waterfall – Page 5 – Virginia Trail Guide

Adam found this hike mentioned in a book called Waterfalls of Virginia and West Virginia. Since we’ve had so much rain lately, we decided to take the short three mile hike to see the falls.

Dry Run is pretty after substantial rain

Christine Says…

We parked our car at the South River Overlook and made our way down the Dry Run Falls Fire Road. The road was wet and sloppy, but still beautiful because it was lined with countless wildflowers: trillium, wild geranium, violets, hepatica, ragwort and many more I couldn’t identify.

The road follows a gentle downhill grade and eventually passes Lost Cliffs, an impressive rock face rising straight up from the forest floor. A little over a mile into the hike, you start to hear the sounds of water gurgling downhill, getting louder and stronger as more run-off joins the flow.

Dry Run falls are visible from the trail, and would actually be quite pretty if there weren’t several large fallen trees obscuring the view. To get close to the stream, you have to do a little bit of bushwhacking down the ravine. There are a few places along the stream that are photogenic and worth the effort to climb down.

On the hike, we all found multiple ticks crawling on us. After all was said and done, I think we ended up picking sixteen ticks off our clothing and skin. I skipped using bug spray on this hike because our dog was hiking with us, and DEET is so toxic to them. This was by far the most ticks I’ve ever found on myself after a hike.

All in all, Dry Run was a pleasant walk, but not something I would consider a “must-do” hike. There isn’t really anything noteworthy to see along the way and the falls weren’t anything special.

Adam Says…

I was a little unimpressed by this hike. It was something new for us, since we have done most of the Central and South SNP hikes, but it was good to get out to stretch the legs. The fire road leads to an easy walk through the woods. We saw a few bear droppings through the hike, so be careful and make some noise along the trail. Dry Run can be viewed from the trail, but you need to do some bushwhacking to get to the water for any photo opportunities. The water was rushing hard today, but we’ve had a couple of weeks of heavy rain. I’m not sure how heavy this is during a dry season. The water does have several areas of falls and tumbling water if you continue on the trail. You can also approach this hike without entering through the main gate by way of Elkton, but we wanted to do the normal hike.

A neat side-trip was to climb up Lost Cliffs. At the end of the large formation on your right, you will see signs of a short trail that leads you up to the rocks above. Be careful, since most of the rocks are covered with moss and that first step is a lulu.

Wookie Says…

Wookie really enjoyed walking on the fire road. It was definitely an easy and suitable trail for dogs. There was lots of mud and standing water on the trail, so he was filthy and needed a bath when he got home. He also came home with lots ticks crawling on him — one had already attached to his ear.

Trail Notes

Distance – 3.2 miles round-trip
Elevation Change – insignificant – maybe a couple hundred feet.
Difficulty – 1. The trail follows a fire road and has very gentle climbs and descents.
Trail Conditions – 5. The trail is well maintained.
Views – 0. No views.
Waterfalls/streams – 2. The falls and stream are pretty, but nothing special.
Wildlife – 2. We heard a turkey and saw several kinds of salamanders. There were also signs of bear and deer around.
Ease to Navigate – 5. It would be nearly impossible to get lost.
Solitude – 4. Fire roads are used infrequently in the park. We saw only one other person – a local guy collecting mushrooms.

Directions to trailhead:

Follow Skyline Drive to mile 62.7. Park at the South River Overlook. Cross the drive and pick up the trail on the west side of the road.

We thought we would start off the Virginia Trail Guide site with one of the most popular hikes in Virginia – Dark Hollow Falls.

Adam Says…

This trail is probably the most popular of all the hikes in Shenandoah National Park. Due to the short length and the waterfall views, it is a quick hike that gives you a lot of bang-for-your-buck.

I used to hike this trail a lot while a student at JMU. We would choose the coldest day of the year and sit under the falls for as long as we could stand it. It was our version of the Polar Bear Club, but we always brought a change of clothes to save us from hypothermia.

