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Date of Hike: Saturday, October 5, 2019 |
| Just completed this hike as an overnight following the same direction as the main article. I won't repeat a complete description of the hike since that has been adequately done. Our hike was in drought conditions (which ended Sunday as rains came just after we finished our hike). Even with limited or no rain for weeks, the water was still running, albeit as a low level. We stayed at the group campsite across from the waterfall. Since the waterfall was running very low, it was very easy to get water from it. The good news is that even under very dry conditions, you can get water on this hike all the way up the run until it starts heading back up to the AT and leaves the watershed. We were able to rock hop every crossing with completely dry feet. While the Fall colors are not out yet, there has been a substantial amount of leaf fall due to drought stress, which actually enhanced the attractiveness of the scenery. Other than the burned down areas after summiting Neighbor Mountain, there are no views, so enhancing the scenery was a good thing. Our only disappointment was no wildlife sightings. Bear scat everywhere, but no bears, deer, squirrels, anything! We of course encountered several deer on Skyline Drive on the way out however. Nice hike, and I recommend doing it clockwise to avoid the 2.6 mile steep climb up to Neighbor Mountain.
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Date of Hike: Friday, September 13, 2019 |
Completed this hike as a 2 nighter and in the reverse direction as we started late on Friday. This made for an easy 4.5 mile downhill walk to camp (Day 1), but made for an intense 9 mile trek back to the car (Day 3). The hike back to the car was steep after leaving Jeremy's Run but had great views once at the ridge line. Would recommend high socks or pants since there was a lot of overgrowth along the trail.
We stayed in both of the marked campsites mentioned on HikingUpward. The large group campsite is awesome! Plenty of room...we counted 4 or 5 suitable locations for tent set up and even more if you are hammock camping. The waterfall adjacent to the campsite was low flowing but still made for a great hangout spot and and the large pool below contained some sizable trout (6-7 inches) that can be fished according to trail fishing rules. We saw 2 snakes, fish and one black bear so remember to hang your food.
Campsite locations if following the correct loop:
@2Mi - Small cleared/flat campsite can fit 1 to 2 tents
@4Mi - Few cleared areas suited for hammock set up
@8Mi - About .1 miles into Jeremy's Run hike small campsite (1 tent) on left
@9Mi - Large Group Campsite near water fall
@10Mi - Small cleared/flat campsite on right, can fit 2 tents easily
Noted 2 additional small campsites close to the Run but don't recall the mileage.
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Grand Feather
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Date of Hike: Saturday, July 27, 2019 |
| I have done this hike in spring, summer and winter. It is best IMHO in spring when the mountain laurel is blooming. There was a fire on Neighbor Mountain several years ago. The area is recovering but due to the fire there is a significant amount of plant diversity for plant lovers and great views. I have also done Neighbor Mountain-Knob Mountain as a loop. This is best in in spring or winter when you can see out. Knob Mountain is along a ridge with nice views in two directions. The hike is strenuous for those that do not hike regularly. The Knob Mountain option adds about 600 additional feet or more of elevation gain. On my last trip I was lucky enough to see two black bears and lots of bear scat on the trail. It is best to wear long pants on this trail as it does not get lots of use and at times is overgrown with raspberries, black berries and poison ivy in spots. I did not see lots of poison ivy but enough to make me cautious and careful in shorts.
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Taylor
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Date of Hike: Saturday, June 15, 2019 |
| Just like others who have left reviews before me, I feel like this has the potential to be a great hike in the winter. In the middle of the summer, however, I wouldn't recommend it. The portion of the hike that followed through the AT was nice, but as we approached the Neighbor Mountain trail, the trail grew more and more overgrown until it was impossible to pass without walking straight through poison ivy. After I gave up trying to avoid the poison ivy and just accepted my itchy fate, the hike was fairly enjoyable. My group caught a couple of ticks, which is never fun but inevitable given the amount of brush we walked through. Definitely recommend treating your clothes and shoes with permethrin / taking as many precautions as you can. The weather was perfect and the water wasn't too high so stream crossings were enjoyable. Definitely not a strenuous hike, just a nice, long walk in the woods.
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Date of Hike: Tuesday, January 8, 2019 |
| A group of us did this hike during the Government shutdown and they are still open, the directions provided were very clear. During the shutdown, the road to the parking lot to Jeremy's parking lot was closed off, so we just parked at the Elkwallow Picnic Grounds parking lot, which was no big deal. We simply just walked to the jeremy's run entrance. The trail was well blazed. While the description noted, "best waterfall on the hike," this served as a reference point for the first campsite, which we missed because of the description "best." I would note the waterfall appeared to be probably no more than 10 ft. I believe we did see the campsite, but were misled with the description of the waterfall. Fortunately, we found the next site shortly after, which was slightly off the trail. Overall, the hike was a good one, the river crossings were quite a challenge. It was certainly fun just counting them. Some of the crossings, you could do hopping on rocks, several others we took off boots or carefully crossed different regions of the crossing. I would recommend hiking poles to help with balanced. They were certainly proven handy at the time. We did this hike in 2 days, majority of the hike on day 1, and the water source was plentiful since it was along the river.
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Pohick
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Date of Hike: Saturday, November 10, 2018 |
| A nice overnight hike though it got a little colder than we expected (about 10 degrees colder than the forecast for Front Royal). Good views coming down Neighbor Mountain. With the wet fall and rain the week before, Jeremy's Run was high. All crossings were mid-calf to knee high, it seemed, and there were few or none rock hopping options. After about 5-6 crossings we gave up switching between crocs and boots and just let our boots get wet.
