Hiking Mt. Rodgers has always been a dream of mine, the very tip top of my bucket list (besides a trip to Australia!). I have seen pictures of people on this hike alongside wild ponies with their flowing manes, seemingly unaware of the humans in their surroundings, and it has always seemed so magical to me. The AT passes through this area, and many a thru hike memoirs and blogs I have read mention the ponies and what a rite of passage (and highlight!) seeing these ponies are to the thru hikers. Plus, Mt. Rodgers (at 5,729 feet) is the highest point in Virginia. And, I have a thing about ‘ests’ – I love to do them: highest, biggest, longest, oldest, newest……tell me something is one of those, and I am all over it! Finally, this hike is in a pretty remote location, over 3 hours from Harrisonburg….and really not near much else just added to its mystique.
I can tend to set really high expectations for experiences in my mind, and then when they do not live up to said expectations, I have been known to get quite disappointed. One of the biggest disappointments I have ever had was an ill-fated trip to Chincoteague Island a few years ago: again on a quest to frolic among the wild ponies. We saw (and fell victim to) many a mosquitoes on that trip……some seemingly as big as ponies, but NO PONIES. I am still a little bitter.
This disappointment of the Chincoteague trip alternately set my heart more on seeing wild ponies at Mt. Rodgers, but also made me quite skeptical. And hopeful that I was not on a wild goose (or rather pony!!!) chase. Nonetheless, it was with great anticipation that this hike was finally going to materialize for me.
Aside from the draw of the ponies, this hike is gorgeous!!!
From the moment we stepped out of the car, I was taken in by this hike…and there were nary a horse in site! I had actually heard from a few sources that the Mt. Rodgers hike was not a great one in an of itself, other than the horses. That the highest point was marked, but that the view was actually tree covered and so a bit of a let down. That may be true at the top…..but I have never seen such a gorgeous hike from the get go. We immediately felt like we had been transported elsewhere – to Scotland (we were in the highlands after all) or as one of my hiking buddies said, to Narnia.
Even without the wild ponies……this hike quickly became my favorite ever. But then, about 3/4 of a mile into the hike…..THIS:
Okay, I got a little crazy at my first sight of the wild ponies. I loved every minute of this hike!
And there were more:
So thankful for my good time everything friend who is always up for an adventure. It was so fun to share this experience with her!
I can say without a doubt, this experience far exceeded any expectation I had for it, and then some. I am already plotting a return trip because none of my family actually got to experience it with me. This dream come true trip was actually made possible by the generosity of friends: first friends who have a cabin at Claytor Lake (and knew of my pony obsession) invited us down for the weekend to have a home base ‘closer’ to Grayson Highlands State park. But the weekend we chose, JJ was at scout camp……and Mickey ended up having to work all weekend……and Billy wanted to stay with his buddy and enjoy the splendors of Claytor Lake. Luckily, ‘my good time everything’ friend and her son graciously agreed to accompany me on the adventure. And, I had a great time experiencing all of its wonder with them. They are both enthusiastic hikers, and were just as blown away by Grayson Highlands as I was.
A pano at the top of the rock scramble along the Rhododendron Trail. It was our spot for lunch!
Next time we go, I have a new goal: actually getting to the top of Mt. Rodgers. That’s right, we were so enamored by the ponies and a surrounding rock scramble that we did not have time that day to do 6 mile roundtrip to the top hike. All the more reason to go back. There are actually 13 hiking trails throughout Grayson Highlands State park, and there are camping opportunities as well as cabin to rent. Plus, the town of Damascus is nearby, and I have always wanted to visit it, as it is a famous AT ‘trail town’. It will all make for a wonderful weekend…..perhaps more. And I cannot wait to share all of its wonder with Mickey, Billy, JJ and maybe J-Wow and Stevie the Wonder Dog. Surprisingly, dogs are allowed on the Rhododenron Trail, and we saw quite a few.
After our hike, I read up on the ponies of Grayson Highlands and here is a bullet list of what I found most interesting:
- The herd(totaling 50) was introduced into the area in 1975.
- The purpose: for the horses to graze throughout the ‘balds’ and keep the bush at bay.
- The herd has risen in some years up to 150 in numbers
- They have free reign of the park and are not provided with any shelters….and just some basic hay in rough winter months (it gets very cold and snows a lot at that elevation!)
- They naturally form into groups of anywhere between 8-20 horses, each with its own Stallion as the head of the group.
- The herd is rounded up yearly and treated for any health issues, so they are disease free.
- There is an auction each year, where varying numbers of ponies are sold
- Feeding the ponies is against park regulation…..but judging from the interactions we say, that rule is not followed nor enforced very closely.
- Finally, I was surprised at how small they were….they really are ponies; with them just coming up to about my waist in height.
I loved all the ponies at Grayson highland, but this guy might have been my favorite! We dubbed him Hairy!
The entrance to the Rhododendron Trail. Get ready to be transported to an ‘otherworldly’ place!
I will not even attempt to give directions to this hike, suffice it to say Google maps gets you where you need to go: Grayson Highlands State park. Once you enter the park, head towards the Massie Gap parking lot and look for the entrance to the Rhododendron Trail. (NOTE: there are other ways to actually hike Mt. Rodgers…..and likely see ponies. But this trail is your best bet for seeing the ponies. In fact, the park ranger told me it was ‘a sure thing’. It was for us, I hope it will be for you.
We visited on a glorious August day….be prepared for temperatures much colder than you might expect, and rapidly changing weather…due to the high elevations
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