Parking
Start at Big Run Overlook on Skyline Drive at milepost 81.2. The park itinerary lists entry and exit at milepost 81 as Big Run Overlook/Doyles River parking.
Overview
About Big Run Portal via Big Run Loop
Why go
- The campsite location lets you set the trip from 5.4 to 12 miles round trip.
Heads up
- High water can make the repeated crossings knee to waist deep.
The appeal is a walk down from the ridgeline to a wilderness valley with Big Run alongside and repeated crossings; the drainage is used for camping and fishing, not a summit route. The overlook gives you the broad valley view before the descent.
Parkwolf’s verdictThe payoffMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Shenandoah map
Full mapElevation1,660–2,756 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Shenandoah alerts
- ClosureOld Rag Trailhead main lot closedThe Old Rag Trailhead main parking lot is closed to vehicles and pedestrians for infrastructure improvements; use the existing overflow lots. - Work is expected to be completed by November 2026.Official details
- ClosureBackcountry camping and zone closuresBackcountry camping is prohibited on the Appalachian Trail from Lewis Mountain to Big Meadows, and the Naked Creek backcountry zone is closed.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Shenandoah Tour Guide
Your drive to Big Run Portal via Big Run Loop, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Shenandoah National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Shenandoah audio tourRecorded for this area
Doyles River Falls: Make Time for Both0:00 / 0:24
“Doyles River's trailhead is coming up, with a hike to two waterfalls stepping down dark rock ledges.”
Plays on the road 0.1 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Shenandoah Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Doyles River Overlook: Browns Cove and Mount Fair
- Loft Mountain Campground: Nights on Big Flat Mountain
- Loft Mountain Wayside: Milkshakes and a Short Hike
- Browns Gap: The Long Walk to Lewis Peak
- 146 audio storiesacross Shenandoah’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Bald Eagle, White-tailed Deer, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 163 trails, 142 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Big Run Portal via Big Run Loop
The minimum routeBig Run Portal via Big Run Loop is a backcountry out-and-back from Big Run Overlook on Skyline…
Big Run Portal via Big Run Loop is a backcountry out-and-back from Big Run Overlook on Skyline Drive. The mapped version is 5.4 miles round trip: descend Big Run Loop for 2.2 miles to the Portal junction, continue 0.5 mile down Big Run Portal, then retrace. The National Park Service treats this as a flexible overnight, with a legal campsite search 0.5 to 4 miles along the Portal, so the trip can run 5.4 to 12 miles. This map uses the shortest documented version. A separate 6.8 to 13.8-mile circuit adds Big Run Loop, the Appalachian Trail and Doyles River.
Into the valleyStart at Big Run Overlook, Skyline Drive milepost 81.2. The first 2.
Start at Big Run Overlook, Skyline Drive milepost 81.2. The first 2.2 miles follow Big Run Loop downhill, then the yellow-blazed Portal goes along the valley stream. The mapped corridor drops about 1,100 feet from the overlook to its turnaround. Expect to retrace the same trail and climb back out; allow about 4 to 5 hours of walking for the 5.4-mile version. The park itinerary splits that mileage across two days.
Big Run crossingsThe Portal crosses streams several times.
The Portal crosses streams several times. When water is up, crossings can be knee to waist deep, especially in spring or after heavy rain. The old roadbed can also be harder to follow after heavy precipitation. This is the route's main hazard; check current conditions and do not enter a crossing that looks unsafe.
Camping and accessBackcountry camping requires a permit.
Backcountry camping requires a permit. The park guide warns against camping at the Portal junction because it is too close to the stream; look for a legal site farther along the Portal. Dogs may use this route on a leash no longer than six feet. Big Run Overlook is the Skyline Drive access, listed by the park at milepost 81 with Doyles River parking. Food and potable water service at the access were not found, so bring supplies and treat backcountry water.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Shenandoah
325 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
21 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
1,036 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
167 sightingsWild TurkeyMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
93 sightingsTimber RattlesnakeMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
24 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Shenandoah. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
