About Day-Use TicketsVisitors to Old Rag Mountain, including hikers on the Saddle, Ridge, and Ridge Access trails, must obtain an Old Rag day-use ticket in advance, in addition to a Park entrance pass. Day-use tickets for Old Rag Mountain for the 2024 season will become available February 17, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. Tickets are valid for the day-of arrival only, and it does not guarantee a parking spot. Tickets will cost $2.00 and can be reserved up to 30 days in advance. A total of 800 tickets will be available each day from March 1 to November 30; 400 will be released 30 days in advance and the remaining 400 will be released five days in advance. Hikers are encouraged to obtain their tickets before arriving. Entrance fees still apply in addition to the day-use ticket. Learn how to get your day-use ticket by watching the following video or browsing the frequently asked questions section below.
Visit our keyboard shortcuts docs for details
Frequently Asked Questions Click the drop-down arrows below for answers to some of our most frequently asked questions.
A recent visitor-use and expectations study indicated significant crowding and congestion at Old Rag during certain times of the year. The study also revealed that most visitors agree that limiting users would improve their experience and safety, and better protect the rare ecological communities found on Old Rag. From March 1 - November 30, visitors to Old Rag Mountain need to obtain an Old Rag day-use ticket in advance, in addition to a Park entrance pass.
Visitors to Old Rag Mountain, including hikers on the Saddle, Ridge, and Ridge Access trails, will need to obtain an Old Rag day-use ticket in advance, in addition to a Park entrance pass. The orange-highlighted trails on the map below show which trails require a ticket. The red-shaded area shows the entire area where a day-use ticket is required to camp, travel, fish, etc. The trails, roads, and areas that aren't highlighted do not require an Old Rag day-use ticket, including Weakley Hollow Fire Road.  Each Old Rag day-use ticket will cost $2.00. Obtain Old Rag day-use tickets online in advance or by calling 877-444-6777. You must have an account with Recreation.gov in order to obtain tickets. Tickets will not be sold in person at the Old Rag entrance station, because there is currently no internet service at the station. Also be aware that cell service is not reliable at the Old Rag entrance station, so plan to purchase your ticket before arriving in the Park. Yes. Each Old Rag day-using hiking ticket only covers one person, so a group of four hikers will need to have four separate tickets before they will all be allowed to hike in the Old Rag area. Every person is required to have a ticket, no matter what age. Your Old Rag day-use hiking ticket is good any time, from 12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m., on the date that you selected when reserving your ticket. Tickets are required to hike in the Old Rag area (Saddle, Ridge, and Ridge Access trails) at any time of day, even before sunrise or after sunset. A total of 800 tickets will be available for each day. Exactly 400 will be released 30 days in advance of the reservation date, and the remaining 400 will be released 5 days in advance of each date. Tickets are released daily at 10:00 a.m. No. Entrance passes and Old Rag day-use tickets are separate transactions. In addition to the Old Rag day-use ticket, you are still required to purchase an entrance pass to hike in the Old Rag area (Saddle, Ridge, and Ridge Access trails). Parking at the NPS-operated parking lot located at the Old Rag boundary area is free. However, an Old Rag day-use ticket does not guarantee a parking spot. Because parking is limited, we strongly recommend carpooling with other hikers. While not guaranteed, if there are any remaining tickets after the 30-day and 5-day period releases, they will be available to reserve the day of. However, cell service or an internet connection is needed to make the reservation on Recreation.gov. Note that cell service is not reliable at the Old Rag Entrance Station and there is no available internet service at the station. You may reserve up to four tickets in your name per day. If you have a group of more than 4 people, a different person from your group must reserve the additional tickets. You may reserve tickets for up to 3 additional people, not including yourself, per day. The person who reserved the ticket(s) online must present the Ranger at the Old Rag Entrance Station with a photo ID (any form of ID with your name and picture) to use any tickets that they have reserved. If you do not have a valid ID, you will not be allowed to hike Old Rag. IDs are not required for any other tickets that they have reserved. You will need: an entrance pass (or money to purchase an entrance pass), a photo ID (any form of ID with your name and picture) and a printout (preferred) or screenshot of your Old Rag day-use ticket(s). This ticket will be sent to your e-mail after reserving on Recreation.gov. No. Fee waivers of any kind will not be offered. You have until noon the day before your ticket is valid to cancel or change your reservation, however, we are not able to issue a refund for any reason. To change the date of your Old Rag day-use ticket, you can choose from any following day with availability. Changes or cancellations are done through Recreation.gov. Yes. Even if you are entering the Park with a free Access Pass or a Military Veterans and Gold Star Family Access Pass, you will still need to reserve an Old Rag day-use ticket in order to hike in the Old Rag area.
Yes, every person will need a separate ticket for each day that they plan to spend within the designated ticket area of Old Rag Mountain. Tickets are released at 10:00 a.m. 30 days and again 5 days prior to the day of your hike.
The intention of the pilot project was to test methods for improving the visitor experience and addressing public safety concerns, while also better protecting the rare ecological communities found on Old Rag.
Before initiating the pilot project, the park hosted a public meeting in August 2021 and gathered public comments on the proposed ticketing system.The park originally implemented a pilot ticketing system in 2022 from March through November and gathered data. They evaluated the data and prepared a written report. Park staff hosted another public meeting in April 2023 during which they shared a summary of the 2022 report. Following the meeting, there was an additional public comment period which closed in May 2023. The pilot was reinstated in March 2023 to give managers additional time to evaluate the data. Information collected throughout the pilot helped park staff decide how to move forward with managing Old Rag. To learn more, download the 2020 Old Rag Mountain Visitor Use Study or read our press releases. 
|
Last updated: May 14, 2024