Mt. Rogers

[hop2it]

I'm thinking of going over Labor Day weekend to hike Mt. Rogers in Virginia. I looked on Summitpost.Org & gained some information from that site! Which was really helpful! I thought some of you may have hiked it in the past (since I know some like doing all the states highpoints). Anyway, if anyone has anything they'd like to share, I welcome it! Or if any other Easterner's would like to join me (and possibly a couple of friends of mine), we'd love to have you! Thanks!

[Bill Cummings]

The summit of Mt. Rogers itself is pretty bland--it's covered with trees, and there's no view. And there were lots of flies when we were there.

That being said, the adjacent Grayson Highlands State Park is great--we love it! It provides the main hiking access to Mt. Rogers. It has some excellent "balds"--hilltops with nice views that have been cleared of trees (this used to be a big logging area). There are several long, lovely hikes that will give you a variety of scenery and habitats, from open hilltops to rocky crags, forest, streamsides, etc. The car camping is excellent--make sure you are well supplied as there are no towns very close. An extra treat is the herds of wild ponies, which are pretty tame. Also ask at the visitor center about the bluegrass jam session done by the locals at one of the nearby towns--you can't get much more authentic than Virginia mountain music! Hope you have a great time!

[hop2it]

Thank you, Bill! I read about the wild ponies! Oh too bad that the summit was just "okay"...I was hoping it would be something really pretty. I think I read the hike was 9 miles, but Im not sure if that's one way or round trip. Well, if we end up going, I'll at least know about some other things to do in the area now too. I'll keep doing some searching to see if I find out anything else. Thanks again.

[Roald]

9 miles sounds like round trip. I've done it from from both Grayson Highlands and Grindstone Campground. The Grayson Highlands appraoach is much prettier. It is a very scenic hike, except for the last 1/2 mile or so up to the summit. Like Bill said, very plain summit covered in trees.

[Bill Cummings]

Don't be too disappointed, hop2it--the summit is very plain, but most of the hike leading up to it (from the Grayson side) is excellent. One little extra treat you get is, as you near the summit, a small zone where the scenery changes from fairly dry to lush green, then goes back to fairly dry at the summit. This is the zone where the fog tends to settle in each day before it burns off. We call it the "elven forest." Enjoy--it is a trip well worth making.

[Roald]

Definitely worth it. Rhododendron Gap, about the halfway point, is also one of the best views in Virginia IMO. I miss that area a lot.

Don't be too disappointed, hop2it--the summit is very plain, but most of the hike leading up to it (from the Grayson side) is excellent. One little extra treat you get is, as you near the summit, a small zone where the scenery changes from fairly dry to lush green, then goes back to fairly dry at the summit. This is the zone where the fog tends to settle in each day before it burns off. We call it the "elven forest." Enjoy--it is a trip well worth making.

[hop2it]

thank you ....hopefully we'll make it out. Mt. Rogers has been on my radar for awhile now....but all I really knew was that it was VA's highpoint & about the wild ponies. I mean, the ponies alone would make it worth the trip .

[PatsSox09]

This was one of the my first hikes, back in late August of 2006. The views are gorgeous along Wilburn Ridge, and with minimal effort for a 9 mile hike too; even as an out of shape slob back in those days I still found it to be an easy, and very worthwhile hike. Ponies are pretty cool too.