Old Rag Gear Checklist
Old Rag is a 9.4 mile circuit with about 2,348 feet of climbing, and the middle of it is a hands-on boulder scramble. The gear that matters is a small pack that fits through tight gaps, shoes with real traction, more water than you think you need, and a headlamp in case the day runs long. The park asks for a day-use ticket from March 1 to November 30, and winter hikers add traction for the boots.
What shapes your gear on Old Rag
- Route and time
- The standard circuit climbs the Ridge Trail, crosses the scramble, then comes down the Saddle Trail and a fire road. It is 9.4 miles with 2,348 feet of gain. One guide that cites the park gives 7 to 7.5 hours. One group took almost seven hours and another hiker reports a published budget of 10.
From Blue Ridge Outdoors, Space Between Blog and Maps With No Roads
- The scramble
- The park says the scramble is strenuous, needs good upper body strength, and often needs help for children and shorter adults. Hikers describe squeezing through crevices, crawling through a small cave and lowering down a deep crack. Blue blazes mark the route and the trail is easy to lose in places.
From Shenandoah National Park (NPS): Old Rag Mountain, Maps With No Roads, Blue Ridge Outdoors and Lita of the Pack
- Shade and water
- The forest gives shade for most of the way up. The scramble and the summit are open rock. There is no water on the route, so everything comes in with you.
From Reddit r/shenandoah and Space Between Blog
- Crowds and choke points
- On weekends the park says the parking lot can fill and the narrow scramble sections can have long lines and long waits. Weekday hikes are quieter.
From Shenandoah National Park (NPS): Old Rag Mountain and Maps With No Roads
- Phone signal
- Cell service near the trailhead is unreliable, so tickets, maps and directions should be saved before you arrive.
From Shenandoah National Park (NPS): Old Rag Mountain and Shenandoah National Park (NPS): Old Rag Day-Use Ticket
What the agency requires on Old Rag
An Old Rag day-use ticket and a park entrance pass
From March 1 to November 30 every hiker on the Ridge, Saddle and Ridge Access trails needs a $2 day-use ticket bought ahead on Recreation.gov, in addition to the entrance pass. Tickets are not sold at the entrance station.
A printout or screenshot of the ticket and a photo ID
At the entrance station you show your pass, a photo ID and a printout or screenshot of the ticket. The person who reserved the tickets must present that ID.
What hikers carry on Old Rag
A small, slim pack or a fanny pack
The park says to pack light and notes that many hikers prefer a fanny pack because a backpack is hard to move through the scramble. One blogger took a regular pack and had to take it off several times, and hikers at the small cave removed day packs to fit.
From Shenandoah National Park (NPS): Old Rag Mountain, Space Between Blog and Maps With No Roads
Broken-in hiking shoes with traction
Hikers say ordinary tennis shoes are a bad idea on the climb, and one says traction matters on the scramble. Another warns that new shoes cost friends tons of blisters on a hike this long.
From WUVA News, Space Between Blog and Lita of the Pack
More water than the minimum
One guide lists 1 to 2 liters. A group of five on a mid-90s day recalls the park's suggestion of a liter each and ran short anyway. A commenter who says they do search and rescue suggests 6 liters in hot weather, with salty snacks and electrolytes.
From Lita of the Pack, WUVA News and Reddit r/shenandoah
A headlamp
The scramble uses both hands, so a headlamp beats a flashlight. Hikers who start in the dark or finish late use it too, and the wide road on the way down is walkable at night with one.
From Reddit r/hiking, Reddit r/shenandoah and Lita of the Pack
Microspikes or traction coils in cold months
The park says trails can be icy and snow-covered in cold weather even when lower ground is clear, and that traction devices protect against a nasty fall. A blogger who has hiked it in every season brings spikes for winter.
From Shenandoah National Park (NPS): Old Rag Mountain and Lita of the Pack
A rain shell and a warm layer
Light rain caught hikers on the descent in August, and the morning started foggy in the mid 60s. A commenter told a November hiker to bring a jacket. A guide recommends a rain jacket or a light winter jacket depending on the season.
From Blue Ridge Outdoors, Reddit r/hiking and Lita of the Pack
A trail map saved offline or on paper
The park says to carry the Old Rag map because there are several routes. A commenter adds paper map and compass because service is unreliable and rescues happen here often.
From Shenandoah National Park (NPS): Old Rag Mountain and Reddit r/hiking
A bag for used toilet paper
A commenter tells first-timers to bury waste properly and pack the paper out. The trailhead area has restrooms, so that is the place to go before you start.
From Reddit r/hiking and Space Between Blog
Going as a group? Split this list between you so nobody carries two stoves.
Plan a trip hereWhat hikers regret or leave behind on Old Rag
A full-size daypack
A blogger who brought her regular pack had to take it off over and over to get through narrow openings.
From Space Between Blog
Too little water for a group
One family brought seven drinks and three water bottles for five people. They shared and were all a bit dehydrated by the end.
From WUVA News
A rope
One hiker packed a short rope after a stranger described Old Rag as rock climbing without protection. It never came out of the pack. He called the route a scramble and not a wall climb.
From Blue Ridge Outdoors
Canned meals, a towel and bug spray in November
A commenter reviewing a November packing list told the hiker to drop heavy canned pasta, a towel and bug spray, and to bring a jacket instead.
From Reddit r/hiking
Gear questions for Old Rag
Do you need a ticket to hike Old Rag?
Yes, from March 1 to November 30. Everyone on the Ridge, Saddle and Ridge Access trails needs a $2 day-use ticket booked on Recreation.gov, plus a park entrance pass. Tickets are not sold at the entrance station.
What size pack should I bring to Old Rag?
A small one. The park says many hikers choose a fanny pack because a full backpack is hard to move through the scramble, and hikers have taken theirs off to fit through the cave and narrow cracks.
From Shenandoah National Park (NPS): Old Rag Mountain, Space Between Blog and Maps With No Roads
How much water should I bring to Old Rag?
More than the 1 to 2 liters one guide lists. There is no water on the route, one group of five found a liter each too little in mid-90s weather, and a search and rescue volunteer suggested 6 liters for a hot day.
From Lita of the Pack, Space Between Blog, WUVA News and Reddit r/shenandoah
Do you need microspikes for Old Rag in winter?
The park says to carry microspikes or traction coils in cold weather, because the trail can be icy and snow-covered even when the valley looks clear. The ticket season itself runs only from March 1 to November 30.
From Shenandoah National Park (NPS): Old Rag Mountain and Shenandoah National Park (NPS): Old Rag Day-Use Ticket
Sources
- Old Rag Mountain · Shenandoah National Park (NPS) · Agency
- Old Rag Day-Use Ticket · Shenandoah National Park (NPS) · Agency
- Summiting Old Rag Mountain · Blue Ridge Outdoors, Mike Bezemek · Trip report
- Old Rag Mountain Hike: Rock Scrambles, Boulders & Blue Ridge Views · Space Between Blog · Blog
- Old Rag Mountain: The Most Badass Hike in Virginia · Maps With No Roads · Trip report
- Hiking Old Rag? Here is What You Need to Know. · WUVA News · Blog
- Ultimate Guide to Hiking Old Rag Mountain · Lita of the Pack, Lita Talisman · Blog
- Hiking old rag tomorrow, here's what I'm bringing (r/hiking) · Reddit r/hiking · Reddit thread
- Old Rag in the heat: doable? (r/shenandoah) · Reddit r/shenandoah · Reddit thread