High‑elevation wilderness summit featuring dense spruce‑fir forests, remote backcountry trails, and the highest natural point in the state accessible only by hiking.
General Information
Daylight access recommended for hiking and backcountry use
Parking fees may apply in nearby state park trailheads
How to Get There
From Roanoke, VA (120 mi): Take I‑81 S toward Wytheville, exit onto US‑58 W toward Damascus, then follow VA‑362 and VA‑600 or VA‑603 to reach trailhead access points within the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area.
Overview
Mount Rogers is the highest natural point in Virginia, at 5,729 feet, in the Lewis Fork Wilderness of the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area within Jefferson National Forest. It is named for William Barton Rogers, Virginia's first state geologist and the founder of MIT. Its spruce-fir forest, with the rare Fraser fir, is the northernmost of its kind, and the summit is wooded, so hikers come more for the journey than a view.
Reaching the Summit
- From Grayson Highlands State Park: the shortest route is about 4.5 miles, or follow the Appalachian Trail south 3.5 miles to a blue-blazed side trail
- From Elk Garden: also about 4.5 miles via State Route 600
Mount Rogers National Recreation Area
Established in 1966, the recreation area has nearly 500 miles of hiking trails, including 78 miles of the Appalachian Trail, plus four wilderness areas (about 18,500 acres), seven campgrounds, horse camps, and rental cabins, and it is open for horseback riding and mountain biking.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Mount Rogers", and "Mount Rogers National Recreation Area", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
