Not particularly popular,
Cedar Run Falls is a 35 foot
cascade in a narrow, rocky canyon accessed via a narrow, rocky, 1¾ mile
trail. With all the loose rocks you have to negotiate, even a burro would
walk it with fear and trepidation. When you finally make it to the bottom,
some 1,500+ feet down, you find that you can't see the falls...you have to
make your way up the stream to get to the base. There are a few vantage
points on the way down and there is a very nice (but small) pool just above
the falls.
So
why go? Well, if it's mid summer and all the good places are wall-to-wall
people (and it seems to be that way, now), here's where you can find peace,
quiet, solitude and lots of company from the tiny creatures of the forest.
By the way, — I almost always advise folks to wear good hiking boots on the
trails around here; this trail is an exception. You can wear good sneakers so you
can feel the trail under you. Watch carefully where you put your feet and
don't get in a hurry. Also, bring a small hand towel so you can dry your
feet if they get wet hiking up the stream. Going back up is actually easier (and much safer).
The
Hawksbill parking area is at milepost 45.6 just 3 miles south of the
White
Oak parking area.
Other web sites
about Cedar Run Falls:
Note:
Three miles north of here is the parking area from which you can hike to the
six, spectacular White Oak waterfalls.
More
information about this and the other more frequented trails in Shenandoah
National Park is available in a $2 guide, Hikes to Waterfalls in Shenandoah National
Park, which can be purchased at any of the Park visitor's Centers, or
on-line at www.snpbooks.org.
This guide is third in a series published by the Shenandoah National Park
Association, a not-for-profit organization established in 1950 to
support the Park's interpretive and educational programs. We have found
their guides very useful.