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John W
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Date of Hike: Monday, June 25, 2018 |
| Hiked this trail yesterday. This is maybe a great hike in the fall/winter/spring before the vegetation grows too thick. However, once you get about halfway down the Neighbor Mountain Ridge heading toward Jeremy Run, the vegetation along the trail is too thick to hike without wading through it. LOTS OF POISON IVY! Luckly, I saw no ticks (always prepared with permethrin soaked cloths and lemon eucalyptus oil). I had to turn around and double back on the Neighbor Mountain and Appalachian Trail. Great day for a hike (low temps for summer, and a nice mountain breeze). Saw several deer and one black bear (heard another crashing through the forest).
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Sanjida
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Date of Hike: Sunday, June 24, 2018 |
| We've been here before and done the hike as described, which is fabulous. It's also a great out and back to descend Neighbor Mtn from Skyline Drive and access the stream that way. I'm writing this note as an FYI because today we tried to access Jeremy's Run from SR 611 in the valley, but we could not. The property where the trail starts was recently bought and the new owners put up signs dating 10/17 that prohibit tresspassing or trail access from the valley. Don't make the mistake we did a and try to drive out this way!
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nort
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Date of Hike: Saturday, November 18, 2017 |
| Did the loop as described. With the leaves down there were many good views along the ridge. There are also plenty of places to camp up there before descending. The Run itself was pretty low so the crossings were easy but filtering water was no problem. There are camp sites all along the water. Beautiful hike.
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Ash
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Date of Hike: Sunday, October 22, 2017 |
| I just did this hike twice in a little over a month and loved it both times. I first hiked it in early Sept 2017 and really enjoyed the trail variety. You hike under canopy, on ridges with views, next to flowing streams - this loop has a lot to offer. I decided to go back when some color was on the trees and I wasn't disappointed. The Autumn colors make this hike even better. The water is low now due to the lack of rain in the area so all of the stream crossings were very easy. However, there was enough water to hear sounds now and then. I plan to go back in Winter and Spring to see how this route is in the various seasons. I love the length for a day hike I spent 6 hours completing the loop in Sept complete with taking pictures. This time I did it in under 4 hours, albeit I was trail running all the downhill and power hiking the climbs so it's not a typical hiking pace - it definitely wasn't a leisurely pace for me, but it I loved it!.
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Kathy
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Date of Hike: Wednesday, August 16, 2017 |
| My friend and I loved this hike. Although it has been a wet summer, the stream was easy to cross. I liked how the trail stayed close to the stream for most of the distance in the valley. We saw quite a number of wildflowers along the trail and many mushrooms. We made the hike about 4 miles shorter by starting at the Neighbor Mountain trailhead, after leaving one car at the Elkwallow parking lot.
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MarshMudMan
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Date of Hike: Sunday, May 14, 2017 |
| Jeremy's Run is really flowing and it is probably impossible to do this hike right now without getting absolutely soaked on the stream crossings. We started at Elkwallow Picnic Area and, instead of following the directions listed here, chose to do the Knob Mountain trail (instead of AT and Neighbor Mt.) before making our way up Jeremy's Run back to the car. The Knob Mountain trail was nice, easy walking once we got up to the ridgeline. Unfortunately, there were no good views from Knob Mountain but sometimes walking in the woods with a friend is its own reward. The fun really started after we descended from Knob Mt. and reached Jeremy's Run. As I said above, the river was roaring. At the first stream crossing we came to, the water was deeper than my knees – I'm 6'3" – and threatened to push us downstream. Fortunately, nobody fell in there or on any of the other 14 stream crossings. Only one crossing had a conveniently-located fallen tree but that didn't really matter once we were soaked from the first crossing, it was easy to just wade into the water to get to the other side. We certainly couldn't get any wetter. It was a blast!
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Date of Hike: Saturday, April 8, 2017 |
Led a group of 5 hikers here on a sunny, albeit, windy, April Saturday. We arrived at the trailhead around 10:40 AM and there were not many cars in the parking area.
We followed the loop outlined on the map to the tee. The quick descent from the parking area down to connecting with the Appalachian Trail [AT] (White blaze) was a good way to begin the hike. However, the ascent up the AT for about 1.5 miles definitely got the blood flowing. The AT flatlined for another 2 miles until there was a gradual increase in elevation towards the end.
Next, we connected on the Neighbor Mountain Trail (Yellow blaze), which started moderately strenuous, with okay views to the South. However, the views of the valley were much better as we got further along the trail. Exceptional views of George Washington National Forest and the valley about halfway on this trail. There must have been a fire here recently since there were many burned and cut-down trees.
We made our way down to end of Neighbor Mountain Trail after several switchbacks and lengthy turns and had a late lunch at the start of Jeremy's Run trail (Light Blue blaze). Little did we know that the 14 stream crossings were going to be significantly challenging that day since it rained on Thursday and Friday.
Each stream crossing presented their own unique challenges and we likened them to complex puzzles. In most instances, the stream had certain 2 to 3 feet deep areas that we were concerned with falling into. Fortunately, there were enough unsubmerged rocks and fallen trees to finagle our way through each crossing.
The stream crossings took us longer (3.5 hours) than anticipated (2.5 hours) and am grateful that there was a small group of us. All of us had wet boots and socks. I found out my smart phone wasn’t waterproof after attempting to throw my backpack across one of the streams only for it to hit the ledge and fall into the water.
The ascent to close out Jeremy’s Run trail and reconnect with the AT in order to get back to the parking area was a feeling of accomplishment. This was one of the most enduring, challenging, and fun hikes that I have been in the Shenandoah (outside of Old Rag). This would be a perfect hike in a few weeks when all the leaves are out or in the Fall when the foliage is at its peak.
