Overall Run Falls

This one is a bit of a gamble, and that's part of the charm. You'll start from the Hogback Overlook area near Mile 22.2 on Skyline Drive and drop into federally designated Wilderness on a path that gets progressively rougher and more remote. The first stretch is pleasant enough — hardwood forest, dappled light, the usual Shenandoah charm. But the trail loses elevation steadily, which means you're paying for every downhill step on the way back. After about two and a half miles, you'll reach a rocky overlook with a head-on view of the park's tallest waterfall, a nearly ten-story cascade that can roar after heavy rain or barely trickle in late summer. The setting is dramatic either way — a deep, rugged gorge carved into the Blue Ridge. This trail rewards hikers who don't mind earning their views and who understand that nature doesn't perform on command.