Old Rag Mountain
Trail · Virginia
The 9-mile circuit to Old Rag's 3,284-foot summit climbs through a mile-long boulder scramble that's become Virginia's most popular hike, so popular that a capped day-use ticket, bought in advance on recreation.gov, is now required year-round on top of the park entrance pass.
Don’t miss
Peak: October 13–October 17
Color builds from October 6 · mostly bare by November 6
Sampled at Old Rag Mountain’s own coordinates and elevation (287 m) rather than a regional average.
16 weather points cover Virginia, and the model shifts their answer 4 days earlier, which is what it takes to match 1 published peak date from smokymountains.com. Against Virginia's own climatology, the 2026 weather puts the peak 6 days earlier. How the forecast works
When to go to Old Rag Mountain
The color window runs about 18 days, holding until around October 24. That runs roughly 7 days earlier than the rest of Virginia. Most of that is elevation. It sits at 942 ft.
Figure about 71 mi from Washington, DC.
Old Rag Mountain on the map
Drag the date slider to see when color reaches this corner of Virginia, or tap a pin for that stop’s own peak window.
More things to do in Virginia
Farms & harvest
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Plan from a city
Frequently asked
- When does Old Rag Mountain peak in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for October 13–October 17 (best estimate October 15). Color starts around October 6 and is mostly bare by November 6.
- How do I get to Old Rag Mountain?
- The closest city is Washington, DC, about 71 mi away. It's part of Virginia's fall lineup.
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