Parking
Use Dark Hollow Falls Parking Area on Skyline Drive at mile 50.7; the marked trail starts at the kiosk on the east side of the lot. The small lot can fill quickly, so arriving early helps.
Overview
About Dark Hollow Falls
Why go
- A shaded streamside walk reaches a memorable waterfall.
- A short Skyline Drive outing with a clear turnaround.
Heads up
- The short mileage hides a steep, rocky climb back out.
Dark Hollow Falls is a 1.4-mile out-and-back from Skyline Drive to a waterfall on Hogcamp Branch and back. Allow about 90 minutes, longer if you want time at the water or need breaks. The payoff comes quickly, but the distance can fool you: the path drops roughly 440 feet, then you climb that same steep, rocky ground on the way out. I’d choose it for a short waterfall hike if you’re comfortable with a real uphill finish.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Shenandoah map
Full mapElevation2,954–3,418 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 Dark Hollow Falls, 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 trailhead
Dark Hollow Falls: Down to the Water, Uphill Back0:00 / 0:25
“You're coming up on the trailhead for Dark Hollow Falls, a short hike with a steep uphill finish.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Shenandoah Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Big Meadows: Deer and a Break from the Forest
- Big Meadows Campground: A Central Base for Walks
- Tanners Ridge Overlook: A Field Above Stanley
- Big Meadows Lodge: A Meal and a Short Viewpoint Walk
- 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 Dark Hollow Falls
Down to Hogcamp BranchStart at the kiosk on the east side of Dark Hollow Falls Parking Area, at Skyline Drive mile 50.
Start at the kiosk on the east side of Dark Hollow Falls Parking Area, at Skyline Drive mile 50.7. The path begins paved, then quickly turns to steep, uneven rock; that smooth start is brief, so don’t expect a walkway all the way to the water. It descends under a shady canopy and stays beside Hogcamp Branch for much of the way. Wooden steps lead into the falls area, where a fenced viewing spot faces the main cascade.
This is a shaded gorge walk, not a summit hike or a broad overlook. Take a minute at the main falls to look at the water crossing the dark rock shelves. If you’re after a photo, include some of the ledges and pool around the cascade so the shape of the falls comes through.
Save energy for the climb backThe return follows the same route uphill, and that’s the part that catches people out.
The return follows the same route uphill, and that’s the part that catches people out. The published time is 1 hour 15 minutes, but that leaves little room for lingering at the water or taking breaks on the climb; many hikers report taking longer. The footing can be slick when wet, so take your time on the descent too. This is one of the park’s most-traveled trails; the small lot can fill quickly, and an early start makes parking easier.
Why the falls changeHogcamp Branch spills over several rock shelves at Dark Hollow Falls.
Hogcamp Branch spills over several rock shelves at Dark Hollow Falls. After rain, the water can spread strongly across the ledges; in dry spells, the cascade may shrink to a trickle. The falls cut through the Catoctin Formation, a thick sequence of ancient volcanic rock. Pillow basalt is exposed nearby, recording lava that cooled rapidly underwater.
The longer continuationThe 1.4-mile version turns around at the main falls viewpoint.
The 1.4-mile version turns around at the main falls viewpoint. A path continues farther toward lower cascades and Rose River Fire Road, but that adds distance and becomes a different outing. Some longer loop descriptions combine Dark Hollow with other trails from Big Meadows; use those route details only if you mean to make a longer hike.
Is this the hike for you?Pets aren’t allowed, though service animals are welcome.
Pets aren’t allowed, though service animals are welcome. The trail isn’t accessible under ADA guidelines. A park entrance fee applies; the hike itself needs no reservation or separate activity fee.
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.