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Rob
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Date of Hike: Wednesday, September 28, 2016 |
| As I took to the hike for an overnighter mid week, I had the trail all to myself. I went clockwise along Neighbor Mtn, seeing 4 bears that first day. One of the bears, a juvenile, was asleep between two trees approx. 30 yards off the side of the trail on the downward side of the mountain. I woke him up purposefully and we had a stare off until he decided to go back to sleep and I went on my way. I spent the night at the waterfall on Jeremys Run which was a beautiful, secluded site. The stream had a steady flow of water but was shallow throughout. I brought a fishing pole, but in late summer there were only 1-3 inch trout remaining in the small pools. Day two I continued on Jeremys Run and ran across 2 additional bears and a large red fox. I was moving slow and deliberately throughout my travel as to see more wildlife and out of the 6 bear, only 2 had seen me. The hike on day two throughout Jeremy's Run was beautiful and fun to follow the river throughout nearly the entire day. When I finished at Elk Wallow I was delighted to find incredibly well priced beer in the general store and a great selection.
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Date of Hike: Saturday, September 10, 2016 |
Hiked this with my husband and two friends, and their dog. Good hike with a varied terrain that keeps it interesting. This time the creek was very low and the stream crossings were very easy and minimal. Camped along the beginning of Jeremy's run, as some folks had started to camp at the group site before we arrived for the evening. Saw a bear on neighbor mountain and a bear with two cubs along Jeremy's run.
Difficulty is accurate but I think we would have been much slower on day two if the stream crossings proved more difficult.
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Date of Hike: Friday, July 1, 2016 |
| I enjoyed this hike very much. I'd never hiked more than 10 miles at once before but, encouraged by the reviews, I gave this a shot. As others found, it wasn't that bad. The route is in overall good condition. The steepness of the Jeremy's Run segment, in particular, didn't bother me as much as I had feared the last couple of miles turn quite rocky, and the last mile gives you a kick in upward slope, as you can see from the elevation profile. Saw a box turtle in the middle of the Neighbor Mountain trail (thought they'd be closer to water). No problem crossing the various streams, but I hiked after a dry spell I was glad to have have the assist of my hiking poles. Saw seven others including a couple looking to do some fishing walking down Jeremy's Run from the Elk Wallow way station -- told them it didn't look to me like there was any fishing to speak of, at least on the segment I hiked.
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Date of Hike: Saturday, June 25, 2016 |
| Did this as an overnight. The first part of the hike this time of year is under a tree canopy, which really cuts down on the sun, which is nice. Be aware that when you get to the Neighbor Mountain section, there was an older burn and the trees haven't fully recovered and it is more exposed. On that same section there were lots of blueberry bushes almost ripe, be careful going through this section, as the berries will almost certainly attract bears. When we were getting our backcountry permit, the ranger warned the water crossing might be high due to the amount of rain that had fallen over the past couple of days. However, we were able to maneuver all of the water crossing without really getting our feet wet. The camping area near the waterfall is as described and there are multiple spots back there, so don't be discouraged if someone has already set up camp right next to the waterfall. Saw one bear on our second day, which capped off a great weekend trip.
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| By:
aldikuma
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Date of Hike: Friday, June 10, 2016 |
| Beautiful hike. Though long, the hike itself is not that strenuous - a 4/6 rating is accurate. The AT has the most changes in inclines/declines but after that it evens out with one final uphill at the end. Another hike with a bit of everything on a perfect hiking weather day. Solitude rating is accurate. On the AT, I passed about 25 people. On the yellow only five, and on the blue just one toward the end - a really super nice guy just enjoying his day off to fish in the run. The run was low today, making the crossings very easy, but be careful if it has been raining as it will definitely add to the time and difficulty. I completed this in 6 hours with a good pace and a few breaks. Spotted many squirrels, birds, and chipmunks (SO cute), and one brown water snake (not poisonous). One thing - the bugs on this hike right now are crazy because of the proximity to the water for a good part if it - many gnats, biting flies, mosquitoes, spider webs, and TICKS, so bring the repellent. I use a homemade mixture of geranium oil and peppermint on myself and my dog to keep the ticks at bay and it works very well - just FYI. :)
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Terri V
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Date of Hike: Friday, October 23, 2015 |
| Had a wonderful time on this hike on a beautiful fall day. The Neighbor Mountain Trail down towards Jeremy's Run was my favorite section -- some really nice views. I was amazed that I didn't see another soul until I was 13 miles into the hike. The trails were easy to follow, even though the ground was covered by fallen leaves. Some of the blazes on the AT section could use freshening, and there could have been a few more blazes on the Jeremy's Run section to reassure me that I was still on track, but there really weren't very many places that I was questioning whether I was still on the right path. The distance and elevation gain were very manageable for me (52 year old female who has only been hiking for a couple of years), but I did find the 14 stream crossings a bit of a challenge. Rock hopping is not my forte, so I was very happy that I had brought my trekking poles and that it was the dry season. I definitely wouldn't want to do this hike with the springtime snow melt or after a rainstorm. I also saw my first bear -- on the access trail back to the parking lot after finishing the loop. I didn't notice him until I head the crashing sound of him running away from me. He stopped and looked back at me, giving me a good view of his face, but then continued on. It was nice that with all of the dry leaves on the trail I certainly wasn't going to sneak up on any wildlife! I would definitely do this hike again.
