Vicki's Death March
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Vicki's Death March : event description
Vicki’s Death March is an annual VHTRC group run held over the Thanksgiving weekend; in 2026 it takes place on November 28. The route is a roughly 25.3-mile loop in Shenandoah National Park with about 5,800 feet of total ascent and descent, beginning and ending at the Old Rag mountain parking area on Route 600 near Nethers.
The course skirts Old Rag via the Berry Hollow and Weakley Hollow fire roads, then climbs the Whiteoak Canyon trail with its series of waterfalls, ascends Hawksbill (the park high point), and follows the Appalachian Trail north to Skyland, Stony Man, and Little Stony Man. The finish returns along trails toward Corbin Cabin and the Hughes River in Nicholson Hollow back to the starting lot. Skyland serves as the primary aid point with bathrooms, water, and a snack/coffee counter; payment methods are recommended for purchases there.
A National Park or Shenandoah National Park pass is required for entry; an Old Rag Day Use Ticket is not required for the VDM bypass route but is required if a runner chooses to ascend Old Rag via the Old Rag trail. Typical completion time is about six to eight hours; an optional variation that goes up and over Old Rag adds roughly an hour. Weather in late November is often early-winter like, with colder wind chill on the ridge and Appalachian Trail. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
