Dark Hollow Falls

Worth the drive

Is it plungeworthy?

76feet tall

A 3-tier tiered on Hogcamp Branch.

Scale46/60

Documentation15/20

Character20/20

The details

Tiers: 3 drops
Type: Tiered
Watercourse: Hogcamp Branch
Coordinates: 38.51871, -78.4234

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About Dark Hollow Falls

Dark Hollow Falls is a 76-foot tiered in Virginia, on Hogcamp Branch. The water falls in 3 distinct tiers.

It's fullest after rain, and flow can drop off during dry spells — plan around recent weather.

Plungeworthy rates Dark Hollow Falls 8.1/10 — worth the drive. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.

What you'll find

Shenandoah's crowd-pleaser: 70 feet of Hogcamp Branch sliding over mossy greenstone, the closest waterfall to Skyline Drive and the park's most-walked path.

Getting there

Trailhead: Dark Hollow Falls trailhead, Skyline Drive mile 50.7
Parking: Trailhead lot — full by mid-morning in season
Road: Paved Skyline Drive
Hike: 1.4 mi round trip, 440 ft of climb (moderate — the return climb earns it)
Heads up: Big Meadows and its amenities sit a half-mile south.

When to go

Spring for water, June for mountain laurel, October for the Drive's famous color (and its traffic).

Rules & fees

Fee / pass: Shenandoah entrance, $30/vehicle for 7 days
Dogs: Prohibited — one of the few Shenandoah trails where pets are banned
Camping: Big Meadows Campground
Warnings: Wet greenstone is the park's leading ankle-breaker; no climbing on the falls.

Researched from Wikipedia — Dark Hollow Falls · Virginia DWR — Dark Hollow Falls Trail. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Dark Hollow Falls recently? Post a conditions report below.

Where it is

Before you go

The pin marks the feature, not a trailhead or a legal route in. Some sit on private land or need a real hike, and conditions change with season and rain. Check local access, don't trespass, and never enter water — hot or cold — where it isn't safe.