are needed to hike Old Rag March through November and must be reserved in advance. This hike, although challenging, is one of the most popular hikes in Shenandoah National Park. It has been referred to as a “brutally awesome” hike by many. Your climb to the peak includes many rocky switchbacks, so you will not be going straight up, but the trails are still at a steep grade. The descent, which will be slightly longer than your ascent, is a much more gradual grade that ends on a fire trail. To start, check-in at the fee station. The trailhead is immediately to the left of it. To find the trailhead in Apple Maps, enter “Old Rag Trailhead”; for Google Maps, enter “Old Rag Mountain Fee and Information Station” as the destination. Follow the trail over the footbridge and begin your nearly three-mile ascent along switchbacks before reaching the boulder scramble section. There are handwritten numbers below some of the blue trail blazes throughout the trail. You’ll be going up, down, in between, around, and underneath granite boulders throughout the scramble. While going through the rock scrambling, keep your eyes open for the blue blazes, as sometimes they are in strange places. Throughout your journey to Old Rag Mountain, each time you think you’ve reached the summit – you haven’t! This mountain has several false summits. You’ll know that you’ve reached the Old Rag Summit when you see the brown ‘Old Rag Mountain’ sign. Find a lovely rock with a fabulous 360 degree view for your lunch spot here before starting your descent back down by way of the Saddle Trail. Heading down, you’ll pass two shelters. First is the Byrds Nest Shelter, then the Old Rag Shelter before hitting a junction (there are 2 porta-johns here). Stay to your right to continue back on the Weakley Hollow Fire Road for about four miles to return to the parking lot. Watch for yellow blazes in this area. You will pass through beautiful forests and see Brokenback Run that leads into the Hughes River. This is a challenging hike that will take most hikers 5-6 hours. It is highly recommended that you bring plenty of water on your trip. Hiking Old Rag is an adventure that should be on every Virginia hiker’s bucket list.