We were pumped to try this easy trail but quickly found out it's more moderate than easy. My…read morehusband has a broken vertebrae in his back so he had to turn around. I decided to push forward and was so happy I did. Such a breathtaking hike. The falls are gorgeous and the path is very nice. They have steps built in to many steep places that makes it very easy to navigate. It was a very warm spring day and I did not bring enough water. Bring water or at least a filter so you can have as much drinking water as you need. I enjoyed the hike down but was quickly humbled on the way back up! When I say breathtaking I mean I was out of breath and breathing hard on the way up. So worth it though. I actually hiked down to the Rose River Loop Trail and that's where I turned around to go back up and it's like a 945 ft elevation gain in 1.5 miles. I had to take some breaks and even cooled myself down a bit in the water. What an epic hike though and I even saw a deer!

Amazing waterfall! It was well worth it. It gets steep coming back up but it's nothing anyone can't…read moredo.

This is a 1.5 mile out and another 1.5 miles back for a total of 3 miles round trip hike to the…read morelower falls . The hike is not too bad majority is tripping hazards , it has a few spots that get a little steep . As someone who has had double digit knee surgeries I would say it falls in between easy and moderate . Took just under an hour to make it out to the lower 3 falls . Now the trail gets very steep and rough after the 3 lower falls so unless you are in some good shape you might want to just take in the lower falls and call it good .

Beautiful hike with lots of waterfalls. The trail was supposed to be a loop but we couldn't find…read morewhere to cross above the waterfall so ended up doing an out and back.

Beautiful outdoor natural waterfall and swimming hole. My only regret is that I didn't bring my…read moreswimming suit! I can't wait to go back. The hike is easy compared to others in the area. It's about a mile to the swimming hole. Be sure to bring, all the outdoors stuff: bug stray, sun block, etc. Also, you are in nature so, be on the look out for snacks - we came into contact with a black snack, it was harmless but definitely pay attention. Wear shoes unless rocks don't bother you. It's honestly a beautiful place! Here's an article that provides more info: https://gohikevirginia.com/sugar-hollow-reservoir/. I almost forgot. There's no cell phone service. No bars baby.

Directions are past the third goat ridge on the right (open maps) and it's a 40 min walk but you…read morecan get there quicker if you speed walk/run.

Beautiful area with tons of trails to explore- rocky paths and limited parking availableread more

