Shenandoah National Park extends pilot program to improve visitor safety

Monique Calello, Staunton News Leader
·2 min read
Hikers wait in line at the chute on the rock scramble portion of Old Rag Circuit Trail
Hikers wait in line at the chute on the rock scramble portion of Old Rag Circuit Trail

LURAY – Shenandoah National Park will reinstate its Old Rag pilot program March 1, according to a press release.

Shenandoah began the program last year to test a ticketing system intended to address crowding and congestion. The goals are to improve the visitor experience and safety, as well as to protect fragile natural resources at Old Rag, the release said. The proposal included a public comment period prior to the pilot which ran from March 1, 2022 to Nov. 30, 2022.

During the pilot, hikers who used trails in the Old Rag area (Saddle, Ridge and Ridge Access) were required to purchase day-use tickets which were capped at 800 per day. Park staff collected data to be used to determine if the system was contributing toward relieving congestion. The park planned to share the data and evaluate the pilot in early January. However, two winter storms in December caused widespread damage, closing Skyline Drive, the release said.

“Reopening Skyline Drive was our top priority in January, which did not allow us the time needed for evaluating the pilot program” said Pat Kenny, park superintendent. “We have decided to reinstate the pilot for 2023 to gather more information and to be able to devote time for careful consideration of a longer-term solution to address our concerns at Old Rag.”

Within the next few months park staff will share the data and provide an opportunity for additional public input, the release said.

Old Rag summit and rock scramble on July 1, 2022.
Old Rag summit and rock scramble on July 1, 2022.

The pilot program will resume March 1. A total of 800 tickets will be available for each day from March 1 to Nov. 30; 400 will be available 30 days prior to the date of arrival and the remaining 400 will be released five days in advance.

Hikers must purchase their tickets online at recreation.gov before their arrival. Tickets are valid for the day of arrival only, the release said. A day-use ticket does not guarantee a parking spot, and entrance fees still apply in addition to the day-use ticket fee of $1 dollar.

For more information about the pilot, specifics about where tickets are required and details on obtaining tickets, visit https://go.nps.gov/oldragticket.

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Reporter Monique Calello can be reached at mcalello@newsleader.com. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com and support local journalism.

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Shenandoah National Park extends Old Rag pilot program