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| By:
Paula
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Date of Hike: Sunday, August 23, 2015 |
| This was the first time I hiked by myself in the SNP. In retrospect, as I walked through the woods I should have been singing or making noise because I knew, based on other reviews, and the scat on the trail, that black bears where in the area. As I rounded the bend in the trail after doing the 1st crossing on Jeremy's Run, I spotted a black bear headed right at me on the trail. It was about 40-50 feet in front of me, and did not notice me right away. This gave me time to back up, pull out my bear spray, and put some distance between us to see what it would do. It went into the Run to drink water, spotted me, and then ran up the embankment on the other side of the Run. After leaving the AT portion of this hike, I did not see another person until I got back to my car, so definitely keep in mind that you are hiking in bear country on this hike and either hike the trail with others, or sing or talk, if by yourself. The hike itself is not difficult...just a couple of moderately hard ascents, and much of the hike is on flat terrain. It is a beautiful hike, and I would do it again.
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Ken D
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Date of Hike: Saturday, August 15, 2015 |
| Pretty good chance to see bears on this hike. Scat all along the AT portion and while walking about halfway through the Jeremy's Run trail I heard something very large fall into the run (which was out of sight). I suspect it was a bear but couldn't see anything at the next crossing. The real payoff came after the final crossing when the trail begins to climb a little more steeply. One couple had just seen a bear across the gully (to the left as you ascend) and about a 1/2 mile from the AT intersection Mama Yogi and her two little ones were hanging in a grass field (again to the left as you ascend). The hike itself is long but not difficult. Pretty smooth with only a couple of somewhat tiring uphill climbs early in the hike. The final push to the top is not bad at all. Interesting terrain throughout so I'd recommend this to day hikers looking to get mileage and solitude.
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Date of Hike: Saturday, August 8, 2015 |
Did this as a two day one night trip. Started out from the parking area around 11:30am and made it to the waterfall camping area at Jeremy's Run by approximately 4pm. Didn't see many people on the trail but did see lots of bear scat. The most I've seen all spring/summer. I also had my first bear encounter on the AT section of the loop. A little fur ball cub was climbing down a tree about 15 yards off the trail. I didn't see mom but I also didn't hang around to meet her either.
There are plenty of camping areas once you get down to Jeremy's Run and they do fill up quickly. The run wasn't too high and we were able to make all the crossings without getting wet.
The views would be much better in the fall on the Neighbor Mountain section. It was also kind of eerie walking through the Neighbor Mt. wildfire area from two years ago. Lots of low lying shrubs and bushes are coming back but the tree have no leaves and are very charred in areas.
Started the hike out at approximately 8am the next day and made it back to the car by approximately 10:30am. Overall a very nice hike and would definitely recommend!
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Date of Hike: Saturday, July 18, 2015 |
| Did this hike with 5 boy scouts this past weekend, as a conditioning hike for our 37 mile Philmont trek in New Mexico next month. This was a great shakedown hike for us. No bears spotted but plenty of bear scat along the trail. We did encounter a timber rattlesnake at one of the stream crossings between campsite #1 and campsite #2, so be careful. Streams were difficult to cross without stepping in the water. Rocks were slippery and the water was high enough to make it a challenge at nearly each crossing. We camped out in campsite #2, the one further North along Jeremy's Run. Bathed in Jeremy's Run on Saturday night, which was an amazing experience. Water was cold at first but not unbearable once the body got used to it. Saw a fair amount of other hikers/joggers but I would not say this trail was heavily populated. Overall an amazing trek. With 8 in our group we left the Elkwallow parking area around 11 on Saturday, got to camping area #2 by 5PM. We left the camping area at 8 the next morning and were back to the parking lot by 11am. Not the swiftest pace but we were dealing with some foot problems with one of our hikers which caused us to stop more times than we would have liked.
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MarshMudMan
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Date of Hike: Saturday, April 18, 2015 |
| I did this loop as part of a two-day backpacking trip although it would also make a nice day hike. I parked at the Neighbor Mt. parking area and started the loop by heading north on the Appalachian Trail before heading down the Jeremy's Run Trail. There wasn't much green on the trees up along the ridge but spring was obviously farther along as I got lower in elevation (more green on trees, more flowers). There are definitely a lot of stream crossings of Jeremy's Run and the water level seemed like it was somewhat higher than it would be later in the year. There were quite a few rocks that would have made nice stepping stones if the water was a bit lower. Having said that, I was able to make it across all the stream crossings without getting water in my boots (long legs + a hiking stick were both helpful in that respect). I camped down in the valley, a bit west of the final stream crossing. A cloudless sky and a new moon made for some beautiful star watching on Saturday night! The walk out of the valley up the Neighbor Mt. Trail started with a long uphill but it wasn't as bad as I had been expecting. Once reaching the top of Neighbor Mountain, the rest of the Neighbor Mt. Trail was easy walking. [After completing this loop, I hiked down the Hull School Trail and then up the Thornton River Trail, but I won't review that part of the hike here.] I really enjoyed the Jeremy's Run hike...nice variety of terrain and scenery, the fun of lots of stream crossings, not too many people (~18 on the Appalachian Trail, but only 8 hikers total (plus a few fishermen) on the Jeremy's Run and Neighbor Mt. Trails), and beautiful weather. I'll be back to do this one again.
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NoVa Scouter
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Date of Hike: Saturday, November 8, 2014 |
| Our troop did this a couple years ago just a few days after a heavy rain. The stream was just a bit deeper than we expected, some stepping stones were underwater, and crossings were a little wider than normal. We came home with a lot of wet socks. It was much tamer when we did it this time -- stream crossings were a challenge, not an ordeal. Pretty hike, a couple nice spots along the stream for breaks, fairly level except for the hill coming back up to Skyline Drive from Jeremy's Run.
