This is one of the most popular waterfall hikes in the southern section of the Shenandoah National Park. There are several falls along Jones Run, plus two large falls on Doyles River. Each has several swimming holes as well. But if you plan to swim, remember that's cold mountain water, even in late summer!
From the Browns Gap parking area cross Skyline Drive and follow the white blazed Appalachian Trail (AT) south along the ridge for 1.4 miles to the intersection of the blue blazed Jones Run Trail, and Jones Run Trail parking area.
Turn left downhill on the blue blazed Jones Run trail as it makes a switchback, then crossing the top of Jones Run before reaching the top of the first set of falls in 1.6 miles. Continue on the trail for another 0.1 miles where the trail makes another steep switchback and arrives at the base of the main falls. Continue following the trail downstream for 0.5 miles crossing Jones Run, then continuing on the left side of the run for 0.1 miles to the post marking the Doyles River Trail.
Turn left uphill on the blue blazed Doyles River Trail passing several small pools and falls before crossing a footbridge over a feeder stream. Shortly after crossing the footbridge reach the lower, and largest set of falls, then in another 0.2 miles the upper set of falls. From here the trail becomes less steep before arriving at the intersection of the Browns Gap Fire Road.
Turn left crossing Doyles River on the yellow blazed fire road for the remaining 1.7 miles back to Browns Gap.
Note: Instead of turning left on the fire road off the Doyles River Trail, you can continue on the Doyles River Trail another 0.9 miles to the AT, then turn left/south on the AT for 1.5 miles to return to Brown's Gap making it a 8.5 mile circuit. This is a good option in the summer months when the ticks can be bad in the fire roads long grasses.
Interactive Hike Map BelowPrintable
Topo Hike Map (PDF) Hike route in Drag the map with your mouse using the icon Zoom with the controls on the left Mouse Over the icons in the map below for location shots
Calculate roughly how many calories you could burn on the Jones Run/Doyles River hike:
=
Hiker
Reviews For The Jones Run/Doyles River Hike (5 Most Recent)
there was a good amount of water in the rivers. Only saw one other group. We started at 11:30 and finished at 3:45. I forgot that they shut the gates to the drive at 5 pm
By:
Stephanie and Jonathan
Rating:
Date of Hike: Sunday, November 27, 2011
Gorgeous day for a hike! Arrived around 10:30AM and started down the AT to the fire road first. With all of the leaves gone, the views along the fire road were pretty nice. The falls were also very nice, with enough water flowing to make them beautiful. On our way to the third set of falls we saw a momma bear with two cubs. We kept our distance of course, but it was amazing to see them! The hike was also not too busy today, we only saw a few groups of people the entire trip. Overall it was a great day!
By:
Rating:
Date of Hike: Sunday, October 09, 2011
We hiked Jones Run/Doyles Rive on 10/9 that was a Sunday on a long weekend off because of Christopher Columbus day. We arrived at the parking area that was starting to fill up at 1130 A.M. and had to part of side of street in grass. Good hike but way to many people the falls were good but not great. We also did have to pay $15.00 for parking on the SNP but got two great hikes out of it so not to bad.
By:
Brian
Rating:
Date of Hike: Saturday, August 27, 2011
(http://www.meetup.com/cvatrailblazers/events/27843771/)
Hiked with a group from the Central Virginia Trailblazers last Saturday, barely missing Hurricane Irene. We followed the route described here, starting at Browns Gap. Most of the waterfalls were reduced to a trickle, but it was still a pleasant hike. Part of the trail along the ridge was fogged in, which made for a neat effect. A friend and I got multiple bee stings on the AT near the Doyles River Overlook - we must have stepped in a hive. The rain started when we returned to the trailhead and intensified on our drive back to Richmond. Looking forward to returning in the spring to see some REAL waterfalls!
By:
Rating:
Date of Hike: Sunday, June 05, 2011
This hike is AMAZING! The section of the AT is so peaceful and gorgeous, and provide some really pretty views of the mountains. We did this early in June, and walked through a section of beautiful blooming mountain laurels on both sides. The falls, streams, and pools were unbeliveable. Just when you thought you'd seen the best part, you'd walk a little further and see even greater sights. The pool at the very bottom of Jones Run had a really nice depth and water was crystal clear...great for a midday dip...but brrrrrr! it was cold!! The section of the hike on the way back and up past the Doyles River and falls was steep and sometimes rocky, so we were definatly winded, but so worth it. It wasn't bad because the river was right there, so if we got too hot we just splashed ourselves down and continued on our way. We took the fire road because we'd had a late start and were running out of daylight. This section of the trail was super-easy, but also my least favorite. Being a road there wasn't much to see and not as much shade, although you could see some limited but very pretty mountain views through the certain parts of the trees. All in all, this trail was gorgeous, exhilerating, and so much fun!
icon 
Share Hike:
