Overall Run, Piney Branch & Jeremys Run Loop

Overall Run, Piney Branch & Jeremys Run is a 34.2–36-mile circuit from Hogback Overlook, planned as four hiking days and three nights. It visits Overall Run Falls, crosses a chain of ridge trails, drops into Piney Branch, crosses Hull School and Neighbor Mountain, follows Jeremys Run upstream, then returns north on the Appalachian Trail. The park rates this itinerary for experienced hikers. Choose it for a demanding, point-to-point-feeling sequence of valleys and ridges that closes at your car, not for a quick waterfall walk. The shorter hikes to Overall Run Falls are different routes. The itinerary’s daily mileage shifts with campsite choices; the stored main-loop line measures about 33.1 miles and does not draw the short cascades side path. Treat 34.2 miles as the route’s low official total, not as an exact odometer reading for every campsite plan. A roughly 24-hour hiking-time estimate is spread over four days; it is not the trip’s elapsed time.

Begin by taking the Appalachian Trail south for 0.4 mile, then turn onto Tuscarora/Overall Run for about 4.6 miles. The first day’s itinerary totals roughly 5.9–6.2 miles, including a short walk after the Tuscarora and Overall trails divide. Overall Run Falls and another waterfall are along this opening stretch; a short cascades spur is worth the detour if conditions and daylight allow.

The second day is the longest variable section, about 9–11.5 miles. Climb the Beecher–Overall Run connector, cross Beecher Ridge, Mathews Arm and Traces, then use the Tuscarora/Overall connector and Appalachian Trail to reach Piney Branch. Follow Piney Branch downhill; where you stop depends on the legal campsite available for your permit. On day three, take Hull School west for 3.5 miles, cross Skyline Drive, and climb the gated grade toward Byrds Nest Shelter. The shelter is for day use only. Continue on Neighbor Mountain Trail for about 5.2 miles, then turn onto Jeremys Run. The fourth day follows Jeremys Run upstream for about 5.4 miles before turning north on the Appalachian Trail for 3.1 miles back to Hogback.

This route repeatedly trades ridge walking for steep descents into stream valleys and climbs back out. It is a long, strenuous backpacking trip; there is no reliable total elevation-gain figure for the complete itinerary. Keep a detailed map with the connector names and check each junction, since much of the circuit follows successive named trails rather than one continuous blaze. Twenty-five elevation samples on the mapped corridor range from about 258 to 1,031 meters; that profile range is not cumulative climbing.

Piney Branch and Jeremys Run have numerous crossings. High water can make them challenging or dangerous, so do not count on crossing safely when streams are up. Overall Run Falls is the signature stop: the park lists it at 93 feet, and the short cascades spur adds another close look at the stream. The falls are a worthwhile photo stop, but they come early in a much longer loop.

This is a dispersed backcountry trip, not an overnight shelter route. Get a backcountry permit and a separate park entrance pass, and choose campsites that are currently legal for your itinerary; the campsite directions on an older route sheet may not reflect current closures. You may stay no more than two consecutive nights at one campsite. Byrds Nest Shelter is day-use only. Campfires are allowed only in park-built fireplaces; plan to cook without a fire if your campsite has none. Allow room in each day to reach a legal site before dark, especially because the second and third day lengths depend on where you camp.

Dogs are allowed on this route, but they must stay on a physical leash no longer than six feet. The repeated climbs, overnight load and stream crossings make this a substantial commitment for both dog and person. Check current park alerts and camping-zone rules before setting out.