Carson Mountain
About
Carson Mountain is a summit of 2,591 feet in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, about 2.5 miles from the town of Chester Gap. For comfortable weather, aim for late spring or early fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Luray show May highs around 74°F and September highs around 78°F, while temperatures on the summit run cooler than those figures because the station sits well below the peak. Springhouse Trail starts just 0.2 miles away, and Fort Windham Rocks, a climbing area, is about 0.4 miles off. Dickey Ridge Horse Trail and Hickerson Hollow Trail are both within about a mile.
Summit Facts
Summit elevation
2,591 ft
Elevation from USGS 3D Elevation Program terrain data (about 10 m resolution).
Location
Carson Mountain
Virginia
Name and location: U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). Elevation: USGS 3D Elevation Program. View the GNIS record.
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: Apr–Oct. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 66–85°F and lows of 41–62°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Luray 5 E, VA weather station, 16 mi away. High / low in °F, and days with snow.
- Jan43° high23° low2 days with snow
- Feb47° high26° low2 days with snow
- Mar55° high32° low1 days with snow
- Apr66° high41° low
- May74° high50° low
- Jun81° high58° low
- Jul85° high62° low
- Aug83° high61° low
- Sep78° high54° low
- Oct67° high43° low
- Nov57° high34° low
- Dec47° high28° low1 days with snow
The station sits about 1,200 ft lower than this spot, so expect it to run cooler up here.
Where it is
- Shenandoah National Park · National Park Service
- Nearest town
- Chester Gap, Virginia · 2.5 mi
Source: NPS Land Resources boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places
Conditions
Active alerts for Shenandoah National Park as of Oct 9, 2026:
Park Closure · posted Oct 8, 2026
Ticket Required to Hike Old Rag
Information · posted Aug 24, 2026
Get Skyline Drive Status Updates
Information · posted Aug 24, 2026
Parking at Boundary Access Areas
Caution · posted Aug 24, 2026
Shenandoah National Park Moved to Fully Cashless Fee Collection
Information · posted Aug 24, 2026
Infrastructure Improvements to Old Rag Trailhead
Information · posted Aug 24, 2026
Source: NPS Alerts API
Nearby
- Springhouse TrailHiking0.2 mi
- Fort Windham RocksRock climbing0.4 mi
- Dickey Ridge Horse TrailHiking0.9 mi
- Hickerson Hollow TrailHiking1.1 mi
- North DistrictRock climbing1.4 mi
- Rappahannock RiverCanoeing4.2 mi
- Shenandoah RiverRiver fishing8 mi
- Mathews Arm CampgroundCamping8.4 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
