Parking
The trailhead is near Skyline Drive milepost 76.1, with parking on the grass at the access. If you park at Two Mile Run Overlook, walk a short distance north along Skyline Drive to the trailhead.
Overview
About Rocky Mount
Why go
- An often-quiet trail with a broad summit outlook
- A summit out-and-back without the Gap Run loop extension
Heads up
- The first descent becomes a long climb on the return
- The short summit spur is unmarked
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Shenandoah map
Full mapElevation1,936–2,743 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 Rocky Mount, 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 tourRecorded for this trailhead
Rocky Mount: Save Energy for the Return Climb0:00 / 0:24
“Up ahead is Rocky Mount's trailhead, for a long woodland hike to a small outcrop with broad valley views. Allow four to five hours for the six point six mile round trip.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Shenandoah Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Two Mile Run Overlook: White Cliffs in the Forest
- Brown Mountain Overlook: Big Run Without the Hike
- Ivy Creek Overlook: Three Mountains and an Optional Walk
- Loft Mountain Overlook: County Line Mountain
- 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 Rocky Mount
The summit walkRocky Mount Trail is a 6.6-mile out-and-back from the Skyline Drive access near milepost 76.
Rocky Mount Trail is a 6.6-mile out-and-back from the Skyline Drive access near milepost 76.1 to a small summit outcrop. Another route report measures 6.8 miles, so leave room for a little extra. Allow about four to five hours for the down-and-up route. It is often quiet, though solitude is never guaranteed.
The long way upThe blue-blazed path first drops through the woods, losing about 700 feet over the first 2.
The blue-blazed path first drops through the woods, losing about 700 feet over the first 2.2 miles to the Gap Run junction. Stay on Rocky Mount Trail there; it climbs steeply for the next stretch, gaining about 800 feet over 1.2 miles. Views through the trees are intermittent. Near mile 3.4, look left for the short, unmarked spur to the summit rocks.
The view at the endThe spur reaches a small rock outcrop with a broad, roughly 180-degree view over the valley and…
The spur reaches a small rock outcrop with a broad, roughly 180-degree view over the valley and ridges. On clear days, the view reaches toward the South Fork Shenandoah and the Virginia–West Virginia ridges. For a photo, include a strip of the pale rock in the foreground with the valley beyond it; the rock gives the view a sense of scale.
Return and accessTurn around at the outcrop and retrace Rocky Mount Trail.
Turn around at the outcrop and retrace Rocky Mount Trail. The first descent becomes a sustained climb on the way back, so save energy for it. Taking Gap Run past the summit turns this into the separate 9.5-to-10-mile loop. Park on the grass at the Rocky Mount trailhead near milepost 76.1, or use Two Mile Run Overlook and walk north along Skyline Drive to the access. Leashed dogs are allowed; the park's leash limit is 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.
