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 is spread fairly evenly along the route. It gives back about 2,589 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. About 47 min drive (24 mi, 5 of them unpaved) from Marion. 36.70235, -81.54432 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 7:06 a.m., the sun rises at 7:32 a.m. and sets at 6:51 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 7:17 p.m. (EDT) — 11 h 19 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 2:59 p.m. — 3 h 52 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, 2,074 ft gain
Nearby trails
- Virginia Highlands — 3.7 mi