At 5,729 feet, Mount Rogers is the most famous and the highest peak in Virginia. There are no roads leading to the summit, making it secluded and isolated. There are two major hiking trails up the mountain. The shortest, and for that reason the most popular, route is via Massie Gap in Grayson Highlands or the Elk Garden Trailhead. The Massie Gap is an 8-mile round trip, and the Elk Garden is little longer at 9 miles. The Massie Gap Trail is the most scenic summit approach and by far the most popular way to get up Mount Rogers. Mount Rogers is the summit of the Mount Rogers National Recreational Area, which was established to protect the natural landscape. The mountain is one of the last remaining homes to Southern Appalachian spruce-fir forests, with the rare Fraser fir, which normally grows above 5,500 feet. While beautiful, these massive trees obstruct any view you might have hoped for from the summit of Mount Rogers. However, the trail has other delights, such as rhododendron thickets, which bloom vividly during the months of May and June, and a chance to see some wild ponies.

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