Dark Hollow Falls are created by the Hogcamp Branch, which will come into quick view on your right as the trail descends. At the top of the falls, you will see a sign that depicts “Falls Can Kill”. Make sure you stay on the trail! A college friend of mine tried to cross the falls near the top and fell to a lower shelf. He broke his coccyx and had to sit on a donut for about a month. His butt looked like a cross between a baboon and a Smurf. After the sign, you will approach an impressive rock formation on the left. The trail descends sharply at this point until you reach the base of the upper falls. When there has been a decent amount of rain, water falls impressively over three rock shelves. However, in dry times, the entire waterfall is usually reduced to a mere trickle. The lower falls are significantly less impressive and are a short walk down the trail. The lower falls also mark the spot where the Dark Hollow Trail converges with the Fisher’s Gap Fire Road and the Rose River Trail.

Since there is a 440 foot elevation change in this short hike, the hike back up is more strenuous. There are plenty of places to rest along the way back up.

Christine Says…

Without a doubt, Dark Hollow Falls is Shenandoah’s iconic hike. Whenever I talk to anyone about the park, they almost always ask, “Have you hiked Dark Hollow?” It’s short, it’s close to Big Meadows and it gives you easy access to one of the park’s more impressive waterfalls. Photographically speaking, Dark Hollow isn’t the most photogenic of waterfalls. It’s usually crowded and the falls are surrounded by lots of scraggly brush and bare rock. The upper falls are definitely more impressive in size and scale, but the lower falls are probably a little more picturesque. During autumn, the lower falls are a nice spot to photograph colorful leaves on rocks surrounded by rushing water. The other benefit Dark Hollow offers for photographers is hinted at by its name. The water stays in the shadows most of the day, so it’s usually pretty easy to get even light and longer exposures.

When we hiked the trail this Saturday, it was cloudy and very still. We’d had days of rain, so the water was really running down the gorge. We got to the trailhead around 7:30 a.m. The only other people on the trail were a pair of photographers. We saw a lot more people coming down the trail when we were hiking back up. When we got back to the top, it was perfect timing for a fantastic breakfast at Skyland, one of the park’s two lodges.

Until yesterday, it had actually been years since we’d hiked the Dark Hollow Trail. I walk down to the falls frequently, but I prefer to use the fire road – fewer people and less wear and tear on the trail.

Trail Notes

Distance – 1.4 miles round-trip
Elevation Change – 440 feet
Difficulty – 2.75. Like most waterfall trails, you typically hike down to see them and hike up to return. While it is only .7 mile to see the falls, coming back will definitely make you break a sweat. The way down is more like a 2 and the way back is more like a 3.
Trail Conditions – 4. Since this is a well-traveled trail, the trail is maintained often. Mostly small gravel on the trail, but due to the steepness of the trail and erosion fro heavy foot traffic, there are often muddy areas.
Views – 1. Views are only of the waterfalls and streams below. Wooded trail doesn’t lead to overlooks.
Waterfalls/streams – 4. Great waterfall view at the end of the trail and the Hogcamp Branch is in view along the much of the trail.
Wildlife – 2. You would be likely to see deer that have visited here from Big Meadows area. Chipmunks are everywhere. Bears tend to stay away due to the human traffic. Many bird species in the trees.
Ease to Navigate – 5. Trail is easily marked and it would be nearly impossible to get lost.
Solitude – 1. Due to the trail’s popularity, you will not get a lot of solitude there. Early morning visits will get the highest possibility of solitude.

Directions to trailhead: On Skyline Drive. Parking lot is located around mile marker 50.7 in the Central District of Shenandoah National Park. Trail begins near signs on the north end of the parking lot.

Alternate Hike: You can also approach Dark Hollow Falls by hiking down the Fisher’s Gap Fire Road which originates across from the overlook of the same name. Across Skyline Drive, you will see the fire road with the road gate. After about .75 miles, you will come to an iron bridge at the bottom of lower Dark Hollow Falls. You can then walk up the trail to get a view of the upper falls. This alternate is a great idea for anyone who wants a less strenous option. The fire road is smooth enough that I’ve actually seen parents pushing strollers down the trail.