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Mount Rogers

Started by dnakamoto, November 12, 2009, 22:11:33 PM

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dnakamoto

Has anyone on here ever camped in Mount Rogers Va.?  I was reading about it and thinking about planning a spring family camping trip up there.  I was curious as to what it would take to set up camp in the area where they say you can view the ponies and any tips anyone may have?  Having never been there I just want to make sure that I have my ducks in a row before lugging the whole family up there.

Woolly Bugger

#1
the drive-in (Grayson Highlands State Park) camping with showers is a real nice campground with trails and a big grassy area to look at the stars at night and throw a frisbee during the day.

The ponies are up the road a ways (Mount Rogers) and you have to hike in for a mile or more to get to where they might be.  The AT runs over the top of the mountain (don't forget your up pretty high) which is a grassy bald with few trees and not much shelter from the wind.

A day hike will (may)put you up to the ponies and or cows.

ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!

dnakamoto

Woolly, Can you camp in the Mount Rogers area if you hike in?  How is the fishing in that area?

flatlander

Yes.  You can camp there.  The hike Woolly is describing is from Massy Gap to Rhodendron Gap--about 3 miles maybe.  Rhododendron Gap is a big bald with great views and a good spring for water.  It gets pretty crowded up there when the weather turns nice.  We usually try to head around the left side of the big wooded area at Rhodendron Gap--some good camp sites over there that are a bit more secluded, but not far from the spring.

Can't say anything about the fishing, never tried it.   0--0

SmallieRod

Im assuming that you all are talking about hiking in from the Grayson Highlands side of the "balds/scales"??

If you come around to the other side (through Volney, or Troutdale) and start up there is a ROUGH road that you can drive all the way up to the "scales" (the open area on top of the mountain, years ago farmers grazed livestock on the grassy areas on top of the mountain and there was a set of scales so they could weigh their animals when they sold them) and see the ponies (if you can find them), I wouldn't recommend anything with low ground clearance as it is littered with baseball to basketball sized rocks.

There is a campground with showers and such called Grindstone about 5 miles or so from the entrance to the road mentioned above , if you are looking to rough it a little more there are also campsites all over for that. Just a warning most of the do it yourself campgrounds on this side are geared towards horse people so watch where you step!!


There are a couple half stocked half wild trout streams near the campgrounds that are fair. And it is only about 20 mins from a "blue ribbon" trout stream that im sure most people here have heard of. Ive not done any blue lining up there but the possibilities appear endless.

flatlander

Quote from: SmallieRod on November 13, 2009, 09:30:10 AM
Im assuming that you all are talking about hiking in from the Grayson Highlands side of the "balds/scales"??

If you come around to the other side (through Volney, or Troutdale) and start up there is a ROUGH road that you can drive all the way up to the "scales" (the open area on top of the mountain, years ago farmers grazed livestock on the grassy areas on top of the mountain and there was a set of scales so they could weigh their animals when they sold them) and see the ponies (if you can find them), I wouldn't recommend anything with low ground clearance as it is littered with baseball to basketball sized rocks.

There is a campground with showers and such called Grindstone about 5 miles or so from the entrance to the road mentioned above , if you are looking to rough it a little more there are also campsites all over for that. Just a warning most of the do it yourself campgrounds on this side are geared towards horse people so watch where you step!!


There are a couple half stocked half wild trout streams near the campgrounds that are fair. And it is only about 20 mins from a "blue ribbon" trout stream that im sure most people here have heard of. Ive not done any blue lining up there but the possibilities appear endless.

Is that where the big horse corral is? 

SmallieRod

Yea that is where the big horse corral is.

dnakamoto

Thanks guys.  I have a few months to try and make since of it all.  I figure I will be going to look for a map of the area soon.  Im sure that will help.

Trout Maharishi

I heard it had become a big MS13 hangout >:D
"We're all going to die, all of us, what a circus! That alone should make us love each other but it doesn't. We are terrorized and flattened by trivialities, we are eaten up by nothing."
― Charles Bukowski