Mount Rogers Hike: Ultimate Planning Guide

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• Hiking distance: 10.5 miles
• Hiking time: 4.5 hours
• Parking: Massie Gap

Mount Rogers is located in southwest Virginia. In order to do this out-and-back day hike, you will be starting in Grayson Highlands State Park.

Put “Massie Gap Parking” in Google Maps. There is plenty of parking along the side of the road. If those spots are full, people park on the opposite side of the road.

The parking and admission fee is $7 and $10 for weekends in April – October.

We started at Massie Gap, took the Rhododendron Trail to the Appalachian (AT) Trail Southbound, and then to the Mount Rogers Trail to the summit.

After parking at Massie Gap in Grayson Highlands State Park, we walked across a big open field and through a gate to start this epic hike.

The Rhododendron Trail is a well-marked easy path that has a steady incline.

Shortly into our hike, we spotted pony poop on the trail.

Watch your step. The wild Grayson Highland Ponies were close. As we rounded the corner, we came across our first pony and quite a few other hikers all congregating around. These beautiful animals with their flowing manes are quite a tourist attraction!

Where else in the world do you have to hike around a wild herd of ponies to keep on the trail?

No where I can think of. 

By the way, what’s the difference between a pony and a horse? Height. Ponies are less than 14.2 hands.

The ponies are technically wild.

However, they have become so used to people, they have no fear and will walk right up to you. Although it is tempting, do not let their friendly nature trick you into petting and feeding them.

If you feed them, it can cause behavioral and health problems. You will be fined if caught.

So where did the Grayson Highland ponies come from?

In 1974, they were brought in to help maintain the parkland by grazing on the grasses and shrubs in open areas called balds. The Wilburn Ridge Pony Association manages their health. Once a year, they hold an annual auction of some of the ponies in order to control the herd numbers.

After completing the Rhododendron Trail, we came to a 3 way split: AT Trail Northbound, AT Trail Southbound, and Horse Trail North.

Take the AT Trail Southbound.

The rocky trail led to an open meadow. This marks the boundary of Grayson Highlands State Park.

We went through the gate and came to another split.

We took the far left trail that continues on the Appalachian Trail towards Mount Rogers. Be prepared to be hiking around a lot of rocks!

It was rainy and misty on the day of our hike. At first, I was disappointed in the weather. We were supposed to see all these amazing panoramic views.

But, the moody weather really created this mystical vibe.

Were we in the Scottish Highlands?

About 10 minutes later, we came across another junction where you could either continue along the AT Trail or take the Wilburn Ridge Trail (which eventually dumps you back on the AT Trail).

The Wilburn Ridge Trail offers some fun and challenging rock scrambling and fantastic panoramic views along the rocky peaks on the ridgeline.

We skipped this section and stayed on the slightly easier AT Trail because we had a long hike ahead of us. Next time.

If you have done this section, let me know what you thought in the comments below!

As we continued our trek, we came across a large rocky mountain that had a perfectly sized hole to fit a human through. At first, you think there’s no way I am going to fit through this, but you will.

That section was pretty cool.

Five minutes after we passed the “hole in the wall” section, we came across more ponies!!!

And there were way fewer crowds. Besides us, there were only 2 other groups of hikers.

It was incredible to see the wild ponies with their flowing manes hanging out in the fields with the misty fog as the backdrop.

We even saw a little cream-colored foal with a white star on its forehead. He/she was incredibly curious and walked right up to me while I was taking photos. Remember, no touching or feeding.

My husband finally had to peel me away from the ponies to continue the hike. I could have hung around them all day.

We continued to hike across more rocks. So many rocks! Your feet will be aching later.

Wear proper footwear.

The next signpost we came across led us to the left as we continued to follow the Appalachian Trail Southbound toward Mount Rogers.

We hiked through a few more open fields and passed the Thomas Knob Shelter until at last we reached a sign that pointed us to the trail to hike to the Mount Roger summit.

Almost there!

Oh, be aware of the bears! Luckily, we did not see any.

Now, this is where the trail drastically changes.

Open fields and rocky outcroppings give way to mystical moss-covered forests.

A lot of people have compared this section of the trail to those found in the Pacific Northwest. I agree. The Mount Rogers Hike reminded me of the hike we took through the forests of Multnomah Falls in Oregon.

As we walked through the thick, shaded, moss-covered spruce and fir forests, it looked like we were walking onto a set of a Harry Potter movie.

Ok, there is one important thing to note about the Mount Rogers Hike. 

When you reach the summit of Mount Rogers, the highest peak in Virginia, there is NO epic panoramic views or big sign stating you made it!

You know you reached the summit when you see this gold medallion. See the picture below.

Although the Mount Rogers summit was anticlimactic, the journey was incredibly epic and worth every screaming leg muscle 24 hours later!

I hike to eat.

I love finding foodie gems during our travels.

We were staying in a charming Vrbo rental in nearby Abingdon for a long weekend. On our way out to Grayson Highlands State Park, we swung by the Harvest Table Restaurant to pick up sandwiches for our hike.

The Harvest Table has its own farm located 2.5 miles from the restaurant. They are truly farm-to-table, using both their own local produce and meats and vegetables from surrounding farms.

