Dark Hollow Falls Trail - Shenandoah National Park

We continued our late September 2020 trip to Shenandoah National Park with a hike to Dark Hollow Falls. This short, but steep trail is one of the most popular in the park.

The trailhead is located at mile 50.7 on Skyline Drive, just ¼ mile highway north (compass east) of the Big Meadows visitor center in the central district of the park. The paved parking lot has spaces for about 40 passenger vehicles, but no RV spaces. Even though we were there on a weekday, the parking lot was packed, so plan to arrive early or have an alternate hike planned.

From the trailhead information kiosk, the trail follows a small, unnamed stream to its confluence with Hogcamp Branch and then continues to the 70-foot high cascading falls. According to my Garmin Oregon 550t, the trail descends 367 feet from the trailhead to the falls in a distance of 0.75 miles. This yields an average gradient of over 9%. The trail itself shows signs of overuse and deferred maintenance, but the park staff is obviously doing the best they can with the pandemic restrictions and the resources at hand.

Topographic map with GPS route

Elevation profile

Trailhead kiosk

Following the unnamed stream

Typical trail conditions near the beginning of the trail

Retaining wall needs repairs

Timber stairs

The only ascent on the way to the falls

More timber stairs

Switchback at Hogcamp Branch

Sliding cascade on Hogcamp Branch

Another small cascade

Retaining wall and fence near the top of the falls

Brink of the falls

Muddy switchback

Continuing the descent through the fog

Dark Hollow Falls

Hogcamp Branch below the falls

Returning up the trail

Back at the trailhead

A Shenandoah National Park entry fee of $30 per vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, or $15 per person is valid for seven consecutive days. Other fee payment options include the America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes including the Annual Pass ($80), Senior Pass ($80 for a lifetime), Access Pass (free with a documented disability), and Military Annual Pass (free for active-duty personnel). Also available is a Shenandoah Annual Pass for $55. 

The Shenandoah National Park website is https://www.nps.gov/shen/index.htm.