Cedar Run Falls Hike

A few days ago, we went for our second hike through the Shenandoah National Park. This time we decided to take the Cedar Run trail down to Cedar Run Falls. We parked at the Hawksbill Parking Area (Skyline Drive milepost 45.6), and we entered the trail from behind the parking area. There were a ton of cars parked in the lot (so many in fact that we had to park on the grass beside the lot), so we were worried that the trail would be crowded, but we didn't see a single person throughout our entire hike.

The Cedar Run Trail is very steep and very rocky. You start immediately downhill, and you follow the trail downhill all the way to Cedar Run. It's easy to see why they called the trail Cedar Run when you see the enormous dead trees that lay all around (and sometimes directly across) the trail. After about a half of a mile, you reach the edge of Cedar Run. The parts of Cedar Run that you can see from the trail are very fast moving, and there are plenty of small waterfalls and water slides that you can see along the way. There are also some pretty huge rock formations and outcroppings that are interesting to see. There are also a few great places to stop and swim, and plenty of fallen trees you can use to walk across the moving water (if you have good balance).

After about 1.7 miles, you find yourself at Cedar Run Falls. You will know you have reached the falls when the trail crosses Cedar Run (there are a number of decent sized water slides along the way that you might mistake for Cedar Run Falls). The waterfall is more of a water slide, and you could probably slide down the face of the rock with the water safely (although I didn't try it). There is a pretty big swimming hole at the base of the falls, and lots of good places to sit and watch the falls (we had a little picnic, which was nice).

It's important to take your time and rest at Cedar Run Falls, because the hike back is not easy. Although it is only 1.7 miles, you gain 1,500 feet on the way back. This means that the hike is extremely steep and very rocky.

Overall, this was a pretty good hike. I enjoyed Jones Run Falls more because the trail was in better condition and it was much easier to navigate. In defense of the Cedar Run trail, it had just rained the day before and early that morning, so the trail was covered in nearly an inch of water throughout the entire hike, which made the rocks more treacherous than they normally would have been.