Mount Rogers and Wilburn Ridge Loop from Fairwood Valley (Old Orchard, The Scales, Thomas Knob)

Mount Rogers National Recreation Area and Lewis Fork Wilderness, Jefferson National Forest (VA 603 near Troutdale and Konnarock)

Most people see the Mount Rogers high country from Grayson Highlands State Park, but this loop comes in from the north, from Fairwood Valley on VA 603. Hiking Upward’s 21.4-mile route climbs to Old Orchard Shelter, crosses The Scales and Wilburn Ridge on the Appalachian Trail, and returns over the shoulder of Mount Rogers through the Lewis Fork Wilderness.

Hiking Upward writes it as a two-and-a-half-day trip, or two days with changes.

The hike

Hiking Upward’s route leaves Grindstone Campground on the Mount Rogers Tie Trail to the Fairwood Valley trailhead at mile 0.8, then follows the Fairwood Valley Horse Trail alongside VA 603 for 1.8 miles, crossing Fox Creek and Lewis Fork. At mile 2.6 it joins the A.T. at the Fox Creek lot and climbs to Old Orchard Shelter at mile 4.1, the first night’s stop.

Day two is the long one. The A.T. reaches the crest of Pine Mountain at mile 5.6, where the Pine Mountain Trail offers a shortcut, then crosses the Scales paddock with views of Stone Mountain at 6.9. Past the Bearpen and Scales Trail junctions, the route crosses Wilson Creek and Big Wilson Creek on bridges and reaches Wise Shelter at 9.7, where an A-frame ladder crosses the horse fence. The A.T. then climbs over the open crest of Wilburn Ridge, passes the Massie Gap connector trails, and tops out near 5,520 feet on Wilburn Ridge at mile 13.0. An optional rocky side trail over Wilburn Ridge rejoins the A.T. in 0.7 mile. Thomas Knob Shelter, with a loft, comes at 14.6.

The Mount Rogers Spur Trail branches off just past the shelter; Hiking Upward puts the round trip to the 5,729-foot summit at about a mile, with no view from the top. On day three the A.T. circles south of Mount Rogers past a view across Deep Gap, and at mile 17.4 the blue-blazed Mount Rogers Trail descends through the Lewis Fork Wilderness. Wikipedia lists it as 4.1 miles and rates it difficult. The route passes the Lewis Fork Trail junction on Elk Ridge and switchbacks down to Grindstone at 21.4.

For a shorter version, Hiking Upward’s 11.4-mile Elk Ridge loop climbs the Lewis Fork and Cliffside trails to Rhododendron Gap instead. For the high country from Grayson Highlands, see the Massie Gap loop; the 2026 Iron Mountain detour from Damascus ends on the Mount Rogers Trail.

Tips

Plan around Grindstone’s closure. Visit Damascus suggests the lot across from Fox Creek Horse Campground or the Mount Rogers Trailhead for 2026.
Claim a site early near Thomas Knob. Hiking Upward commenters report sites there filling by late afternoon.
Bring a bear canister or use the bear boxes. Commenters report repeated bear activity at shelters.
Cook on a stove. Campfires are banned near the A.T. under the 2026 order.
Keep groups to 10 in the wilderness and high country.

Camping

Camping is dispersed on Mount Rogers National Recreation Area land, and no permit is needed. Old Orchard and Thomas Knob are A.T. shelters, which Virginia State Parks says are intended for thru- and section-hikers. A Forest Service order limits groups in all wildernesses on the forest to 10, and the high-country group guide applies the same limit throughout the high country. That guide asks groups to camp outside the Lewis Fork and Little Wilson Creek wildernesses and to avoid the heavily used A.T. between the Mount Rogers Spur and Rhododendron Gap.

Wise Shelter sits inside Grayson Highlands State Park, which doesn’t allow backcountry camping; the park says northbound hikers can camp across Big Wilson Creek on national forest land.

Inside Intel: Hiking Upward commenters single out the stretch before Thomas Knob Shelter: one (July 2019) found “several very nice camping spots just prior to the Thomas Knob shelter,” and another (May 2017) advised grabbing a site early in the 1.5 miles before the shelter, which fills quickly.

Trail facts

Distance: 21.4 miles from Grindstone (Hiking Upward)
Route type: Loop
Difficulty: Strenuous
Campsites: Old Orchard Shelter (mile 4.1), Thomas Knob Shelter (14.6), dispersed sites
Water: Fox Creek, Lewis Fork, Wilson Creeks, springs near Old Orchard and Thomas Knob; treat all water
Permits: None
Fires: Banned within a quarter mile of the A.T. (2026 order)
Bear storage: Canister or bear boxes recommended by commenters
Trailhead: Fairwood Valley area, VA 603 (Grindstone parking closed in 2026)
Last verified: October 12, 2026

The Lowdown

Up on the open crest of Wilburn Ridge:

This loop climbs about 4,100 feet and crosses the open crest of Wilburn Ridge near 5,520 feet. If rain catches you up there, see how the Beta SL compares with the Torrentshell 3L and Foray 3L.

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Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.