Virginia trails · Iron Mountain
Iron Mountain
A 17.8-mile network in Virginia, with 1,745 ft of climbing. Reaches Shaw Gap and other pass/summit destinations. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Elevation profile
The climbing leans toward the middle third: 53% of the ascent falls between mile 7.9 and mile 15.7. It gives back about 2,739 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Shaw Gap (pass)
- Grosses Mountain (summit)
- Flat Top (summit)
Heads up
Getting there
Iron Mountain access. 36.70235, -81.54432 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:29 a.m., the sun rises at 6:56 a.m. and sets at 7:56 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 8:22 p.m. (EDT) — 13 h 00 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 17.8-mile route takes roughly 7 h 27 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 2:23 p.m. — 5 h 33 min before sunset.
Loop options
- Little Laurel Trail + Iron Mountain — 1.9 mi loop, 354 ft gain
- Iron Mountain + Iron Mountain Spur A — 7.6 mi loop, 2,073 ft gain
Nearby trails
- Virginia Highlands — 3.7 mi