Dark Hollow Falls

Stanley, Virginia

4.6/5

based on 12 reviews

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Details

Distance

1.32 miles

Elevation Gain

440 ft

Route Type

Out-and-Back

Description

Added by Christin Healey

The hike to Dark Hollow Falls features a beautiful waterfall right off Skyline Drive and if located close to Big Meadows Campground and Lodge. You'll have the opportunity to photograph both upper and lower cascades. Consider this short hike for a great break from driving, and family-friendly if you have the kiddos. Please note this is one of the few hikes in SNP where dogs are sadly not allowed.

Catch the trailhead to these falls at mile 50.7 on Skyline Drive, just north of Big Meadows Lodge and Campground and the trailhead is just to the left of the parking lot. This is an easy 1.4 mile roundtrip hike, straight down to get to the falls, and straight up to arrive back at your car. Many people don't know there are actually two places to view different drops of the falls, so keep going to the second viewpoint for the complete experience. If you are planning on going during the weekend, arrive early or later in the afternoon as this is a very popular trail due to its proximity to Skyline Drive. Worth it though!

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Dark Hollow Falls Reviews

Nick Palastro

Dark Hollow Falls

05/22/17

A very short hike with a nice relaxing multi-tiered waterfall as the payoff. You're able to explore and climb around the different tiers and segments of the falls making it fun to photograph. Does get crowded so you'll have to be patient to get the pictures you want.

5.0

4532dadb56e31300889e93251a8a8a66

Dark Hollow Falls

05/10/17

Dark hollow falls is an easy trip down to spectacular views, especially if we've had a decent rain season. Be mindful that the hike back to the lot is a steady incline most of the way.

5.0

Explorer

Brandon Dewey

Explorer

Dark Hollow Falls

12/31/16

This is a very beautiful waterfall and is very popular because of the short hike and because its right next to Big Meadow Campground. This is a great hike for families; Ive taken both my boys (1 and 4) down to the falls with no problem. If you are filling adventurous you can hike the "Three Falls Loop" which will take you to see Dark Hollow Falls, Rose River Falls, and Lewis Spring Falls for a total of 6.1 miles.

5.0

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

Nearby

Big Meadows Loop

Big Meadows is home to many types of wildlife and is a great location to photograph many different types of animals. The best time to see the wildlife in the meadow is near dawn and dusk. White-tailed deer and a variety of local birds are the most common animals seen in the meadow, and because of the high volume of people, they usually do not shy away very easily making it easier to photograph...

Lewis Falls via Lewis Spring

Lewis Spring is the source of Hawksbill Creek which forms Lewis Falls (also known as Lewis Spring Falls) and eventually flows through the town of Luray and joins the Shenandoah River. The waterfall starts with 2 streams before hitting rock halfway down and fanning out. During dry seasons and summer, one of the streams may disappear while at other times, it can be a spectacular sight of gushing ...

Camp at Big Meadows, Shenandoah National Park

Visiting Shenandoah National Park for the first time can be quite overwhelming. The 109 mile long Skyline Drive, combined with over 500 miles of hiking trails, makes camping is a necessity if you truly want to experience Shenandoah.From the Appalachian thru-hiker to the RV'er, Big Meadows is perfectly located for all types of travelers. Located off of MM 51.2, it's a great campsite for those tr...

Three Falls Hike

The Three Falls Hike in Shenandoah National Park will take you past three beautiful waterfalls all found within the central district of the park: Lewis Spring Falls, Dark Hollow Falls, and Rose River Falls. You are able to start the loop from any of the waterfalls’ trailheads, but I prefer to start at the Lewis Spring Fall Trailhead because it has the largest parking area and a bathroom. To re...

Hike to Rose River Falls

Rose River Falls is often overshadowed by it's more popular cousin, Dark Hollow Falls, as both hikes begin at the same trail head. But because Dark Hollow Falls is such a short and well known hike, it can get extremely crowded. It is also one of the few trails in Shenandoah where dogs are not allowed. Meanwhile, Rose River Falls offers more solitude and is incredibly dog friendly -- with tons...

Backpack Rose River Loop

The trail can be found on Skyline Drive. Though it is a little challenging to locate, you should park at Fisher’s Gap Overlook (mile marker 49.4), and then walk over across the road and find the trail. You'll spot it by looking over the side of the road and then hiking down. The Rose River Loop begins to the left of the fire road (you'll come up this fire road on the way back). The trail st...

Dark Hollow Falls

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Dark Hollow Falls Reviews

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Nearby

Big Meadows Loop

Lewis Falls via Lewis Spring

Camp at Big Meadows, Shenandoah National Park

Three Falls Hike

Hike to Rose River Falls

Backpack Rose River Loop

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