Overlooking Old Rag Mountain, the Robertson Mountain hike has one of the steepest trails in the central section of the Shenandoah National Park, with an elevation gain on the Robertson Mountain Trail of 1,700 feet in just over 1.5 miles.
From the parking area, pass the closed gate hiking up the yellow blazed Berry Hollow Fire Road for 0.8 miles. Here you reach the intersection of the Old Rag Fire Road on the left, the Saddle Trail on the right, and Weakley Hollow Fire Road that continues straight.
Continue straight on the yellow blazed Weakley Hollow Fire Road (concrete post points towards Old Rag Parking Area) for 1.2 miles and arrive at the Robertson Mountain Trail.
Turn left uphill on the blue blazed Robertson Mountain Trail for the steepest section of the loop, and gain 1,700ft in just over 1.5 miles to the top of Robertson Mountain.
Continue down the other side of Robertson Mountain on the Robertson Mountain Trail where it ends at the junction of the Old Rag Fire Road in another 0.6 miles.
Turn left downhill on the yellow blazed Old Rag Fire Road as it descends for 2.2 miles back to the intersection with the Berry Hollow Fire Road.
Turn right on the Berry Hollow Fire Road for the remaining 0.8 miles back to the parking area.
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Reviews For The Robertson Mountain Hike (5 Most Recent)
I hiked up this trail with a group of friends and we actually were thinking that this was the old rag trail. Stupid me, I didn't have a map so we kept on going and going. We soon realize how tough it this trail was! This trail is definitely not for the novice hiker or anyone that is not in good condition. The ascent was steep and difficult. There were no signs or indicators on the summit, so we didn't realize that we had reached the summit until we were descending on the other side of the mountain. There also wasn't any signs when we got to the end of the trail on the old rag fire trail. We decided to go downhill on the old rag fire trail by instinct and luckily we hit the Weakley Hollow fire trail that took us back to the old rag parking lot. Despite getting lost, the worse part was that there was not much of any view at all. The trees obscure everything, so we didn't see anything and didn't even realize we were even at the summit when we got there. I certainly learned my lesson of not being prepared.
By:
Ras Fred
Rating:
Date of Hike: Saturday, May 22, 2010
This is the next door neighbor to the Old Rag mountain trail, but they are very different.
The Robertson Mountain trail is lightly traveled.
Old Rag provides beautiful views of the area year round, but this time of year the views on the Robertson Mountain trail were limited.
The Robertson Mountain Trail is much more primitive. It was also LOADED with Poison Ivy. On the other hand the Old Rag Fire Road which completes the loop is more gradual and better kept.
If you are looking for some solitude and a really aggressive climb, then this could be the trail for you. I posted some pictures from the climb at http://hikeva.blogspot.com/2010/05/robertson-mountain.html
By:
Sam and Thunder
Rating:
Date of Hike: Saturday, January 02, 2010
We took my wife along today and she would like to point out that's its very cold and windy. Although with some short spikes the trails were pretty good. Overall nice short hike and accessible when the Skyline Drive is closed. Clear day and pretty good view of Old RAG. Its a good work out to climb up, like the description says mostly fire roads.
By:
Rating:
Date of Hike: Sunday, December 06, 2009
Robertson is one of my favorite hikes in the area - only 80 miles from DC, free from the crowds that swarm up Old Rag, and one of the steepest trails around. I use it as a training hike, but it's also a beautiful trip. The views are less-than-stellar, but the clearing at the summit and some rock scrambling are nice. If you take the trail beside Robertson trail (both are about 1.5 miles out on the fire road, as measured from the Old Rag upper parking lot) it skirts the summit and goes past some old stone cabins.
If you hike to the summit and over the mountain you're on the fire road and have a long 4-5 mile trip back down to the Old Rag upper parking lot. If you're trying to train and do multiple ascents, then just go back down the trail and climb back up it again (1.6 miles from fire road to summit, 1700 ft).
By:
Mothers Day Hikers
Rating:
Date of Hike: Sunday, May 10, 2009
we started at the parking lot past white oak falls lot. drive to the top of the hill until the paving ends. climbed with the kids and wife for mother's day. tough hike for a group that doesn't hike too much. you go downhill after you reach the intersection with Old Rag Trail. if you go to the left up the Robertson Mt. Road it is a much more steady climb until you reach to the blue trail head. if you follow the direction given and go to the right, you go downhill only to then have to gain the altitude back when you hit the blue trail head. tough going but not so tough you can't do it. the hardest part is keeping the kids going when it is difficult to see where you are going to crest the trail at the top. the views are good but seen better and as more leaves come out, the views will be limited. long downhill when you come off the back side of the mountain back to parking lot. took 5 hours.
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