I agree with most posts I read that state this is a "mini" Old Rag. It's true to the fact that if…read moreyou start at the lowest starting point, it does take all day. There is also a pretty eventful rock climb you have to work through to get to the top. (No need for harnesses..hand and foot rock climbing). I agree with the handful of posts that state, "It's easy to get lost". I even printed the map with texts on it and took it with me. We turned around a couple of times before agreeing on which path to take at an intersection. I took 4, 15 year olds with me on this (5 mile round trip hike). It ended up being 13 miles round trip. My fitbit confirmed 13 miles and over 32,000 steps! We arrived to the trail at 11:30am Sunday 9/11. We got back to the car at 6:30pm. We only sat on the rocks at the top for 30 min...we had to go before the sun set. We did have fun. The kids were troppers, let me tell you! they could have slain me out there for this trip! It was never ending AND strenuous. We were well prepared though. We each took 3 bottles of water and a couple extras. Trail mix, cheetos, peanut butter crackers, apples..we were good to go. The paths with little rocks whether going up or down would start a dirt avalanche with every step! Take it slowly and distance yourself from the person in front of you! Lots of sliding. On the boulders/big rocks, that you have to manuever over the other half of the trail, takes a lot of time and energy. Be careful. Easy to twist an ankle or fall and get seriously hurt in the middle of absolutely nowhere! And it's very solitude, which i usually like.....usually.... Follow the Markers! If you do not see a marker every 40 yards, something is wrong! The paths are marked! I will say that....but a lot of intersections and it depends on which way you came in from as to take a right or left. It was hard. The rock scramble at the top. Take your time! Look for the pink markers on the rocks.....easy to miss at times. On the way towards our final march toward the rock scramble, we did see a sign showing us an easier way back to our car. We could take this short cut 1.5 miles and come out on Crisman Hollow Rd. We did this on the way back....Once we got to the road, we still had to hike another good 1.5 if not 2 miles on the road to the car! It was exhausting! wow..... Here's what we did.... and here's an easier way to do it: We drove down rte 211 from Warrenton through Luray to take a right on Crisman Hollow Rd. (dirt road). Road goes up. See Storybook Land Trail on the right...keep going....See Massenutten Trail on the right..(That's where we parked!--UGH.....13 miles--probably 9 but we had to back track a bit). Straight down hill from the get go! landslides under your feet.... get down to the bottom at the intersection. Take a LEFT on the orange trail (do not take a right on white). On Orange..go up, go down, go across a creek...go up, up....another intersection...Go Left here! (we went right and had to back track a mile or so!) After this left, you go up again...then down adn RE-CROSS the stream...Then you'll notice you are on a long Switch back up up up another mountain that is very rocky with large boulders...keep going up!!! Forever...until the next intersection. You will see a sign. Amen! Take a right onto the orange trail. Sign will say gap trail..You'll see fire burnt trees on the left as you walk...Once it opens up and your walking on large rocks...Stop! Look to the right. You have to look on the rocks to see a pink paint mark. That's your path! (Not the clear path on the left or down hill)...The rocky boulder path on the right. Go have fun there. Follow the Pink Markers! What we should have done: Keep driving on the gravel Crismson Hollow Road PAST the Massenutten sign to the sign that says Scothorn gap Trail. (The sign was broken though)...Sign is on the left...parking on the right! There is a yellow marker on the tree! There is also a metal gate blocking the path so you can't drive up there...Park there and walk across a creek immeditely...to go up, up up a 1.5 mile hike to an intersection where you see the sign...Go Straight....You'll continue to go uphill and see the fire burnt trees on the left..yadda yadda yadda.... But that cuts like 4 or 5 miles off the enormous hike we took. I hope this helps someone. Here are some pictures of our trip. -Oh! Let me say....I'm sorry everyone...but there are a million views that are better than this one. Even the Stoney Man trail has better views...Hawksbill Trail. Spy Rock, Humpback Rock. This one did not grab me and take my breath like the others. And I've been up Old Rag Mountain....This pales in comparison with the hike and the view...

After staying overnight at the Big Meadows Lodge, we stopped in a second time at the Harry F. Byrd…read moreSr. Visitor Center to get a few more recommendations from the Park Rangers on a hike we could do that day before making the long drive back home to Georgia. Among her recommendations, we chose Doyles River Falls Hike because it was south of where we were, which is the direction we needed to go back home. The real incentive was the two waterfalls on the trail. Having lived in Hawaii for 3 years and hiking on a weekly, if not, on a daily basis, I really missed the mountains and especially the waterfalls hikes! Might as well get all the waterfalls in while we can, because the only waterfall I have found in Savannah is at Big Bass Pro Shop LOL. If you know of any others in Savannah, please do tell! - Trail Description - Doyles River Falls Hike is found on Mile Marker 81.1, just after the Loft Mountain Wayside & Camp Store. Distance - 3.3 miles RT Elevation Gain - 1189 ft Level - Moderate, downhill first, uphill on the way back, so keep that in mind. Multiple stream crossings (none that we got our feet wet in). It's a well maintained trail, mostly shaded, but beware of the sharp loose rocks throughout the trail. We went on a day after it rained and some parts were pretty slippery. There is a spring that you come across at the beginning, but make sure to boil it if you are going to consume it. There are two waterfalls on this trail (approx. 20 ft and 60 ft) and also a bonus waterfall. You will arrive at the bonus waterfall first and you might think that it is the Upper Falls, but the Upper Falls is actually the next one as you continue and the Lower is after the Upper Falls. The bonus falls is probably about 10 ft high and you can easily step into the pool of water that it falls into. Just be sure to read the etched markings on the cement posts to guide you. The Upper Falls (28 ft) has 2 tiers of falls, with large boulders to get to it from the path. The Lower Falls (63 ft) has about 3 tiers of falls. It's pretty tricky to get down to this one. Most climbed down the pretty steep way which I would suggest climbing down with extreme caution. We have small kids, so we decided to go down a little further (not much further) on the trail and then climb down (it was still pretty steep), and then crossed over on the water to get to a small patch of pebbly rocks to look at the waterfall (on the right side, if you're looking at the waterfall). There was a huge tree that fell over about three quarters of the way up the waterfall and it was difficult to get a whole shot, but what can you do about Mother Nature? She does what she wants! It's all part of the charm. - Kiddos - Our kids are still young, but they did it no problem. However, just a note, they lived in Hawaii most of their lives and started hiking at an early age. and did some pretty advanced trails on their own by the time we left Hawaii. Some of the parts of this trail has steep drop offs. On the way there, you're going downhill, so just watch your kids that they don't pick up speed and lose control. Bonus - The Appalachian Trail (AT) crosses over at the trailhead of Doyles River Falls Hike, so at least you can put your two feet on it and say you were on it! I will be back for you AT! I'm sure you can't go wrong with any of the hikes in Shenandoah National Park and I wish we had had more time or even lived close by, but we did two waterfall hikes during our time in Shenandoah and my heart is full, at least for a little while, to have seen another beautiful waterfall!

