---
title: "Old Rag Mountain day-use tickets (Shenandoah): dates & how to apply"
url: https://parksahead.com/permits/old-rag/
verified_on: 2026-10-15
sources:
  - https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/faqs-oldrag.htm
  - https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/facility/10088450
attribution: "Data Source: Recreation.gov"
---
# Old Rag Mountain day-use tickets (Shenandoah): dates & how to apply

## Short answer

Required Mar 1–Nov 30. Tickets become available the first week of February. 400/day released 30 days ahead + 400/day released 5 days ahead.

Next window:
- 30-day release (400 tickets/day): 10:00 a.m., 30 days before. Source: https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/faqs-oldrag.htm
- 5-day release (400 tickets/day): 10:00 a.m., 5 days before. Source: https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/faqs-oldrag.htm

Booking: https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/facility/10088450

Verified: 2026-10-15

## Last verified

Last verified October 15, 2026 against the official pages below.

## Cite this page

Parks Ahead, “Old Rag Mountain day-use tickets (Shenandoah): dates & how to apply”, https://parksahead.com/permits/old-rag/, last verified October 15, 2026.

PATTERN. Published recurring schedule.

## Key dates

### 30-day release (400 tickets/day)

10:00 a.m., 30 days before (NPS: Old Rag FAQ https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/faqs-oldrag.htm)

### 5-day release (400 tickets/day)

10:00 a.m., 5 days before (NPS: Old Rag FAQ https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/faqs-oldrag.htm)

## Where to apply

Old Rag Mountain Tickets: Check current availability on Recreation.gov. https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/facility/10088450

No availability data. Recreation.gov's public RIDB data has none, and we don't scrape it. Pages link each facility's booking page for current availability.

## How it works

Recreation.gov. $2 per ticket plus park entrance fee. Main trailhead lot closed for work expected to finish Nov 2026.

## Fees

### Old Rag Mountain Tickets

Fees (as of October 15, 2026)
> Each Old Rag day-use ticket will cost $2.00.

NPS: Old Rag FAQ https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/faqs-oldrag.htm
> Entrance fees still apply in addition to the day-use ticket and may be purchased online or at the station.

NPS: Old Rag FAQ https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/faqs-oldrag.htm

## Conditions

October 15, 2026: The Old Rag Trailhead main parking lot is closed for work NPS expects to finish by November 2026. (NPS: Old Rag FAQ https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/faqs-oldrag.htm)

Weather: NWS forecast: Shenandoah National Park https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=38.49236644&lon=-78.46907715
Park-level point (NPS park coordinates). No official Old Rag coordinate found: RIDB 10088450 lists 0,0 and NPS /places has no Old Rag record.

Alerts: NPS: current alerts and conditions https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/conditions.htm

## Before you apply
- **Get a ticket for every person.** Each ticket covers one person, and "Every person is required to have a ticket, no matter what age" ([NPS: Old Rag Day-Use Ticket](https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/faqs-oldrag.htm)).
- **Split big groups across reservers.** You may reserve up to four tickets in your name per day, so a group of more than 4 needs a second person to reserve the rest. Whoever reserved the tickets must show a photo ID at the Old Rag Entrance Station ([NPS](https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/faqs-oldrag.htm)).
- **Buy the entrance pass too.** The ticket doesn't replace a park entrance pass, and "Your entrance pass and Old Rag day-use ticket must present corresponding dates." Free Access and Military Veterans and Gold Star Family Access pass holders still need a ticket ([NPS](https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/faqs-oldrag.htm)).
- **Camping overnight?** Every person needs a separate ticket for each day spent within the ticketed area of Old Rag Mountain ([NPS](https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/faqs-oldrag.htm)).

## Common mistakes
- **Planning to buy at the trailhead.** Tickets aren't sold in person at the Old Rag entrance station, which has no internet service, and cell service there is not reliable. Get tickets online or by phone before you arrive ([NPS](https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/faqs-oldrag.htm)).
- **Treating a ticket as a parking spot.** "A day-use ticket does not guarantee a parking spot." NPS strongly recommends carpooling ([NPS](https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/faqs-oldrag.htm)).
- **Missing the change deadline.** You can cancel or change until noon the day before your ticket date, but NPS says it can't issue a refund for any reason ([NPS](https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/faqs-oldrag.htm)).
- **Forgetting what to bring.** Bring an entrance pass (or a way to buy one), a photo ID, and a printout (preferred) or screenshot of your ticket ([NPS](https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/faqs-oldrag.htm)).

## What changed this year
TBA. As of Oct 15, 2026, the official page doesn't announce changes to the ticket rules for the next ticket season. Check [NPS: Old Rag Day-Use Ticket](https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/faqs-oldrag.htm).

## Tips
- **Your ticket covers the whole day.** It's good any time from 12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on your date, and tickets are required in the Old Rag area "at any time of day, even before sunrise or after sunset" ([NPS](https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/faqs-oldrag.htm)).
- **Know where tickets apply.** Tickets are required on the Saddle, Ridge and Ridge Access trails. NPS says trails, roads and areas outside the ticketed area don't need one, "including Weakley Hollow Fire Road" ([NPS](https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/faqs-oldrag.htm)).
About the forecast link: it's the National Weather Service forecast for Shenandoah National Park as a whole (the park-level location), not for Old Rag's summit or trailhead. We haven't found an official Old Rag coordinate, so expect conditions on the mountain to differ.

- **No fee waivers.** "Fee waivers of any kind will not be offered" for the ticket ([NPS](https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/faqs-oldrag.htm)).

Parks Ahead is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service or Recreation.gov.

Data Source: Recreation.gov