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Greg
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Date of Hike: Friday, June 20, 2014 |
I wish there were 1/2 stars, I would have given it a 3 1/2. Its a great long hike but kind of boring. I did it on a Friday morning and it took me 6.5 hours. I passed one couple hiking North on the AT around the 2 mile mark but after that I didn't see anyone else all day. Until you reach the 8.5 mile mark there really isn't much to see. Once you hit the stream around 8.5 it is really nice.
You may want to pack extra socks and have some poles or find a pretty solid stick. I found out the hard way on the second crossing that the rocks are really slick and its easy to lose your footing and end up wet. That was on one foot. Then again on the 4th or 5th crossing I ended up in the water, this time with both feet. So I finished the last 5 miles with wet feet.
I saw very little wildlife. I was hoping to see some bears but only ran into one deer.
Overall a nice long hike but nothing spectacular. Miles 8.5 through 13.5 are nice though.
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Date of Hike: Sunday, June 15, 2014 |
| Awesome hike. My son and I completed the loop in just less than seven hours. We chose to take a clockwise route. Jeremy's Run was stunningly beautiful. The climb up Knob's Mountain was a bit more than we were expecting but we managed to get it done. We too saw a bear near the cutoff. That's been the highlight of my season thus far! Great views, excellent solitude, and yes, bears!! Just a really good hike. Oh - ticks are thick here, so check often. Happy Trails!
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Lucy Caldwell
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Date of Hike: Monday, June 2, 2014 |
| This is an amazing hike with varied terrain, views, water features, and lots of interesting flowers and wildlife. Saw 6 bear mostly near the creek area in the second half of the hike. By the end of the hike, I feel energized and already planning my next hike(s) in the tranquil, quiet beauty of the SNP.
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Paul
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Date of Hike: Sunday, April 20, 2014 |
A good pair of GoreTex Boots with REI quick-dry socks are all you need...many stream crossings and none easier than the other...you just get the "hang-of-it" after awhile...beautiful stream...
Did the Knob Mountain Trail as the alternate hike to Neighbor Mountain and it did not disappoint...
Steep climb up the Knob Mtn Cutoff Trail...and a more gradual climb up to the Knob Mt Summit...
With the exception of early growth of laurel...the upper elevation views were still leafless...and much to look at...from the Massanutten to the SNP's central peaks...Neighbor Mountain to the Three Sisters...the green pastures of the Shenandoah Valley...and of course...Jeremy's Run itself!
Wonderful Easter Sunday Hike!
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| By:
Herb Wilburn
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Date of Hike: Sunday, April 20, 2014 |
| Jeremy's Run was running full and it was really beautiful. This is a really nice hike, the combination of the ridgeline hiking at the beginning and the creekside second half is unbeatable. The stream crossings are worthy of your attention. I wouldn't do this after a lot of rain, I think you might get to the bottom and have to backtrack out of there. It was still wintery at the top, with everything a little brown, but it was busting into spring at the bottom lots of flowers and greenery. Trekking poles will really help on the stream, take 'em if you've got 'em.
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| By:
Rick Carlstrom
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Date of Hike: Saturday, June 8, 2013 |
| A group of 9 of us from Troop 894 in Annandale did Jeremy's run clockwise as a one night backpacking training hike for our upcoming Philmont trip. Everyone really enjoyed this outing. The hike along the AT was fairly easy - there are some rolling hills but the trail is in very good condition with very few rocks. The uphill portions are not too steep. We arrived at the waterfall on Jeremy's run in about 4 hrs. including stopping to put on our rain gear and 15 minutes later removing it. The campsite had lots of butterflies - they seemed to be everywhere.
Some of the views along the neighbor mountain trail are very nice but are probably a lot better in the fall when there are no leaves on the trees.
On Sunday we were out of camp a little after 0700. Those 14 crossings of Jeremy's run will definitely slow you down. The water was shallow enough to rock hop for most crossings but one misplaced step or slippery rock and it is immediately apparent that the water depth was "Boot Height Plus three inches". The hike back to Elkwallow is all up hill but like Saturday the trail was not too steep and you could keep up a brisk walking pace without getting winded.
This loop has definitely been added to our "to do again" list.
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| By:
Connor Mac
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Date of Hike: Friday, May 17, 2013 |
| This was my first trail hike at Shen, and overall, it was a great one. We saw five bears in the first two hours creekside, and found a fantastic campsite alongside a waterfall about 0.5 miles from the confluence of neighbor mt. trail and jeremys run trail. The climbs were tough, and the views were obstructed by dense fog, but still a good time.
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Date of Hike: Saturday, April 13, 2013 |
| This was a tough and strenuous hike for us. But we did it a little differently by hiking back on the Knob Mountain Trail, instead of the Jeremy's Run Trail. This eliminated most of the water crossings, which are a bit dicey this time of year. We started on the AT at Elkwallow Wayside and then picked up Neighbor Mountain Trail to Jeremy's Run Trail. We camped along Jeremy's Run just before the first stream crossing. The mileage to this point is about 9 miles. The next morning we hiked back to the Neighbor Mountain Junction and picked up the Knob Mountain Trail. Here we had to cross Jeremy's Run, but it was wadeable. After that, Knob Mountain Trail rises steeply, so be ready for a long, tough climb. It's a 3.3-mile climb to the top of Knob Mountain, and it was a challenge. This trail is listed as a Horse Trail on the NatGeo map. Now I know why. Once you arrive at the top, you can stop for lunch and a much-needed rest. After that, it is mostly downhill all the way - 2.2 miles. Near the bottom you connect with the Knob Mountain Cut-off Trail for the last 1.8 miles. Halfway down this trail you have to re-cross Jeremy's Run. There is a short climb at the end of the Cut-off trail, but it isn't long. This extends the length of the hike to 16.3 miles, which is a great length for a backpacking trip. Unless... you lose your camera along the way and have to backtrack a mile to find it. Take it from me, hang onto your gear!
