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Coronavirus Latest: Old Rag Mountain Trail in Shenandoah National Park Is Closed To Reduce Crowding
MAR 23, 3:25 PM
Coronavirus Latest: The Popular Old Rag Mountain Trail in Shenandoah National Park Is Closed To Reduce Crowding
Staff
March 24, 8:55 a.m.: The National Park Service announced that Old Rag Mountain and Whiteoak Canyon trails in Shenandoah National Park are now closed, by order of the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. The closure comes after NPS expressed concerns over crowds of people visiting Shenandoah over the weekend, prompting officials to close the roads leading to the Old Rag area.
The access roads — Nethers Road and Wheatley Hollow Road — are closed except to local traffic.
“We are closely monitoring COVID-19 with the federal, state, and local authorities,” a statement on the Shenandoah National Park website reads. “The situation is changing rapidly. Please monitor our social media sites and/or our website for the most up-to-date information.”
Old Rag Mountain is the most popular hike in the national park, attracting crowds of visitors each year for a nine-mile scramble up to a panoramic outlook and back.
On Saturday, the park begged visitors to stop congregating on high-use trails like Old Rag, Whiteoak Canyon, and Dark Hollow Falls.
“We are concerned that Saturday’s visitation patterns were in violation of CDC recommendations,” a statement posted on Saturday reads. “If you are coming to the Park, please choose to visit areas that are not crowded to allow for adequate social distancing.”
Fees for visiting Shenandoah and other national parks have been waived by the Department of the Interior.
{snip}
Coronavirus Latest: The Popular Old Rag Mountain Trail in Shenandoah National Park Is Closed To Reduce Crowding
Staff
March 24, 8:55 a.m.: The National Park Service announced that Old Rag Mountain and Whiteoak Canyon trails in Shenandoah National Park are now closed, by order of the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. The closure comes after NPS expressed concerns over crowds of people visiting Shenandoah over the weekend, prompting officials to close the roads leading to the Old Rag area.
The access roads — Nethers Road and Wheatley Hollow Road — are closed except to local traffic.
“We are closely monitoring COVID-19 with the federal, state, and local authorities,” a statement on the Shenandoah National Park website reads. “The situation is changing rapidly. Please monitor our social media sites and/or our website for the most up-to-date information.”
Old Rag Mountain is the most popular hike in the national park, attracting crowds of visitors each year for a nine-mile scramble up to a panoramic outlook and back.
On Saturday, the park begged visitors to stop congregating on high-use trails like Old Rag, Whiteoak Canyon, and Dark Hollow Falls.
“We are concerned that Saturday’s visitation patterns were in violation of CDC recommendations,” a statement posted on Saturday reads. “If you are coming to the Park, please choose to visit areas that are not crowded to allow for adequate social distancing.”
Fees for visiting Shenandoah and other national parks have been waived by the Department of the Interior.
{snip}