At 5,729 feet, Mount Rogers is Virginia's highest point. The summit itself, the centerpiece of the 200,000-acre Mount Rogers National Recreation Area in Jefferson National Forest, is largely covered by trees, has no expansive vistas and is marked by a lone boulder. However, the trails that traverse the southwest Virginia mountain provide up-close glimpses of wildlife -- including free-roaming feral ponies -- and a variety of scenic mountain, valley and meadow views on your way to the top. No matter when you go, dress in layers. The summit area can be chilly, even in summer.
The namesake trail to the Mount Rogers summit starts along Virginia 603 near the boundary of Smyth and Grayson counties, almost directly north of the summit. The well-marked trail passes through dense spruce-fir forests and is approximately 6 miles one way, climbing about 2,000 feet in elevation. The trail is easy along the lower half but gets rockier as it nears the top. A small parking area is available at the trailhead. At approximately 4 miles, the Mount Rogers Trail joins the Appalachian Trail before again splitting near Thomas Knob Shelter and continuing on for less than a mile to the wooded summit. Just west of the trailhead is Grindstone Recreation Area, which has more than 100 campsites -- some with electric/water hookups -- plus restrooms, warm showers, a swimming area, playground and volleyball court.
Perhaps the most popular way to reach the Mount Rogers summit is via a 9-mile roundtrip route that takes about six hours, starts in Grayson Highlands State Park and follows several connected trails. From the park's Massie Gap area, take the Rhododendron Trail along an old wagon road that winds through balds and open meadows and, if you're fortunate, provides glimpses of the region's wild highland ponies. The path then connects with a portion of the Appalachian Trail that passes near rugged Wilburn Ridge before traversing Rhododendron Gap. This scenic area includes rock outcroppings, overlooks and bright thickets of the namesake flower -- which typically bloom from late spring to early summer -- before reaching the trail to Mount Rogers' summit. If you'd like to stay overnight, Grayson Highland State Park has dozens of campsites.
Another option to the top of Mount Rogers is via the Appalachian Trail's Elk Garden trailhead, which is next to a small parking area off Whitetop Road. From here, the Appalachian Trail heads east to Mount Rogers or west to Whitetop Mountain, Virginia's second-highest peak at 5,520 feet. The path to Mount Rogers is approximately 4.5 miles one way and takes hikers through an open area with rock outcroppings and mountain balds surrounded by hardwood forests before nearing Wilburn Ridge at about the 3-mile point and continuing on to the Mount Rogers summit trail. The Elk Garden access area also provides entry to the namesake Elk Garden Trail -- which leads to a valley near the foot of Whitetop Mountain -- and the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail.
One highlight of a hike to the summit of Mount Rogers, of course, is observing the wild-yet-friendly, long-maned ponies that are most common along Grayson Highlands State Park's Rhododendron Trail. Some of the animals in the herd, which numbers 150 or so horses, will come within petting distance, but hikers are urged not to feed them. They are not the only attraction on the way to the summit. No matter which route you take, you might catch a glimpse of other wildlife such as black bear, white-tailed deer, wild turkey and a variety of salamander. Depending on the time of year, this haven for bird watchers also is a habitat for species such as red-tailed hawks, black-capped chickadees, chestnut-sided warblers, dark-eyed juncos and golden-crowned kinglets.
