Continue on the Nicholson Hollow Trail re-crossing Hughes River then passing the Hannah Run Trail in 0.3 miles, cross Hughes River again and follow the Nicholson Hollow Trail for another 1.8 miles and arrive at Corbin Cabin. In another 0.2 miles past Corbin Cabin the Indian Run Trail enters from the left.
Turn left on the Weakley Hollow Fire Road for remaining 1.2 miles to the beginning of the loop and upper Old Rag Parking area at SR600. continue for 0.4 miles, veer right at the Nicholson Hollow Trail post and continue down SR600 for the remaining 0.5 miles back to the parking area.
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Reviews For The Corbin Mountain Hike (5 Most Recent)
I did this hike over the past weekend and found it to be great circuit hike and much less crowded than the Old Rag parking lot would lead one to believe. The hike up was mostly along an old cart path of some sort and not necessarily along the river. I did run into a few backpackers on their way out after fishing there are a few high impact campsites before getting to Corbin Cabin. An NSPS employee must have been in a hurry as I walked down the Old Rag Fire Road, glad I wasn't in the middle of the road as they drove by. I decided to take the Robertson Mountain Trail and was treated to a great view and some solititude after a couple of backpackers left the peak. However, the hike down was steep, about the steepest and loosest trail I have seen in some time. Think from the top of Robertson Mtn. to the Weekley Hollow Fire road the trail drops 1800 feet in about 1.5 miles. The highlight of the down hike was seeing a bear at about 20 yards, think he was coming up the trail.
By:
Rating:
Date of Hike: Saturday, May 26, 2012
It's amazing there can be 200+ cars in the Old Rag parking area, and not see a single individual on this entire trail until it meets the fire road. Box turtles, scarlet tanagers, and lots of insects. Echoing other comments, be prepared for a climb, and a less-used trail, after Corbin Cabin. Pretty lush (overgrown), if I did it again I'd do a in-and-out along Hughes River, by far the nicest part of the hike.
By:
Andrew in DC
Rating:
Date of Hike: Sunday, July 18, 2010
Looking for a good hike, we decided to tackle the Corbin Mountain hike rather the deal with the crowds on Old Rag. We were not disappointed. While this hike does lack the rock scramble and incredible views of Old Rag, it is equally challenging in its length and assent.
As soon as we got to the split where the road heads up to the Old Rag trail head, the crowds thinned out and we did not see any other hikers until we returned to the fire road some 5 hours later. The isolation was splendid. The hike follows a stream for the first third and the climb slowly steepens as you approach the old cabin. The trail is well marked, but as it is not used by as many people it is more of a foot path for long stretches. The only surprise came after stopping for lunch at the cabin, the remaining mile or so of the ascent is much steeper than the trail to this point, so be prepared.
It was on this part of the hike were we spotted 3 black bears (all moving away from us thank goodness).
This is a great hike and a great workout. If you want views you won't get them here, but you will get a lot of solitude and a wonderful woodland experience.
By:
Rating:
Date of Hike: Sunday, October 18, 2009
Wow, you really can park at Old Rag and do a different hike. Wasn't sure it was possible. But you really missed an opportunity if you wanted to go there, because the parking lot was as sparse as I've seen it, considering it was a Sunday in the middle of October, regardless of the temperature (it never rained).
Anyway, back to this area. Sadly the foliage is still patchier than I hoped for, but that gives me a reason to go yet somewhere else the next few weekends. The water really wasn't very high, and nowhere near as high as the photos show on this website.
The ranger at the parking lot mentioned it snowed at the upper reaches of the park, and that the central section of Skyline Drive was actually closed. I really didn't believe him, till I saw my first small patch of white on a fallen mossy tree at 2,100'. Somewhat let-down because of the patchy foliage and lack of picturesque waterworks, I perked up at this sight. And when I saw Corbin Cabin, with a roof of snow, I was definitely excited. By the time I was nearing the highpoint of Indian Run Trail, snow was everywhere, like it were the dead of winter, only there were a lot more leaves on the trees. Sadly though, as I escaped the shadow of Thoroughfare Mountain, the snow melt rapidly increased. There was barely any snow at all on Corbin Hollow Trail.
Any other day, this hike is a 3.5-star, at best. Not enough waterworks and certainly no views. But on this day, with the diversity of surroundings, from fading green forests with rich moss, to autumnal colored forests, to winter forests, and the fact that I only saw 1 group of people the whole time of the hike(about a dozen people, but still only 1 group) - and this included Weakly Hollow Rd / Old Rag return route - gives this hike 5 stars for once.
PS - My GPS gave me a distance of 12.3 miles and I parked at the lower parking lot. Only took me about 5.25 hours though, w/o stopping for lunch.
By:
Sarah
Rating:
Date of Hike: Wednesday, August 13, 2008
A nice, long day hike and alternative if Old Rag is overcrowded or you want something a little mellower and easier on the knees. While there are a few ascents, in general the grade is moderate. Much of the trail goes along a pretty stream bed (with opportunities for a dip at the start of nicholson hollow if you are so inclined), and the hike was quite verdant even in July, and I imagine would be spectacular with fall colors. Not much in terms of views or wildlife that we saw, but except for a group of 4 hikers we saw near Corbin canyon we were alone the entire hike. Although there were lots of downed trees, the trail was generally well maintained (the trees had been moved or partially cut) and the stream crossings were not challenging. We went up Nicholson hollow and down indian trail, which is what the park ranger recommended and seemed fine to me.
From the lower old rag parking lot, we hiked the trail in 5hrs 40 minutes with a half hour for lunch and a few brief stops on the way and I'd say our pace was moderate throughout.
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