Parking
Use the lot at South River Picnic Grounds on Skyline Drive near mile 62.7. The trailhead is just below the comfort station; a restroom is at the picnic area. Park entry fee applies.
Overview
About South River Falls Observation Point
Why go
- A stone-walled overlook gives a clear view of the 83-foot falls.
- Spring wildflowers and migrating birds add interest to the forest walk.
Heads up
- The walk drops to the falls, leaving a sustained climb back to the picnic grounds.
- Reaching the waterfall base requires a separate, steep and rocky extension.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Shenandoah map
Full mapElevation2,218–2,989 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 South River Falls Observation Point, 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
South River: Picnic Grounds and the Waterfall Overlook0:00 / 0:30
“You're coming up on South River Picnic Grounds, the starting point for South River Falls.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Shenandoah Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Baldface Mountain Overlook: A Brief Valley Stop
- Hensley Hollow Overlook: Follow the Valley Toward Elkton
- Five Dollars to Keep
- The Newt's Years on Land
- 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 South River Falls Observation Point
The overlook hikeThis is a 2.
This is a 2.6-mile round-trip out-and-back from South River Picnic Grounds to a stone-walled overlook above South River Falls. The waterfall drops 83 feet into a rocky gorge. Allow about 1.5 to 2 hours; the walk is moderate, and the way back is the uphill half. Choose it for a waterfall view from above without adding the steep descent to the base.
Follow the blue blazesStart just below the picnic-ground comfort station and follow the blue-blazed South River Falls…
Start just below the picnic-ground comfort station and follow the blue-blazed South River Falls Trail. You cross the Appalachian Trail early on; stay on the blue-blazed route. The path winds through forest over rocks and roots, then drops toward the falls. The park map lists one stream crossing. Water and ice can make it unsafe, so don't try it during flooding or icy conditions.
At the stone wallThe trail ends at a stone-walled observation point looking across the gorge at the falls.
The trail ends at a stone-walled observation point looking across the gorge at the falls. The water breaks over rock partway down, then drops toward a ledge below. Keep the rough stone ledge in the foreground if you're taking a photo; it gives the falls some scale. Flow changes with rain, so the waterfall can look quite different from one visit to the next.
Spring in the forestSpring brings trilliums and other wildflowers along with migrating songbirds.
Spring brings trilliums and other wildflowers along with migrating songbirds. Warblers such as cerulean, Blackburnian and black-throated blue, as well as Louisiana waterthrush, are recorded around the South River trail area. They are possibilities, not a checklist for every walk. The woods and the waterfall still make this a pleasant route when the birds are quiet.
The falls-base optionThis route turns around at the overlook. Continuing down to the base adds a steep, rocky 1.
This route turns around at the overlook. Continuing down to the base adds a steep, rocky 1.5 miles to the hike. A separate 3.3-mile circuit also reaches the base and returns by South River Falls Road, South River Fire Road and the Appalachian Trail. Those are longer choices with a different route; don't follow them unless that's the hike you mean to do.
Start and trail rulesPark at South River Picnic Grounds on Skyline Drive near mile 62.
Park at South River Picnic Grounds on Skyline Drive near mile 62.7; the trail starts below the comfort station. A restroom is at the picnic area. No reservation is required, but the park entrance fee applies. Dogs are allowed on a leash no longer than six feet.
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.
