When we left the house that morning the weatherman was calling for temps in the 90’s that whole weekend. Too hot to ride? Well for me , YES! So, that’s why we loaded up and headed to a place called Mount Rogers in Virginia. When we arrived in the high country, the weather was amazing! The high temperature was around 75 with very little humidity all weekend. Perfect riding weather in July!
We stayed at the Old Virginia Group Horse Camp. You can stay there by reservation only, which you can make at, www.recreation.gov. You can rent the entire campground. which accommodates up to 25 people. Primitive camping with portajohns and a small creek set the scene. I would bring water because the creek is small. There are other places to camp in the area such as Fox Creek and Rocky Hollow. Both are very nice campgrounds. All of these campgrounds are located outside of a little town called Troutdale, Virginia. Please note, there is no cell service in most places. So have your route mapped out before you go.
With so much of the wildness and nature disappearing around us, it’s a pleasant surprise to see a place as beautiful and amazing as Mount Rogers. As we rode out of camp, up a rocky trail through the woods, up the mountain side, it was like being a kid ready for Christmas! You had heard of this , place seen the pictures but when you finally get to the top, it takes your breath away. It opens up to all this wide open space. And guess what else is atop Virginia’s tallest mountain peak besides amazing views and wide open spaces? Small herds of wild ponies and Texas longhorn cattle!
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Unlike the Spanish-descent wild mustangs of the West, the wild ponies of the Grayson Highlands are of Shetland pony descent.
Leesa shooting from her horse, Sonny, during the Mount Rogers ride
Photo by Randy Jenkins