15. Old Rag Mountain, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia (9 miles)
Learn MoreLocated within the borders of Washington, D.C. commuter-zone, the Old Rag is one of the more popular day-hikes in the southeast, with around 100,000 visitors per year. It’s also one of the most arduous and dangerous, mostly owing to a challenging rock scramble to the summit, and NPS search-and-rescue missions routinely pluck unprepared climbers off of the mountainside. The views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Piedmont are worth the risk. The Shenandoah is also the only major granite climbing area in the mid-Atlantic region, with over 100 established routes, some up to 100-feet in length and rated 5.7 and above. The best of the 5-star outings are Strawberry Fields (5.9+) and Bushwhack Crack (5.10c).
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