Doyles River–Jones Run Loop

This roughly eight-mile loop links Upper and Lower Doyles River Falls with Jones Run Falls. Start at Doyles River Parking Area on Skyline Drive at milepost 81.1. Follow Doyles River Trail downstream to its meeting with Jones Run Trail, continue to Jones Run Parking near milepost 84, then head north on the Appalachian Trail to close the loop. Allow five to six hours with breaks; this is a much bigger day than either waterfall’s out-and-back.

Doyles River Trail follows rocky banks past Upper Doyles Falls and the taller Lower Doyles Falls before meeting Jones Run. The falls are described as 28 and 63 feet high. Jones Run Falls, listed at 42 feet, is the third cascade. Water flow changes with rainfall, so the falls may be modest during dry spells.

Expect uneven, sometimes muddy trail and stream crossings, with steep rocky sections near the falls. The climb out of Jones Run is the hardest stretch. Rocks by the cascades can be slick; stay on the marked path instead of taking the steep scramble to Lower Doyles Falls’ base. The northbound Appalachian Trail return is a wooded ridge walk and runs close enough to Skyline Drive for occasional road noise.

This line follows the full Doyles River–Jones Run circuit and its Appalachian Trail return. Some older route descriptions report about six miles for a different loop using Browns Gap Fire Road; those distances do not match this route. For a shorter outing, the Doyles River falls walk is about 3.3 miles round trip, while Jones Run Falls has its own out-and-back. Dogs are allowed on a leash no longer than six feet. Park entrance fee applies.