So pretty a hike! Creek crossings are beautiful and a great spot to cool down. The falls, upper and…read morelower, and great photo spots as well. You will need to remember as you hike downhill all the way in that the hike out is going to be rough, and uphill all the way. There is a great vine to swing on about 1/3 of the way down.

A great hike that I would rate as intermediately challenging. No rock scrambling or anything like…read morethat, but it is quite steep for a while, one must be prepared. It's a popular spot at the top (stunning vistas of the park). I definitely recommend getting there early. We arrived in the afternoon and it was super crowded. Parking only on the side of Skyline Drive and then a 5-10 minute walk just to the trailhead. From the southern entrance to the park, it was about a 20 minute drive along Skyline Drive just to get here, so it does take some prep time before you even start hiking. As mentioned, it's a steep incline for most of the first half. What I loved the most was how many people coming down from the top would encourage you going up, saying "you're over halfway there," or "it's worth it; keep going!" and was nice to return the favor on our way down. Fast hikers can get to the top in 30 minutes, but most will need more. The views at the top are definitely worth the hike. Beautiful view of the Shenandoah Valley. There is a small shelter if it's raining, and a lovely little stone balcony overlook. There are enough outcroppings that you could have a small picnic. Word to the wise, make sure you have a plan for relieving yourself before the hike. There are no facilities. If you like beautiful views, hiking, or being out in nature, come check out the Hawksbill Trail.

We visited Hawksbill Trail via the trailhead off Skyline Drive. There is 860ft of elevation and…read more600ft happen in the first .5 mile. A bit of a doozy. If you go this way, make it to the top, and turn right, it's only another .1 mile to the summit. Beautiful views and very peaceful. Good place to stop for a lunch break. We got a little turned around though and ended up walking to another part of the trail when we were trying to do the loop. Overall, we like the part of the trail that we hiked.

CAUTION: Bring an extra pair of socks or two. There are a lot of streams you need to cross (by…read morehopping over rocks which aren't all stable to the ground) so you could easily just drench your shoes if you're not the most agile like me. If you're looking for a workout hike, then this is for you. Especially on a cloudy winter day, you're mainly looking at dead trees - lots of brown and more tan-ish looking brown scenery, so really not the best views. However, there are mini waterfalls and streams every now and then. The overlook is also small and pretty sad in terms of views. Overall, the hike is pretty hard for people who don't go hiking very often, but it was very satisfying after making it up to the top. There's a lot of rocks you need to hike up (mainly rocky paths and trails) and streams. Make sure you enter through the right side of the parking lot if you're looking for the Little Devils Stairs Trail (there should be a long pole looking sign with the name on it). You will be hiking up about 3 miles (~1500 feet of elevation). Be careful and make sure you are following the blue markers. They weren't very obvious to me, but fortunately, one of my friends have gone on this hike before so he knew where he was going. Afterwards, you can take the fire road down (super easy downhill walk on a trail). The entire hike is about 5.5-6 miles - it was tough going up, but an easy and relaxing walk to the bottom. Note, if you want to go to the overlook, it's on the way down on the fire road, not on the top. It's pretty small so it can be easy to miss.

