This
hike has some of the most spectacular waterfalls in the Shenandoah National
Park. Combining two out-and-back hikes, White Oak Canyon & Cedar Run, this loop starts at the bottom of the valley and cuts over near the top of the ridge. With five major falls, numerous smaller cascades and pools, this circuit hike is one of the best.
Follow the blue blazed trail on the right side of WOC Run reaching the WOC/Cedar Run Connector Trail in 0.6 miles. Stay straight on the right side of WOC Run for another 0.7 miles, cross a small stream, then arrive the base of the first set of major falls.
The trail will now make several switchbacks as the grade gets steeper, then reaches the second set of falls in 0.6 miles. Again, the trail will switchback several times, then become less steep, and arrive at a concrete marker for the base of the main WOC falls. To see the falls from the base, follow the side trail straight for 100 yards. Continue uphill on the WOC Trail as it steeply climbs the last 0.1 miles to the main WOC falls overlook.
Continuing uphill from the main overlook, and shortly arrive at the yellow blazed Bridge Path Trail that comes in from the right. Stay straight, then cross WOC Run in another 40 yards at the horse rail. If WOC Run is high, continue up the right side of WOC Run and cross a footbridge in 120 yards.
After crossing the run follow the wide yellow blazed WOC Fire Road/Horse Trail. In 1.6 miles the WOC Fire Road/Horse Trail will veer right. Stay left on the narrower yellow blazed trail, marked on a concrete post as "Horse Tr To Big Meadows". In 0.6 miles the horse trail intersects the blue blazed Cedar Run Trail.
Turn left downhill on the blue blazed Cedar Run Trail, then in 1.3 miles cross Cedar Run. In 0.2 miles after crossing Cedar Run reach the top set of main falls at Halfmile Cliff known as "The Slide". 60 yards below the main falls is a pool where Cedar Run passes through a narrow gorge.
Continue downward on the Cedar Run Trail for 0.5 miles where the blue blazed trail makes a sharp left to cross Cedar Run for the last time. After crossing Cedar Run follow the trail for 0.3 miles to the intersection of the WOC/Cedar Run Connector Trail. Turn right downhill on the Cedar Run Trail towards RT600, and in 0.4 miles arrive back at the WOC Trail intersection. Turn right, re-cross the steal footbridge, and arrive back at the parking area.
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Hiker
Reviews For The White Oak/Cedar Run Hike (5 Most Recent)
Weather was horrible today. 35 degrees, gusting winds, rain, and fog on top of about 4-6inches of snow, ice, and slush. Was trying to make up my mind about getting out of the vehicle at all and this big white and black dog appeared out of the fog. I read the tags and the dog was from the bottom of the mtn near nethers. Decided the dog was up for the hike so why shouldnt I be... Down the trail we went, the dog in the lead. He knew all of the good view points and ended up being quite the guide. The trail was gorgeous after we dropped out of the dense fog. So much ice covered the canyon walls. Truely worth every slip and slide moment! The dog followed me half way back up the White oak canyon trail then turned to go home. I finished the hike by myself and ended up soaking wet by the time I made it back to my vehicle. This was an amazing chance to see the drive with snow and ice all over the canyons. I dont think I will venture out again in those conditions. The trail would be fairly demanding in good weather. The slush really took its toll on the dawgs today! Cant wait to do it again!
By:
Rating:
Date of Hike: Saturday, January 16, 2010
http://hiking.meetup.com/162/calendar/12308534/ 9 hikers went up Cedar Run (2 hours) & down White Oak Canyon. Going up was a definite workout, but it gave us the opportunity to leisurely enjoy the somewhat frozen waterfalls on our way down. Hike took us a bit over 4 hours because we stopped often on our way down White Oak Canyon. Enjoy our pictures on this link.
By:
misha
Rating:
Date of Hike: Saturday, November 21, 2009
Plenty of water, spectacular waterfalls, and a lot of people. I highly recommend bushwacking up Negro Run as there is a waterfall there too.