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| By:
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Date of Hike: Wednesday, August 8, 2012 |
Note: Neighbor Mountain trail is now open again (as of 8/8/2012).
Overall, a nice, overnight circuit (or a pretty hefty day hike). The stream valley is nice, not spectacular in the summer, you can't see the mountains on either side at all. Saw one bear at the start of the Jeremy's Run trail, heard coyotes at night.
Did as an overnight, counter-clockwise, camped about 1/3 mile below the waterfall (where I had planned to camp, but, alas, occupied by the only other hikers I saw on a Wednesday in August). There are several other existing sites nearby, however, and I still found a nice site by the stream. The only downside of splitting this way is the that first day's hike is almost too easy (5 miles or so, downhill) leaving all the hard stuff for the second day, particularly the initial climb up Neighbor mountain, roughly 1,500 feet in about two miles. Note that there's also no water source once you leave the valley until just before Elkwallow.
Fire damage (from summer 2012) on Neighbor mountain isn't severe, and opens up the views a bit on the far ridge in general, it looked like only the undergrowth burned but in areas hot enough to kill the trees and thus leaves.
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| By:
Ted
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Date of Hike: Saturday, July 28, 2012 |
| Just a FYI. The Neighbor Mountain Trail ( Yellow trail ) off the AT is closed due to fire.
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| By:
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Date of Hike: Thursday, May 3, 2012 |
| I don't think this hike is that special. I did it on a balmy Thursday and saw only 3 people after I left the AT. The views are partial at best. The flowers along the AT are nice. I spotted two black bears separately on the far side of Neighbor Mountain. The crossings and the miniature waterfall were undoubtedly the best part. But once leaving Jeremy's Run the trail inclines steeply to Elkwallow Picnic Grounds. If you're doing this as a day hike, save your last bit of energy for this tough climb. And yes, I did it in 6.5 hours, including short stops for snacks and photographs. But the length is more accurately 14.0 miles, not 14.7. Bring the bug spray. They bothered me the whole time.
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| By:
Stephen W.
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Date of Hike: Friday, April 27, 2012 |
| I did this hike over a weekend with 4 friends.
We did the hike counter clockwise. Going that way, you have a steep climb for the first couple of miles until you reach the summitt, which has great views of nearby mountains. From there you have a steep descent to the creek (with excellent views most of the way down). As other reviewers have noted there are 14 stream crossings. Going counter clockwise we found the 1st crossing to be the most difficult and the deepest. The rest were crossed pretty easily as the water was not too high. The middle portion of the hike was very pleasant and not strenuous, with only a casual climb. The last mile and change back to the Wayside parking area is uphill.
Overall this is one of my favorite hikes and imo even more scenic than St. Mary's Wilderness or Whiteoak Canyon. It can be done in a day, but we spread it out to make for a casual weekend. I would suggest counter clockwise for day hikers, as the climb uphill going clockwise over the last couple of miles is pretty steep.
We did not see any bear, but did spot several bear droppings. We did see deer from our campsite one night, though.
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| By:
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Date of Hike: Saturday, December 31, 2011 |
I did this hike solo as an overnight to ring in the New Year (2012). Like most others have said, the hike out Neighbor Mountain Trail before the descent into the valley/Jeremy's Run offers incredible views in either direction as you hike along the ridge.
So far this winter has been extremely mild with no snow and little rain. The first crossing of Jeremy's Run was impossible for me to do without taking off my shoes/socks and rolling my pants up above my knees and wading through (that will sure wake you up in late December!). I can't imagine trying to cross here after a heavy rain or in the Spring (bring your water wings)? As you continue to hike upstream the other numerous crossing arent as bad but can be a challenge to stay dry (either hop between slippery rocks or tight rope walk the fallen tree).
From the advice of this site I made the big waterfall my campsite destination. I rolled in there around 5:30 pm in the dark and again had to remove my socks and shoes to wade through the ice cold calf deep water to reach the site on the opposite bank. It was definitely worth the effort as this is a spectacular site.
I'm guessing that this hike took a total of 8 hours of pure hiking time for me and I consider myself to be in decent shape. This site says you can do it in 6.5 (which includes a stop for lunch!). Perhaps that can be done without a heavy pack and during a time when the water level is even lower than what I experienced but even then I would think that would be mighty speedy.
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| By:
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Date of Hike: Saturday, December 31, 2011 |
I did this hike solo as an overnight to ring in the New Year (2012). Like most others have said, the hike out Neighbor Mountain Trail before the descent into the valley/Jeremy's Run offers incredible views in either direction as you hike along the ridge.
So far this winter has been extremely mild with no snow and little rain. The first crossing of Jeremy's Run was impossible for me to do without taking off my shoes/socks and rolling my pants up above my knees and wading through (that will sure wake you up in late December!). I can't imagine trying to cross here after a heavy rain or in the Spring (bring your water wings)? As you continue to hike upstream the other numerous crossing arent as bad but can be a challenge to stay dry (either hop between slippery rocks or tight rope walk the fallen tree).
From the advice of this site I made the big waterfall my campsite destination. I rolled in there around 5:30 pm in the dark and again had to remove my socks and shoes to wade through the ice cold calf deep water to reach the site on the opposite bank. It was definitely worth the effort as this is a spectacular site.
I'm guessing that this hike took a total of 8 hours of pure hiking time for me and I consider myself to be in decent shape. This site says you can do it in 6.5 (which includes a stop for lunch!). Perhaps that can be done without a heavy pack and during a time when the water level is even lower than what I experienced but even then I would think that would be mighty speedy.