My husband and I hiked this trail and found it to be pretty strenuous for us, personally. We are…read moreaverage middle age folks that love the outdoors. We went up the trail side and came down the fire road, as most people we saw. Our tech devices measured 7.4 miles total which is more than we anticipated. An unexpected burial site and a small overlook on the fire road. Some scrambling necessary. Pretty steep and I'm glad we chose to go up the trail and down the fire road rather than the opposite. We would have struggled coming down! Really beautiful hike with lots of water crossovers. Will go again!

Great place with great views!…read more Pop "Woodstock Tower" into Google Maps, and it will take you to the right spot (Apple Maps only took me to the trailhead a distance away). This will put you near a little overlook off the dirt road or if you keep going, a small gravel parking lot. Be prepared to drive on dirt and gravel roads for over a mile to get here; you are going the right way! This end of the trail has a clearly marked sign saying it is the Woodstock Tower. From either of those parking lots it's only about ¼ mile walk to get to the tower. The path varies from rocky to flat dirt. Loads of hickory nuts line the path. You could also come from the other end of the trail, which is over a mile away in the other direction. The climb up is steep but manageable (I'd recommend being more careful descending!) with metal steps. Considering she's still standing 90 years after her construction, I'd say the tower is stable. Hats off to the Civilian Conservation Corps for building this lasting landmark! The views from the top are great and worth the short walk and short climb. I met a local man at the top who shoots a lot of videos from up there. He did warn that sometimes there are black bears in the area; I never saw one my whole time, but just keep alert. It was a little cold on the mid-October day we were there and the top of the mountain did mean lots of cross wind, so dress appropriately. Unless you're weird about heights (apologies to my wife; thanks for walking out to it with us, Baby), this is a worthwhile visit. Definitely recommend!

What a pleasant surprise! We drove up the mountain on Christmas Eve and simply enjoyed the views…read more Our goal of finding the tower wasn't easy being that my bf hadn't been up there since he was a kid. Nevertheless we found it :-) I was a bit apprehensive of climbing it at first but took baby steps lol. What a beautiful scenery once you reach the top. Great experience!

We had the absolute most amazing time with Lester! He was a wonderful tour guide and also taught us…read moremuch more about caves than we expected to learn. He taught us how to safely spot or catch someone in front of us if they're falling back, he taught us the different whistle signals used, and how to use a compass! I had no idea that I didn't even know how to use a compass in the first place. Once he navigated us about halfway to our ending point, he had one of us navigate the rest of the way using the cave map and our compass, and then had us switch on the way back (there were 2 of us). We had never caved before, but he saw that we are the active type, so he not only led us horizontally through spaces, but we also got to go vertical and climb up and down spaces. I couldn't stop raving about our experience afterwards. This tops the list of most exciting things I've ever done, and most unique as well because I can't say I know anyone else who has ever done caving. On our way home, we stopped by Luray Caverns and it was really cool walking through with newfound appreciation. We were able to point out things and appreciate how it was formed in ways we never would have beforehand. The only issue is we wished we could have strayed off the beaten path and explore more nooks and crannies the public doesn't get to see! If you're questioning whether to book a tour with Wild Guyde, I would without a doubt recommend it. If you think you might get claustrophic, I had the same fear going into this, but the cave is very open and even when you're crawling you still have plenty space around you that you don't feel trapped. Plus, you don't have to do anything you don't want to or feel comfortable with! I promise you won't regret it.

Amazing! Worked with our family to elevate our first underground adventure. Loved the emphasis on…read moresafety and empowered us to go out on our own. 10/10