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...

Nice having a park this large within city limits. But be sure to bring a map and allow ample time…read moreto be walking in circles. The trails are poorly marked. Who's responsible for maintaining these trails???

Great park for hiking. They have several shelters for picnics and family gatherings. Volleyball…read morecourt, a couple of horse shoe spots and a basketball court. Plenty of space so that your not on top of the next picnic goer.

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.

Throw a rock near Culpeper, Virginia and you'll hit a landmark of Civil War significance. Thanks to…read morea non-profit that fights to preserve the country's earliest memories, Cedar Mountain Battlefield is a place for all to visit for free. Stopping by while at a nearby cabin, here's my experience: 1) Parking: Follow the signs to free parking near the visitor center. By the picnic table in the yard, you'll see a trailhead with maps and info on the battlefield. Follow the trails to find old gravestones and places where the battle took place. 2) Points of Interest: Markers along the trail talk about the significance of the battle. Confederate General Stonewall Jackson drew his sword during this battle for the only time during the Civil War. It was also his last battle led by him. 3) Amenities: There are benches along the trails looking out over the fields. Two cannons can be seen near one field with two outhouses nearby as the only restrooms on the grounds. It is worth noting that three historic markers put up by the Culpeper Calvary Museum clearly glorify the Confederacy over the Union. Even though erected almost 100 years ago, the fact that they remain standing shows the gap between an equitable society in this country.

Enjoyed the trails today with my hiking partner, Pookie-the-dog. The trails are in great shape,…read morewith mulch throughout the wooded area. The trails are well marked. There are historic gravesites, markers, and memorials. Today the site was quiet, with only 1 other hiking couple that after they left the visitor center parking, I didn't cross paths with them again. The caretaker was welcoming and engaged in lively conversation and recommended other nearby points of interest as well.

Mill Prong Trail to Rapidan Camp. Map available at…read morehttps://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/upload/RapidanCamp_RoadTrail.pdf The hike is moderate and fairly well traveled, so you will run into other people, but not in crazy numbers. Even in the Fall it can get hot when sunny, so bring water with you. You will see some small waterfalls along the way and will have to cross the creek. It's a beautiful hike with lots to see that is different from the typical overlook views you get on Skyland Drive. Rapidan Camp, was the summer retreat established by President and Mrs. Herbert Hoover during his administration is located within the boundaries of Shenandoah National Park. The camp has recently been restored to its 1929 appearance and there's lots of history to read on signs and other materials available when you get there. NPS You Tube video about the camp is available here https://www.nps.gov/media/video/view.htm?id=2ABA5F6E-155D-451F-67CE5C3CAE49E4F6

The bus tour was certainly worth it. Hannah was an awesome ranger who was fittingly a Hawkeye. She…read moreprovided lots of good information about one of our lesser known presidents and his First Lady. The cabin was very neat. The volunteers there, Kermit and Ida, also provided good historical facts. I even got to see a deer on our ride out.

Nice park. Fishing is meh. Never had much luck but I've seen other catches. It is a pleasant…read morelittle park.

Great park to stop enjoy the views! We stopped on the way to Charlottesville to eat lunch! Great…read morefor a pit stop!

I really love this disc golf course. A lot of great elevation changes and a decent mix of open…read moreareas and heavy tree lines. This time around they had two different baskets that could be played, green or yellow. Green being the shorter hole and yellow the longer more difficult hole. The last few times I've played here only one or the other has been available. They also updated hole 14 or 15, I can't remember which, but your disc must land in a certain outlined area. If it doesn't, it's an automatic stroke and you'll have to take a drop at a near by tree. The "drop tree" is closer, but you still have to land your disc in marked area or you'll be doomed to repeat from the drop tree. Not so much a beginner's course, but definitely worth a try if you're feeling like a challenge.

they had THE BEST SKATEPARK i've ever been to it was perfect considering we don't have one in my…read morearea

Lands Run Falls is a quick down and back up hike. Probs 2 miles round trip at most. MilePost 9.1…read more Northern District of Shenandoah National Park. It's has a rather large off road parking area for the small hike it is. (Head scratching) maybe I missed something. There's a fire road that's roped off with yellow blaze. Yellow blaze is a horse trail. (Humans allowed). Gravel. Wide. Easy traveling. The waterfall is beautiful and you can even sit on rocks and rest your feet in it. :) So it's not like Lewis Falls where you can't touch it. Great place to cool off on a hot day. Just always remember how slippery the rocks are even when they're *not wet. Give this hike an hour of your time.