Parking
Meadow Spring Parking Area on Skyline Drive at mile 33.5. Start by the Hazel Mountain Trail marker at the south end of the small, shared lot.
Overview
About Hazel River Falls Hike
Why go
- Two small waterfalls and a shaded, cave-like grotto at the turnaround
Heads up
- A steep, rocky falls spur and a long climb back to the lot
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Shenandoah map
Full mapElevation2,005–2,887 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 Hazel River Falls Hike, 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
Meadow Spring: Summit View or Hidden Falls0:00 / 0:32
“You're approaching Meadow Spring, a starting point for Marys Rock and Hazel River Falls.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Shenandoah Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Hazel Mountain Overlook: Rock and Ridge Layers
- Buck Hollow Overlook: A Sunrise View Across the Ridges
- Tunnel Parking Overlook: A View and a Road-Building Story
- Pinnacles Overlook: Old Rag Across the Valley
- 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 Hazel River Falls Hike
The routeThis is a 5.3-mile out-and-back from Meadow Spring to two small waterfalls and back.
This is a 5.3-mile out-and-back from Meadow Spring to two small waterfalls and back. Follow the yellow-blazed Hazel Mountain Trail past Buck Ridge, take the fork left onto yellow-blazed White Rocks Trail, then turn right at the next trailpost for the falls. Retrace your steps from the falls spur; continuing east on White Rocks toward Hazel River makes a different, much longer circuit.
Along the wayMost of Hazel Mountain Trail follows a broad, partly gravelly old roadbed through leafy woods.
Most of Hazel Mountain Trail follows a broad, partly gravelly old roadbed through leafy woods. It trends downhill from Skyline Drive, and the river can be heard off to one side before you reach the waterfall spur. White Rocks narrows and stays shady at first, then opens now and then for southern views. You'll climb the same ground back to the lot.
At the fallsThe destination is a small, shaded rock grotto with a lower pool and cascade.
The destination is a small, shaded rock grotto with a lower pool and cascade. Farther upstream, a more prominent waterfall comes through a cavern-like opening, bends around a large boulder, and drops into another pool; a shallow, dark cave sits beside it. The trailpost at the spur is labeled Cave Falls, one of the local names for the same place. The spur is short but steep, with stony steps and rocks underfoot. The boulder, upper cascade, and pool make the clearest photo composition.
Planning the dayNPS rates the hike moderate, lists 1,070 feet of elevation gain, and gives five hours.
NPS rates the hike moderate, lists 1,070 feet of elevation gain, and gives five hours. Allow time for the return climb and a break at the falls. Meadow Spring is a small shared lot on Skyline Drive at mile 33.5. Pets are allowed on a leash no longer than six feet. The park entrance fee applies; NPS lists no hike-specific fee or reservation. The hike is listed year-round, though Skyline Drive can close; check current park status before you drive in. Water and restrooms aren't listed at Meadow Spring or along this route, so plan to be self-sufficient.
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.
