Parking
Use the Powell Mountain foot access on VA Route 759 (Jollett Road). The NPS boundary-access guide describes limited roadside parking for one car.
Overview
About Powell Mountain Trail
Why go
- The rock formation gives the long ridge climb a clear summit destination.
Heads up
- A sustained climb makes this a substantial half-day hike.
- Roadside parking at the access is limited to about one car.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Shenandoah map
Full mapElevation1,440–3,235 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Shenandoah alerts
- ClosureOld Rag Trailhead main lot closedThe Old Rag Trailhead main parking lot is closed to vehicles and pedestrians for infrastructure improvements; use the existing overflow lots. - Work is expected to be completed by November 2026.Official details
- ClosureBackcountry camping and zone closuresBackcountry camping is prohibited on the Appalachian Trail from Lewis Mountain to Big Meadows, and the Naked Creek backcountry zone is closed.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Shenandoah Tour Guide
Your drive to Powell Mountain Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Shenandoah National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Shenandoah audio tourMore stories near here in the app
- Bearfence: Choose the Scramble or the Viewpoint
- The Point Overlook: Take the Path to the Rocks
- Bootens Gap: The Long Hike to Bear Church Rock
- Lewis Mountain: A Picnic Stop with Important History
- 146 audio storiesacross Shenandoah’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Bald Eagle, White-tailed Deer, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 163 trails, 142 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Powell Mountain Trail
The routePowell Mountain Trail is a 7-mile round-trip out-and-back from the Route 759 boundary access to…
Powell Mountain Trail is a 7-mile round-trip out-and-back from the Route 759 boundary access to an unmarked summit. The mapped corridor runs about 3.5 miles each way; allow around five hours. It is a long, sustained climb from the road to a rocky high point, best suited to hikers ready for a hard half-day walk. This is the Route 759 approach; a separately listed Skyline Drive version has a different start and is not part of this route.
The summitThe trail ends at an unmarked summit, where a prominent rock formation is the clearest landmark.
The trail ends at an unmarked summit, where a prominent rock formation is the clearest landmark. A wooded ridge view opens between the trees, so expect a partly framed look across mountain slopes rather than a broad, open overlook. The natural-surface path climbs through uneven ground, and rocks and leaves around the summit can make footing less certain.
Access, pets and feesStart at the Powell Mountain foot access on VA Route 759 (Jollett Road).
Start at the Powell Mountain foot access on VA Route 759 (Jollett Road). Parking is roadside and limited to about one car. Shenandoah requires an entrance pass even for hikers entering from the boundary. Pets are allowed on most park trails; Powell Mountain is not on the prohibited-trail list, and dogs must stay on a physical leash no longer than six feet.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Shenandoah
325 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
21 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
1,036 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
167 sightingsWild TurkeyMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
93 sightingsTimber RattlesnakeMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
24 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Shenandoah. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