By:
Rating:
Date of Hike: Saturday, November 14, 2009
Just got home after a grueling, but enjoyable hike. When I arrived at White Oak Canyon, the water rushing over the roadway to the upper parking area gave me pause. Do I drive my car through the 3" water or park in the lower lot and hike across the water? I didn't have the clearance that the two trucks already in the upper lot had, but took my chances and soon was in boots and heading up the canyon. Cloud-filtered sun soon gave way to full sun and blue skies and I took off my long sleeved shirt and made the climb in shorts and T-shirt. The temperature was around 60. I was glad I was wearing waterproof boots as I found myself splashing along wet paths and even having to step onto a submerged rock to continue up the steep and often slippery trail. The sun drenched vistas and thundering waterfalls made the climb more than worthwhile as there was many times more water cascading through the canyon than I had seen on 3 previous climbs.
At the top of the upper falls I was unable to cross on the rocks and went farther up the trail to cross on the bridge. From the bridge I turned right, not left and wound up following the creek all the way to Limberlost Trail which like most of the climb beyond the bridge was shrouded in fog. With my long sleeved shirt back on I headed south on Crescent Trail and ended up at Crescent Overlook where the fog was so thick that try as I might, I couldn't find access to the Appalachian Trail to take me to Hawksbill. So I sat on the wall in the empty overlook, pulled on my hooded jacket and ate my lunch, hearing, but not seeing the occasional car on the Parkway.
After lunch I headed down through woods in hopes of intersecting with the AT but realizing that should I become injured off trail, I might not be found for weeks, so I climbed back to the Parkway and followed it south. I eventually entered a fire road and picked up the yellow blaze to its intersection with Cedar Run and began a very difficult downhill hike.
Cedar Run is more rugged than Oak Creek Canyon and presents a number of challenges including two creek crossings that are usually not a big deal. Today they were major obstacles for me. I arrived above the upper crossing and watched as a hiker crawled 20 feet across a slippery dead trunk five feet above the swirling water to an island and then tried almost successfully to cross the last 10 feet on another log. Coming off the log he slipped on a wet rock and got one boot into the water. I decided to take my chances on rocks farther upstream, knowing that one of the steps would have to be on a rounded rock two inches under raging waters. Though my poles helped steady me across the creek, I lost my footing and my one boot went under.
Below the fog the warm sun made me forget about my wet foot as I continued to pick my way slowly over soggy portions of trail and wet slippery rocks. I was glad that I was alone, because few of the hikers I know would have wanted to deal with this very difficult descent. At the lower crossing, about a mile from the parking lot, I searched for ten minutes to find a suitable crossing, but in the end, joined two of only four hikers I encountered on the trail and waded, knee deep 20 feet across the creek where the double blue markers show the way. On previous hikes I have been able to cross without getting my boots wet, but not today.
I sloshed to the car, changed clothes and pulled out of the parking lot at 4:00 p.m. dragging my car bottom as I drove through the creek to the lower lot and out to Rt. 600. I'm 63 and do a lot of biking, but tonight my knees are reminding me that, I hadn't been on a trail since vacationing in Sedona a year ago. Good thing I have lots of photos and videos to remind me how enjoyable this strenuous hike really was.
By:
Willow
Rating:
Date of Hike: Friday, September 04, 2009
This was a great hike. My boyfriend and I went on a Friday morning and we hardly ran into anybody. The streams were pretty low at this time of the year (especially Cedar Run) but the solitude was nice. I'm planning on coming back again in the spring. Even though the water was low there were still some great views! We didn't run into much wildlife on the trail but as we were driving away from the parking lot at the end we almost hit a blackbear in the middle of the road!
Waterfalls, waterfalls, waterfalls! This has to be the most spectacular waterfall hike in Shenandoah National Park. With three sets of falls on the way up White Oak Canyon and three smaller falls heading down Cedar Run, this circuit is among the mid-Atlantic's most popular. Lots of company on the trail.
Usually, the ideal time for this hike is in early spring, but with the rain we've had in the last month, all the falls were near their best. The wildlife was also out; we came across several black snakes, this guy (vid) was a local celebrity with hikers on Saturday, and we also saw a juvenile black bear on the trail.
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