Virginia trails · Whiteoak Canyon Trail
Whiteoak Canyon Trail
A 14.8-mile loop in Virginia, with 2,388 ft of climbing. Managed by the National Park Service.
Elevation profile
The climbing leans toward the final third: 51% of the ascent falls between mile 9.9 and mile 14.8. It gives back about 2,546 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Heads up
Getting there
Whiteoak Canyon Trail access — parking nearby. About 55 min drive (26 mi) from Culpeper. 38.53962, -78.34931 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:54 a.m., the sun rises at 7:21 a.m. and sets at 6:37 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 7:03 p.m. (EDT) — 11 h 16 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 14.8-mile route takes roughly 6 h 41 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 2:02 p.m. — 4 h 34 min before sunset.
Loop options
- Cedar Run Trail + Whiteoak-Cedar Run Link Trail + Whiteoak Canyon Trail — 2.1 mi loop, 417 ft gain
- Whiteoak Canyon Trail — 5.4 mi loop, 1,844 ft gain
- Whiteoak Canyon Trail — 11.3 mi loop, 3,009 ft gain
Nearby trails
- Cedar Run Trail — 2.3 mi
- Ridge Trail — 3.4 mi
- Skyland-Big Meadows Horse Trail — 4.4 mi
- Nicholson Hollow Trail — 5.1 mi