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| By:
Max S.
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Date of Hike: Saturday, August 20, 2011 |
Not for beginners! My friends and I decided to try backpacking and made this our 2 day hike. The first day started by going along the AT and across Neighbor Mtn. You face a tough climb on the AT followed further by shorter (but challenging) hills. Eventually you veer to the right onto the neighbor Mtn trail. This has some nice views and it a bit easier going than the AT section, but don't let your guard down you're not done yet. Eventually you make it to a trail marker to signify the tip top of the mountain. Take a break here. There are even a few spots to camp. Once you continue on, its about 2-3 miles entirely downhill to Jeremy's run. Once you reach the water, keep hiking until you reach the waterfall. You can't miss it and you just have to trust me on this. All the camp sites at the waterfall are on the opposite side of the creek as the trail. There is no good way to cross the creek at the area, so be creative. This is where you should camp for the night. It took us about 4-5 hours of hard hiking to reach this spot, so leave time (less time if you're in shape and experienced). The hike back up Jeremy's run is easier than the first day, with the only real challenge being the last 1.5 to 2 miles uphill.
This is a great 2 day hike, but if you are not in great shape or have not been hiking/backpacking much, I would find a shorter trail with less elevation change.
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| By:
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Date of Hike: Saturday, June 11, 2011 |
| Great trail. Accurately described, well marked and wonderfully maintained. Stream crossings were not bad as the level was low. Also there are at least two great looking unpublished 1-2 tent camping sites at the north end of Jeremy's run trail roughly a mile before the intersection of Knob Mountain cutoff trail. Keep those in mind on an overnight if you happen to be moving fast.
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| By:
Orrman
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Date of Hike: Saturday, June 11, 2011 |
| Did this hike as an overnight and had a great time. It was my first hike after having the veins in my legs worked on. It was great to get back out with a pack on my back. Don't really know how long it took, but then again it was a hike not a race. I did this hike with my buddy, his son and a friend and we all enjoyed it. Take a look at the notes Jim B left. Those two places to camp are nice and right by the water.
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| By:
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Date of Hike: Sunday, May 1, 2011 |
| http://www.meetup.com/hiking-162/events/17013797/ I counted 17 not 14 water crossings (probably because of recent rains) which cooled off my feet as I waded thru them. Some of the other 12 hikers tried to stay dry which led to lots of laughs. The faster hikers finished in 4 hours slower in 5 hours. Such a beautiful hike this was. Many of the trees are showing their leaves and spring flowers are up on either side of the trail. While 14.7 miles is quite long for me, the 2,600 elevation gain was not as difficult on this as on other hikes. I believe the narrative on Neighbor Mountain should total 4.6 not 4.0 miles. Correcting that error will give you the 14.7 miles listed at the top.
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| By:
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Date of Hike: Saturday, October 30, 2010 |
| Did this hike solo as an overnight backpacking trip. I hadn't backpacked in over 3 years, so I wanted something to get me back into it. This was a tough trip to get back into the game if you arent in shape! The trails are well maintained and easy to find. The leaves were at their peak for colors and it was absolutely beautiful. I saw numerous trees and colors on this trip. The views on top of Neighbor Mountain were spectacular. I hit the overlooks around 4pm and the sun had just begun setting over the valley lighting up the small farms below.
I made it to the best waterfall on the hike at 5pm and made camp there for the night. Everything you could ask for was right there - water, flat spot for tent, plenty of trees for your bear bag. The sound of the waterfall was perfect to lull me to sleep. I would recommend camping at this area if you are new to camping or spending the night in the woods as the waterfall drowns out the unfamiliar noises of the woods (wind, creaks of trees, sticks/acorns falling). Very relaxing!
The hike back up Jeremy's run was easy, until the end where it climbs fairly steeply. At that point, my legs were sore! The stream crossings were about ankle to calf deep, but with proper Gore-Tex shoes and gaiters, there will be no problem. Some parts of Jeremy's run trail will have you fighting rocks and roots on the trail, but nothing too bad.
Saw a few couples and another backpacker heading in the opposite direction on Neighbor Mountain Trail. After that, I didnt see anyone until I returned to Elkwallow picnic area. Overall a beautiful hike. I give it four stars becasue at some points it is a little rough with a heavy/overnight pack on. Definitely catagorized as a "Strenuous Beginner Hike." I'd do it again in a heartbeat once I get back in shape!
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| By:
Red Brixton
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Date of Hike: Friday, August 27, 2010 |
My daughter and I backbacked this over two days. Our ratings:
- Neighbor Mountain and Jeremy's Run trails were beautifully maintained.
- Not many views, but nicely shaded.
- Great campsite on Jeremy's run.
- The ranger at Mathew's Arm warned us about the streams being dry but there was more than enough to re-fill our bottles.
BTW: My daughter and I printed the HikingUpward map and guide and never had to break out the PATC #9 map. Thanks!
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| By:
Trav
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Date of Hike: Saturday, June 19, 2010 |
| Three of us hiked this trail on a hot day but fortunately the tree canopy provided adequate shade. As commented by the earlier post, I was not a big fan of all the roots and rocks on the trail as it follows the stream. We also had issues with ticks on our legs and gear throughout the day. We did camp two nights with one site being ideal just past the trail head about 1/5 of a mile down near the stream (flat stretch with no roots or rocks). No scenic views as the leaf coverage blocked everything out.
