Virginia trails · Riprap Trail

Riprap Trail

A 9.2-mile loop in Virginia, with 1,484 ft of climbing. Reaches Chimney Rock and other summit/viewpoint destinations. Managed by the National Park Service.

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Length

9.2 mi

Elevation gain

1,484 ft

Difficulty

Expert

Max grade

24%

Steepest mile

+638 ft

Tread at ≥10% grade

3.2 mi

Shape

loop

Bikes

Horses

Managed by

National Park Service

Elevation profile

Most of the climbing sits in the first third — 69% of the ascent, between mile 0.0 and mile 3.0. It gives back about 1,736 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.

3-D terrain

USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5

Reaches

Chimney Rock (summit)
Calvary Rocks (summit)
Chimney Rock (viewpoint)

Heads up

Stream ford: expect at least one unbridged crossing.

Daylight at the trailhead

On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:56 a.m., the sun rises at 7:22 a.m. and sets at 6:39 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 7:05 p.m. (EDT) — 11 h 16 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 9.2-mile route takes roughly 4 h 08 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 11:30 a.m. — 7 h 09 min before sunset.