The Director of the restaurant has even written a well-rated book promoting a healthier food culture called Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life.

What to order?

I highly recommend the Pimento Cheese Sandwich! They slather their pimento cheese on their soft house-made bread. Splurge on the $2 upgrade and add bacon. Simple ingredients. Incredible flavor.

We threw a sandwich in our CamelBak and enjoyed it once we reached the summit.

I did not appreciate pimento cheese growing up in Virginia, but now I have an obsession with it. 

As we found out during a recent celebratory dinner at the 3-star Michelin restaurant The Inn at Little Washington, even they find a way to incorporate this star ingredient.

The Harvest Table also has a general store next door to the restaurant, where you can pick up local food items and handmade goods.

I love local honey, so we picked up some from Millcroft Farm from Stanley, Virginia. We also purchased grapefruit Mother Shrub (made of apple cider vinegar + grapefruit + organic cane sugar) to use in making cocktails like Palomas.

We enjoyed a long holiday weekend in Abingdon, Virginia, which is located a little over an hour from Grayson Highlands State Park.

If you make Abingdon your base, there is plenty to do near Grayson Highlands State Park.

Hands down, the Virginia Creeper Trail is one of the best biking experiences in Virginia.

The starting point of this incredible bike ride starts in Whitetop, about 30 minutes from Grayson Highlands State Park.

The most popular way to enjoy it is riding downhill from Whitetop to Damascus, where you’ll ride through dense forests, encounter some really cool bridges, and bike right next to babbling cold mountain streams.

I am actually a little hesitant to share this one because this 6.6-mile hike is truly a hidden gem.

When we hiked it, we only passed two other couples. Now, we didn’t start the hike until 4 pm so maybe that is why we had it almost to ourselves.

The Channels Natural Area Preserve is located about 1.5 hours from Grayson Highlands State Park.

These sandstone outcroppings form all these cool crevices and channels in between these towering moss-covered boulders. Large twisting tree roots line the floor.

This is unlike any other Virginia hike I have done.

Abingdon, Virginia was rated as having the Best Small Town Food Scene by USA Today.

If you are a foodie, there are plenty of little mom-and-pop restaurants to explore.

We can personally vouch for 128 Pecan, The Girl & The Raven (our favorite place by far!), White Birch, and Greeko’s Grill & Cafe.

It is also home to the oldest bar in Virginia, The Tavern. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to have a cocktail here due to mixing up their hours, but I would love to come back to check them out.

If you love craft beer, check out Wolf Hills Brewery. They often have live music.

If you love the arts, check out a performance at the Barter Theatre right on Main Street in the heart of Abingdon.

To gain admission into the theatre back in 1933, you could “barter” your way into the venue by offering up items like eggs or homemade jam. Pretty cool history.

Want to know what else to do in Abingdon? Check out my article below.

If you are driving from northern Virginia, hiking Mount Rogers is not a day trip.

You will have to spend the night somewhere nearby.

We loved using Abingdon as our base and spent 4 nights/5 days there. Because we were biking the Virginia Creeper Trail, we found a charming Vrbo rental that was located right off the bike trail

This adorable accommodation is located in an old renovated building called the Old Alvarado Station.

If you are planning to embrace the outdoors and hike and bike to your heart’s content, stay in this Airbnb.

Farm-house chic. Modern conveniences. King bed (this is non-negotiable in all of our travels to keep a happy marriage … lol). Hot shower. Outdoor picnic area. Outdoor swings by the river.

Need I say more?

→     Don’t rely on the park map. It’s too confusing. Download the AllTrails App for $35.99 (worth it!) and have the map pre-downloaded. That way you will never get lost even without cell service.

→     The weather is much cooler than the surrounding areas, so layer up.

→     There are quite a few signs along this hike that can get confusing. Just remember to keep following the signs towards Appalachian Trail South and Mount Rogers, and you shouldn’t get lost.

→     Please do not feed or pet the ponies. It is so tempting especially when that cute little pony walks right up to you begging for attention. Resist the urge.

→     The ponies are wild animals. There is no guarantee you will see them on the trail. We saw the first herd of ponies around 1 pm, and a second herd around 2 pm. When we were coming back from our hike close to 5 pm, we passed a group that told us they had not seen the ponies yet.

I’m not sure if there’s a “better” time of the day to see them based on grazing patterns. Might be worth it to ask the park ranger.

→     We hiked on a misty, rainy day, which gave it a mystical vibe. However, it completely obstructed all panoramic views. If panoramic views are a must for your hiking experience, do the obvious and pick a sunny clear day.

→     Pick up that pimento cheese bacon sandwich to enjoy along the hike. There’s nothing like chowing down on some amazing food out in the middle of nature.

Yes, the summit of Mount Rogers is anticlimactic, but the journey is incredibly epic! Wild ponies, open fields, panoramic views, and moss-covered forests. Where else do you get this diversity on one hike in Virginia?

Maybe this is blasphemy, but I would have to say the Mount Rogers hike trumps Old Rag even on a misty, rainy day.

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Have you hiked Old Rag and Mount Rogers from Massie Gap? What do you think? Which is better?

Let me know in the comments below!