The Overall Run circuit passes one of the largest continuous waterfalls in Virginia. The trails also pass through valley streams and meadows, no wonder this loop is another local hiker favorite.  This is the best time of the year to catch the falls at there highest flow. With the rain we’ve had this spring, the run and falls are at their peak.

Of the hundreds of miles of trails we hike in the region each year, we generally only come across one or two black bears. However, Saturday on the Beecher Ridge portion of the Overall Run Hike, we had three different bear sightings. A cub 20ft up a tree, a juvenile that caught our scent and scrambled down the valley, and a large adult of about 400lbs wandering around one of the hollows along the ridge.

Most people start this loop from the parking area at the top near the Mathews Arm Campgroup. However, this loop version starts from the valley at the end of VA630.  Heading upstream on Overall Run provides better views of the falls, and you also get the steep climb out of the way at the beginning of the hike.