Rose River Loop

Hike stats:

Distance: 4 mile loop

Elevation Gain: 900 feet

Date Hiked: late May 2017

Location: Shenandoah National Park

My first day as an intern park ranger at Shenandoah National Park was spent exploring and getting to know the lay of the land. I know I know, best job ever. It was foggy and drizzly, a perfect day for waterfalls. My new coworkers suggested that I check out the approximately 4 mile Rose River Loop, a quiet but beautiful forested hike alongside a creek.

I started the hike at the Fishers Gap Overlook, turning left and gradually descending down the yellow-blazed* horse trail. The presence of the thick fog turned what would’ve been a fairly dull portion of the hike into a forest scene worthy of a Brothers Grimm tale. If you’ve never hiked in the fog, I highly recommend trying it out; it totally changes how you perceive everything.

After about a half mile or so, I turned right onto the Rose River Trail. At this point, I could start to hear the sounds of the creek over the rustling of the leaves against the wind. A few minutes later, the creek came into view right alongside the trail. The creek was a stunning sight with the large rocks and boulders creating mini-cascades and pools in which you could see trout swimming about. In better weather, this would’ve been an excellent place for a quick dip.

The best of the creek’s cascades is known as Rose River Falls. I took advantage of the fact that the drizzly weather had turned away many would-be hikers and was able to sit by the falls and enjoy a snack without another soul in sight.

Eventually, I began to hear the sounds of other human beings (oh, the nerve!) and forced myself to continue on. After a couple of easy water crossings, I came to a bridge that was so beautifully designed that it seemed as if it simply belonged there instead of being placed there by humans.

I should make a quick note regarding bear safety here. Despite this trail being somewhat well-trafficked, I came across several black bears while camping near-ish this bridge while on a Leave No Trace overnight training course later that summer. I had gone down to grab some water from the creek when I rounded a corner and came face-to-face with a momma bear and her two adorable cubs. We all froze, locked eyes, and once I had regained my wits after the longest three seconds of my life, I began to call out, “Hey bear, go away bear!” Thankfully, the momma bear decided it was more worth her effort to run off rather than attack me, and I was left behind unscathed. That being said, I do recommend doing your research and talking with the rangers to get an understanding of how to be safe while hiking in bear country. Okay back to the hike:

Continuing on past this bridge is where the hike starts to get a bit strenuous. The trail heads uphill with plenty of tall rocks to step up on that got my quads screaming. Thankfully, there were lots of nice water features and pretty cascades to keep me distracted and make the climb worth the effort.

After climbing for what felt like ages, I eventually reached a small bridge that led to the fire road that would take me to my car and close the loop. From this bridge, I got a great view of a little waterfall that I later learned was the lower section of the Dark Hollow Falls cascade. While I didn’t do it this particular hike, you can choose to detour a quarter mile up to see the actual Dark Hollow Falls, which I do think is worth the extra effort.

From here, it was a gradual climb up the fire road. I made a quick stop to check out the Cave Cemetery, where many members of the Cave family are buried, including a few Confederate soldiers. Shenandoah National Park was controversially created using the lands of white Appalachian settlers that used to live in the area. As such, there are over 100 familial cemeteries scattered throughout the park in which descendants can still be buried today. It’s an eerie, but worthwhile stop.

The Rose River Loop is an absolutely wonderful hike that allows one to enjoy Shenandoah’s water features in a more intimate setting. If the nearby Dark Hollow Falls is the star of the Shenandoah waterfalls, then Rose River Falls is the oft-overlooked but equally amazing understudy. A definite stop to add to your next trip down Skyline Drive!

*SNP uses three differently-colored blazes to mark the trails: blue for pedestrian trails, yellow for horse trails, and white for the Appalachian Trail.

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