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| By:
The Tick
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Date of Hike: Saturday, April 3, 2010 |
| I did this hike on a beautiful Saturday with temps in the 70s. Perfect weather for the entire hike. I hiked it with a friend and we finished it in 4 hours 40 min. which was really fast. It felt like I was running the entire time. It was a long hike which is close to 15 miles. The first 9 to the bottom of Jeremy's run was Ok, no long uphills but several shorter ones to let you know you are still on a mountain. Walked along a ridge for most of the first 5 miles and wihtout leaves we had some nice views. When we started the uphill part of Jeremy's Run which is about 5 miles, is where the hike did not get 5 stars for me. It was a very rocky trail and many high water crossing. I was over my shoes on at least 5 of them and probably all 14 were hard crossings but I got lucky on some of them. Bring water shoes as I got pretty frustrated hiking in sloshing shoes. The incline is barely noticeable on the way up but i got pretty soaked. I would have rated it a 5 if I did not get soaked. Would do again but probably not until the summer.
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| By:
Marty
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Date of Hike: Sunday, October 4, 2009 |
| Actually, I hiked over top of Knob mountain and back up Jeremy's Run which is a couple miles shorter than via Neighbor Mtn. I only saw 3 couples once I got off the AT. Took me 5 hours plus 1/2 hour for lunch. The water was flowing but low I can't imagine crossing the stream some 10 or so times in the spring. Knob Mt did not have many views at all but was fine. The Knob Mt trail was mostly an easy slope, although the Knob Mt Cutoff was a bit steep but not bad. However, I have to say that the Jeremy's Run Trail is the gentlest slope I have every been on in Shenandoah while it still brought me up 1500 feet in elevation (over about 5.5 miles) - I never felt like I was going uphill! Will try the longer Neighbor Mtn Trail now that I know the uphill is so easy.
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Date of Hike: Thursday, July 9, 2009 |
| The Luray Trail Runners ran Jeremy's Run from the bottom trail head up to about two miles, turned around and came back. Excellent path for running for the most part with a very steep switch back that made the calves and thighs burn! The run started at 7am, the weather was perfect at a balmy 62 degrees. The pools in the run were perfect for the dogs to cool off in. This will be a favorite trail.
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| By:
msdanigirl11
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Date of Hike: Friday, July 3, 2009 |
| During the AT portion of the trail, we saw several other hikers once we transferred to the yellow and blue blazed trail, we were the only hikers on the trail for the day. If you are looking for solitude, this is the hike! Although we saw several (and I mean several) droppings we believed to be bear, we did not actually see any bear on the hike. At the beginning of the trail on the AT, there is a long significant ascent. After this, the majority of the hike was fairly level along the ridge with really pretty views into the valley. Towards the end of the blue blazed trail, there was another long, fast rising ascent that was challenging. Although this trail has a large number of streams, they are pretty much contained within the blue-blazed portion of the trail. We weren't bothered too much by flys, but did see plenty of ticks (make sure you wear long pants). Great hike overall, would definitely recommend to advanced hikers who can go the distance and face the steep rises at times.
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Date of Hike: Friday, July 3, 2009 |
| I hiked down from Elkswallow, to the waterfalls and campsite--then returned the same way. By the time I reached Elkswallow again I was completely knackered. At about the 6.5KM mark I saw a big pile of scat I figured was bear. I went on about 50M and heard these birds raising a storm to my left on the high groud and when I looked up I saw a black bear cub tearing up a tree at the speed of heat. The mother stayed at the base staring at me. I took some poor, but memorable video of the mother about 50 yards away. I moved on after about 3 minutes and came across more scat. The location was between two river crossings and the scats--nicely bracketing where I saw the bears, so it should be easy to find again. Someone else was camped on the other side of the run. I turned around at the falls and fished at the crossings--catching 4 trout. The only unpleasantness was the dead snake on the trail with those huge flies in their hundreds crawling all over it--yuk. I saw 6 hikers the whole time--one of whom was doing it in flip-flops!!! If you fish, take your licence with trout and NPS stamp--I was checked by the rangers as I was walking, exhausted, back to my truck. What a great day!
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| By:
Ronnen
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Date of Hike: Tuesday, June 24, 2008 |
We did the Mount Knob - Jeremy;s run loop.
Mount Knob trail is poorly maintained and full of ticks. The view are standard SNP views, nothing special.
Jeremy's run is nice, but if you just try to reach the water, hundrends of elephant size flies will attack you, so you need to watch the water from far away.
Overall, too long hike, nice views at Jeremy's run.
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| By:
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Date of Hike: Friday, April 25, 2008 |
| On the way down from Neighbor Mtn there is a wonderful spring with a waterfall, making a natural shower. The complete loop in one day is only suitable for hikers in good shape. I got quite exhausted by the time I got to the car. Watch out for ticks - there are plenty of them.
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Date of Hike: Saturday, March 15, 2008 |
| This is a great hike but not for the novice. Be prepared for a real workout! It's best to do it when the days are long (unless you are doing it as an overnight backpacking trip). Allow ample time to enjoy both the view and stream. BTW, it supports a native Brook Trout Population.
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| By:
CSaylorVT
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Date of Hike: Saturday, November 3, 2007 |
I did a modified longer version of this hike. Instead of turning right at Jeremy's Run Trail, I hiked up the Knob Mountain Trail to the Knob Mountain Cut-off trail I consider myself a seasoned hiker, but this loop (at 16+ miles and a crazy amount of elevation change) was probably the hardest day hike I've done in my life, but at the same time one of the most rewarding. This was done a few weeks after peak leaf color season, but still beautiful with blue skies, unlimited visibility, and 45 degree temps. If you have it in you, the combo of nice views, interesting trail design (lots of switchbacks to me make a much more interesting hike) and solitude made this hike on of my top three of all time, along with Observation Point in Zion National Park and the Frying Pan Trail in Capitol Reef National Park.
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