Mount Rogers Loop from Massie Gap (Wilburn Ridge, Rhododendron Gap, and Pine Mountain)

Grayson Highlands State Park and Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, Jefferson National Forest (near Mouth of Wilson and Troutdale)

Grayson Highlands and the Mount Rogers high country form a run of open balds, rock outcrops, and spruce-fir forest in southwest Virginia, and a free-ranging pony herd grazes the ridges. Virginia State Parks says the ponies were brought in in 1974 to keep the balds from growing back into forest.

This lollipop from Massie Gap, written up by Backpacker in 2015, climbs Wilburn Ridge on the Appalachian Trail, tags Mount Rogers (5,729 feet, Virginia’s highest point), and returns on the Pine Mountain Trail and the A.T.

The hike

Backpacker’s 15.2-mile clockwise route starts at Massie Gap in Grayson Highlands State Park. The Rhododendron Trail climbs about half a mile to the A.T., and the ATC’s Rhododendron Gap hike notes that a fence about half a mile south marks the boundary of the Jefferson National Forest. From there the A.T. works along Wilburn Ridge; a blue-blazed side trail goes up and over the ridge’s rocky high points before rejoining the A.T. Trail Run Project describes a tight rock passage locals call the “Fatman Squeeze” in this stretch.

Rhododendron Gap, with a view from the rocks, comes next. Continue west on the A.T. past Thomas Knob Shelter to the Mount Rogers Spur Trail. Backpacker puts the spur at about 0.6 mile to the summit, which is wooded with no view. Wikipedia’s article on the Lewis Fork Wilderness, which holds the summit, describes cloud-covered, moss-draped woods and declining Fraser firs.

Backpacker then retraces about 1.7 miles to Rhododendron Gap and turns north on the Pine Mountain Trail, which Trail Run Project says was the original A.T. route. It runs through rhododendron with views of rock outcrops and balds before meeting the A.T. again. Backpacker’s route then follows the A.T. back toward Massie Gap. The Outbound Collective’s 15.6-mile version passes The Scales, an open, five-trail junction on Stone Mountain where it says the balds can be “very windy,” and returns by the Appalachian Spur Trail or Rhododendron Trail.

Virginia State Parks warns that the ponies can bite and kick, and that human food harms them. Don’t approach, pet, or feed them.

The Massie Gap area is one corner of a bigger high country. For a longer loop from the north side, see the Fairwood Valley and Wilburn Ridge loop; for the A.T. straight through, see Summit Cut to Fox Creek. Across the state line, the A.T. continues over the Roan Highlands on the Tennessee page for Iron Mountain Gap to US 19E.

Tips

Reserve backpacker parking. The state park requires a reservation for its overnight backpacker lot; the ATC says Massie Gap holds about 150 vehicles and roadside parking can draw a fine.
No campfires. The 2026 Forest Service order bans them within a quarter mile of the A.T. on this stretch.
Pack for wind and cold. The ridges are open, and The Outbound Collective warns that weather changes fast.
Avoid busy dates. The high-country group guide suggests skipping holiday weekends, October foliage weekends, and the mid-April to late June thru-hiker season.
Close the gates behind you, as Trail Run Project advises; horse trails also cross the route.

Camping

Virginia State Parks says backcountry camping is not allowed in Grayson Highlands State Park, including at Wise Shelter, but is allowed on the adjoining Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. It asks hikers not to plan to stay at or camp near the Thomas Knob or Wise shelters, which are meant for thru- and section-hikers, and suggests camping away from the A.T. Groups are limited to 10 in the high country and wilderness areas.

The high-country group guide recommends less-used areas such as The Scales, the Crest Trail, Brier Ridge, Cabin Ridge, and the Springs Trail, and asks groups to avoid the heavily used A.T. between the Mount Rogers Spur and Rhododendron Gap. Hang food at night; the ATC reports a Forest Service food storage order on national forest A.T. land in Virginia.

Inside Intel: Backpacker’s two sites were a social site on Wilburn Ridge with views of Whitetop Mountain (water 0.1 mile away at Thomas Knob) and a Pine Mountain site where “despite the sign, water is unreliable.” A Hiking Upward commenter (Oct. 2012) suggested a site on the Pine Mountain Trail, past a pony-fenced spring, halfway between the A.T. junction and Rhododendron Gap.

Trail facts

Distance: 15.2 miles (Backpacker); 15.6 miles (The Outbound Collective)
Route type: Lollipop loop
Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous
Campsites: Dispersed, on national forest land only
Water: Springs near Thomas Knob Shelter and on the Pine Mountain Trail; Big Wilson Creek; all variable
Permits: None for camping; reservation for backpacker parking
Fires: Banned within a quarter mile of the A.T. (2026 order)
Dogs: Not covered in the sources read; ask the park
Trailhead: Massie Gap, Grayson Highlands State Park
Last verified: October 12, 2026

The Lowdown

Lunch on the rocks at Rhododendron Gap:

With no campfires allowed near the A.T. in this high country, a meal that's quick to cook on a stove makes sense. See the meals reviewers like.

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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.