VA · Northeast & Mid-Atlantic · 2026 exact answer
Old Rag Trailhead main parking lot closed at Shenandoah: what applies in 2026?
Direct answer
Old Rag Trailhead main parking lot closed for construction from May 4, 2026
Exact conditions
- Status
- Not required; the stated access rule still applies
- Applies to
- vehicles
- Place or corridor
- Old Rag Trailhead main parking lot
- Effective dates
- May 4, 2026 through November 30, 2026
- Release model
- first come
Release detail: Parking is free and first-come; an Old Rag ticket does not guarantee a parking spot.
Fee detail: Parking at the NPS-operated Old Rag boundary lots is free.
Exceptions and limits
- Visitors can still access the Old Rag Trailhead via existing overflow parking lots.
- Day-use tickets are still required during the closure.
- NPS gives the end of work as 'November 2026' without a specific date; the end date on this rule is the end of the ticket season, not a published reopening date.
Official source
National Park Service · reviewed August 27, 2026
Effective May 4, 2026, Shenandoah National Park will begin infrastructure enhancements at the Old Rag Trailhead main parking lot. We expect to complete work by November 2026. Until then, the main parking lot is closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
Old Rag Day-Use Ticket - Shenandoah National Park