How do the waterfalls look in Shenandoah National Park this time of year?
Apr 16th, 2018, 10:19 PM
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How do the waterfalls look in Shenandoah National Park this time of year?
I was planning on visiting Shenandoah National Park this coming weekend, and spending about 4 days there. I wanted to hike the waterfall trails: Overall Run Falls, Whiteoak/Cedar Run, Rose River/Dark Hollow Falls, Lewis Falls, South River Falls, and Doyles River/Jones Run Falls.
I've heard that spring is supposed to be the best time to see the waterfalls at Shenandoah, but I've also read that some of the waterfalls only look good if you see them right after a rainstorm. The weather forecast isn't calling for much, if any, rain over the next week, so I'm concerned I may see some disappointing waterfalls.
What do you think?
I've heard that spring is supposed to be the best time to see the waterfalls at Shenandoah, but I've also read that some of the waterfalls only look good if you see them right after a rainstorm. The weather forecast isn't calling for much, if any, rain over the next week, so I'm concerned I may see some disappointing waterfalls.
What do you think?
Apr 17th, 2018, 11:45 AM
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> I'm concerned I may see some disappointing waterfalls
Depends on how you define "disappointing."
Shenandoah doesn't have any 'OMG' falls like you'll find in Yellowstone or Yosemite, even after a massive rainfall. They are more along the lines of pretty than gorgeous. Myself, I've gone there to all of the falls you note, and have rarely been disappointed by the quiet beauty they show.
I went there in April of 2011, a few days after a rainstorm that flooded out some of the nearby campgrounds. Not even the falls of Whiteoak Canyon were overwhelming
Lower Whiteoak Canyon Falls
but they were nice to look at.
Depends on how you define "disappointing."
Shenandoah doesn't have any 'OMG' falls like you'll find in Yellowstone or Yosemite, even after a massive rainfall. They are more along the lines of pretty than gorgeous. Myself, I've gone there to all of the falls you note, and have rarely been disappointed by the quiet beauty they show.
I went there in April of 2011, a few days after a rainstorm that flooded out some of the nearby campgrounds. Not even the falls of Whiteoak Canyon were overwhelming
Lower Whiteoak Canyon Falls
but they were nice to look at.
Apr 20th, 2018, 12:42 PM
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We had a LOT of rain last Sunday and into Monday (lots of local flooding that has now receded) so they should be decent. We went to White Rock Falls off the parkway last weekend, before the rain, and it was nice.
PaulRabe describes our local falls well--not breathtaking but nice. It's certainly been wet enough that there will be some water at the falls, which might not be the case later in summer.
PaulRabe describes our local falls well--not breathtaking but nice. It's certainly been wet enough that there will be some water at the falls, which might not be the case later in summer.
Apr 20th, 2018, 12:59 PM
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Here's how dramatically they vary based on water flow. Both of these are white rock falls, on the right is what it looked like last Saturday (and that's our dog having a bit of a swim in the pool on the right).
White Rock Falls, Blue Ridge Parkway, VA
White Rock Falls, Blue Ridge Parkway, VA
