WHY GO?
Peaks and waterfalls surely rank as one of the prime motivators—and rewards—for a day spent hiking, and doubly so if you work hard to get there. There are no shortages of waterfalls in Shenandoah National Park, from the wildly popular Whiteoak Canyon to the Rose River Falls, where multiple cascades flow off barefaced rock after heavy rains. But there’s only one “tallest”: 93 feet to be exact, and it’s found on the western slope of the Blue Ridge at Overall Run. From the staggering falls, the mountainous panorama unfolds westward over Massanutten’s double ridges, and farther off on the hazy horizon looms Great North Mountain.
THE RUNDOWN
Start: Thompson Hollow Trail parking area on VA 630, 2.5 miles south of Bentonville, VA
Distance: 6.0 miles out and back, with an option for an 11.5-mile loop hike
Hiking time: About 4 hours
Difficulty: Moderate due to unaided stream crossings and a vigorous climb to the top of the Overall Run headwall
Trail surface: A brief stint on paved and gravel road leads to the park boundary. From there on, it’s singletrack woodland paths interrupted by 3 stream crossings and an opportunity to rock scramble near the lip of the Overall Run falls.
Land status: National park
Nearest town: Front Royal, VA
Other trail users: Hikers only
Accessibility: This trail is not accessible to people with disabilities; however, most of the facilities within the park are. Check out the accessible 1.3-mile Limberlost Trail (Mile 43).
Canine compatibility: Leashed dogs permitted
Trail contact: Shenandoah National Park, 3655 US 211 East, Luray; (540) 999-3500; www.nps.gov/shen
Schedule: Park open 24 hours. This hike starts outside the park, so you do not need to use Skyline Drive, which may close due to inclement weather.
Fees/permits: Park entrance fee; none if accessing trail from outside the park. To fish in Shenandoah National Park (SNP), Virginia residents age 16 or older must have a Virginia state fishing license.
Facilities/features: None at this access point
NatGeo TOPO! map: Bentonville
NatGeo Trails Illustrated map: Appalachian Trail, Calf Mountain to Raven Rock; Shenandoah National Park; Massanutten and Great North Mountains
Other maps:PATC #9: Shenandoah National Park Northern District
Special considerations: Winter is a spectacular time to visit, with huge ice sheets forming on the cliff. During the coldest snaps, the falls may even be frozen solid. But be extremely careful on slippery rocks and keep your distance from the edge: It’s 93 feet straight down.
FINDING THE TRAILHEAD
From Front Royal, drive south on US 340 for 9 miles. In Bentonville, turn left (east) onto VA 613. After 0.5 mile, turn right (south) on VA 630 and drive 2 miles to the Thompson Hollow Trail parking area, a widened shoulder on the right side of the road. GPS: N38 48.105’ / W78 18.888’. DeLorme: Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer: Page 74, B2.
THE HIKE
On the western slope of the Blue Ridge, downhill from Hogback Mountain, in a crease where Beecher Ridge and Mathews Arm meet, a small spring gives rise to a stream. Its course for about a mile is that of a merry brook bouncing over river rocks, dropping a foot or so off small ledges and slipping under logs.
Then, with drama befitting a western panorama, comes the free fall.
Overall Run’s 93-foot drop into a steep-sided box canyon ranks as the highest in Shenandoah National Park. Views from the lip of the falls stretch west to Massanutten Mountain and Great North Mountain beyond.
It’s not the size of the river that impresses. It’s the drop into a canyon that has few rivals in the park. Archaeological research has found evidence of prehistoric Indians who used the canyon as a place to drive into and slaughter mastodons.
HEADS UP
Be forewarned that in the dry season, the waterfall may be dry. Try to go after a good rainfall.
This hike starts outside the park boundaries, leading into Shenandoah through one of its many “backdoors.” As you drop down off Thompson Hollow Trail, Overall Run itself is audible long before you reach it. The landscape north of the trail is gently sloping, betraying none of the drama that will unfold a mile or so up the trail.
As you hike toward the falls, the river’s bottomland forest spreads out. In summertime, the grass can be as high as your waist in some places, lending the trail a remote sense. Piles of small stones are visible off trail, possible indications of field-clearing activity from the 18th- and 19th-century residents. A stream on the left side leads to a springhouse some distance off the trail, where there is evidence of a building foundation as well.
The last 0.75 mile of the trail scales Mathews Arm as it rises to the headwall of the canyon. In the imagination, a band of Paleo-Indians might be pressing their prey into the canyon’s narrow confines. It is only 5 miles north, near Limeton, where archaeologists in the 1970s unearthed one of the East Coast’s most influential prehistoric Indian settlements. Thunderbird, as it’s known, dates back to 10,000 BC, with evidence in the form of points, tools, and weapons that indicate sites of a quarry, a base camp, and a bog where animals were driven for the kill.
MILES AND DIRECTIONS
0.0Start from the Thompson Hollow Trail parking area on VA 630. Walk south along the paved road past a gated road on the right. The road dips into and out of a streambed. After this, bear right onto a dirt path through the grass.
0.3Enter Shenandoah National Park on Thompson Hollow Trail at a trailhead marked by a concrete post.
0.7Stay straight as the blue-blazed Tuscarora Trail merges with Thompson Hol low Trail from the right.
1.0The sound of rushing water cues you to the approach of Overall Run Trail. Descend to the T junction and turn left on a singletrack dirt trail that follows the stream’s bottomland forest.
1.5Cross Overall Run.
2.0Cross Overall Run.
2.3Begin a 1-mile steep climb up the headwall of Overall Run.
2.5Take a break at a small campsite that overlooks the falls and canyon.
2.8A steady climb relents. Follow the trail right to the lip of the falls.
3.0Reach top of Overall Run waterfall. Return to the trailhead by retracing steps down Overall Run Trail. Option: Continue beyond the falls on Overall Run Trail for a strenuous 11.5-mile loop via Beecher Ridge Trail.
5.0Turn right onto Thompson Hollow Trail.
6.0Arrive back at the Thompson Hollow Trail parking area.
HEADS UP
Camping is prohibited on the Overall Run Trail from the top of the falls downhill for a half-mile. This is part of a project by SNP to protect sensitive plant communities on rocky outcrops. Educate yourself about these rock outcrop communities at www.nps.gov/shen, and keep in mind that while striving to leave only footprints, we always leave a trace.
HIKE INFORMATION
LOCAL INFORMATION
Front Royal Visitor Center, 414 E. Main St., Front Royal; (800) 338-2576; www.frontroyalva.com
RESTAURANTS
Melting Pot Pizza, 138 W. 14th St., Front Royal; (540) 636-6146; www.meltingpotpizza.com. Locals and visitors alike get their pizza fix at the place that’s been serving it since 1972.
HIKE TOURS
Shenandoah Mountain Guides, (301) 695-1814, www.teamlinkinc.com
Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC), Vienna, (703) 242-0315, www.patc.net