Rice Mountain
About
Rice Mountain is a summit of 2,201 feet in Virginia, about 5 miles from Buena Vista. It sits within the Glenwood and Pedlar Ranger Districts of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest, and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail passes through the area. For comfortable weather, aim for late spring or early fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 71°F and September highs around 75°F, with July the warmest month at about 83°F. The Appalachian Trail lies about 2 miles away, and Panther Falls and Elephant Mountain Trail are each roughly 3.5 miles off. Oronoco campground is about 6 miles away.
Summit Facts
Summit elevation
2,201 ft
Elevation from USGS 3D Elevation Program terrain data (about 10 m resolution).
Location
Rice 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 64–83°F and lows of 36–60°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Montebello Fish Cultural Stn, VA weather station, 15 mi away. High / low in °F.
- Jan41° high19° low
- Feb45° high20° low
- Mar52° high25° low
- Apr64° high36° low
- May71° high46° low
- Jun80° high56° low
- Jul83° high60° low
- Aug81° high58° low
- Sep75° high51° low
- Oct65° high39° low
- Nov53° high29° low
- Dec44° high24° low
Where it is
- Glenwood and Pedlar Ranger Districts · Ranger district
- Appalachian National Scenic Trail · National Park Service
- George Washington and Jefferson National Forest · National forest
- Nearest town
- Buena Vista, Virginia · 5.1 mi
Source: USFS EDW boundaries; NPS Land Resources boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places
Conditions
Active alerts for Glenwood and Pedlar Ranger Districts as of Oct 9, 2026:
Prohibitions on the James River Footbridge on the Appalachian National Scenic Trail
information · posted Aug 24, 2026
Source: USFS forest alerts
Nearby
- Appalachian TrailHiking2.1 mi
- Main areaRock climbing3.4 mi
- Panther FallsHiking3.5 mi
- Elephant Mountain TrailHiking3.6 mi
- Reservoir Hollow TrailMountain biking3.8 mi
- Power Line MaintenanceMountain biking3.9 mi
- Reid Hollow RoadRock climbing4.1 mi
- OronocoCamping5.8 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
