Shenandoah National Park · VA
Riprap Trail
Rugged South District route through Riprap Hollow past Chimney Rock and Calvary Rock overlooks to a streamside swimming hole; usually hiked as a ~9.8-mile loop with Wildcat Ridge and the Appalachian Trail.
Live · updated
Today
Skip the trail running plan today.
Today's best: trail running
Conditions
Score by activity
Hiking
Skip the hiking plan today.
Trail running
Skip the trail running plan today.
Score breakdown
- − 83°F air — Above trail running's comfort zone (28–78°F)
- − 16 mph wind — Gusty — bring a windbreaker
- − Thunderstorms — Get off exposed ridges before they arrive
- ✓ Trail: prime — No meaningful rain in the last 48 hours. Trail surface is dry and tacky — prime traction.
- − 85 min of daylight — You need at least 190 min with margin. Bring a headlamp or start tomorrow.
Trail facts
- Distance
- 9.8 mi
- Elevation gain
- 2073 ft
- Surface
- dirt
- Difficulty
- hard
Trailhead
Coordinates
38.1810, -78.7885 — VA.
Park
Part of Shenandoah National Park (official site →).
Park advisories
Effective May 4, Shenandoah National Park will begin infrastructure enhancements at the Old Rag Trailhead main parking lot. We expect to complete work by November 2026. Until then, the main parking lot is closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Visitors can access Old Rag Trailhead via existing overflow parking lots. Day-use tickets are still required from March 1 through November 30 in addition to a park entrance fee.
On July 1, 2025, the park transitioned to a fully cashless system at our fee entrance stations. Only credit cards, debit cards, or mobile payments will be accepted.
Visitors are reminded to park in designated parking areas when accessing the park via boundary trailheads. Parking in unauthorized locations may result in your vehicle being towed at the owner's expense. Park on the right side of the road approaching Thompson Hollow. Parking is authorized up to the "No Parking" sign before a private driveway.
Sign up for Shenandoah Alerts by texting SHENALERTS to 888777. Any time there are closures, re-openings, or other important safety-related alerts, subscribers will receive a notification via text. You may unsubscribe at any time.
March 1 - November 30 those wishing to hike Old Rag are required to obtain a day-use ticket before arriving.
Peak nymphal tick activity — check yourself within 2 hours of leaving the trail.
Frequently Asked
How long is Riprap Trail?
Riprap Trail is a 9.8-mile route with 2073 feet of elevation gain — hard — significant elevation gain, technical terrain, or both; come prepared. The trail facts panel on this page lists distance, surface, and access tags as they appear in OpenStreetMap.
What's the trail surface like at Riprap Trail?
Riprap Trail is natural dirt singletrack — soft underfoot, holds water, slow to dry after rain. Today's mud rating, derived from recent precipitation and the surface type, is shown in the conditions panel above.
Who manages Riprap Trail, and where do closure alerts come from?
Riprap Trail is in Shenandoah National Park, which is managed by the National Park Service. Closure and advisory data on this page comes from the live NPS alerts API for this park unit. Always confirm against the park's own page before driving — emergency closures can post faster than scrapers refresh.