Doyles River-Jones Run Loop Waterfall Hike in Shenandoah National Park

The Doyles River-Jones Run Loop is easily my all-time favorite waterfall hike in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. An occasionally strenuous circuit hike, this loop trail takes you past three large waterfalls and countless smaller ones.

You can start this wonderfully woodsy waterfall hike at various points along Skyline Drive. The Jones Run, Browns Gap, Doyles River Overlook and Doyles River parking lots are all options. It doesn’t really matter where you start.

However, you’re recommended to hike this trail in a clockwise direction. And if you don’t want to leave the strenuous climb back out of the hollow for last, I suggest starting the hike at the Doyles River parking lot.

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Hiking the Doyles River-Jones Run Loop

From that parking lot, you’ll first cross Skyline Drive and the Appalachian Trail before descending into the woods. After almost a mile (1.6 kilometers), you’ll cross the Browns Gap Fire Road.

From then onward, the trail basically parallels the Doyles River. You’ll soon hit the first stop-worthy waterfall. It doesn’t officially have a name, but it’s definitely pretty.

A little further down the trail awaits Upper Doyles River Falls, a 28-foot (8.5-meter) multi-level cascade that’s awesome for selfies (if you’re into those).

About 0.2 miles (300 meters) past that waterfall is Lower Doyles River Falls, a gorgeous 63-foot (19-meter) waterfall.

This was my personal favorite waterfall on the Doyles River-Jones Run Trail and possibly even in all of Shenandoah National Park. Dark Hollow Falls is a strong contender, though.

The trail then continues paralleling the Doyles River, passing many more small cascades on its way.

At 2.1 miles (3.4 kilometers), the Doyles River Trail intersects with the Jones Run Trail. Follow this trail, which will take you back up along the Jones Run. About 0.7 miles (1.1 kilometers) after the intersection, you’ll come across the 42-foot (13-meter) Jones Run Falls, the third and last major waterfall on this gorgeous hike.

After 4.6 miles (7.4 kilometers), you’ll find yourself at the Jones Run parking lot on Skyline Drive. To get back to the Doyles River parking lot, turn right on the Appalachian Trail and follow this legendary path for another 2.2 miles (3.5 kilometers).

This last section is fairly level and makes for pleasant walking. A couple of scenic overlooks add to the all-round greatness of this highly recommended waterfall hike in Shenandoah National Park, which is one of the the best national parks for waterfall hunting in the USA.

In summer, the many natural swimming holes in both the Doyles River and Jones Run offer welcome cooling-down opportunities on this trail.

Doyles River-Jones Run Loop Details

Trailhead: Doyles River parking lot at MP 81.1 on Skyline Drive

Distance: 7.8 miles (12.5 kilometers)

Duration: 4 hours

Alternative: For a shorter loop hike, you can take the Browns Gap Fire Road. This circuit also takes in all the waterfalls you’ll find on the full Doyles River-Jones Run Loop, but is about 2 miles (3 kilometers) shorter. The suggested starting point for this loop is the Browns Gap parking lot at MP 83.0.

The Browns Gap Fire Road’s origins go back to the 1700s, when the Brown family constructed a road to transport their produce from the Shenandoah Valley all the way to Richmond.

During the American Civil War, the road was famously used by Stonewall Jackson and his troops. Although nothing about the road nowadays reminds hikers of these events, it’s still nice to inject some local history into your hike.

Note: When Caroline and I did this hike, we saw two rather large snakes near the Upper Doyles River Falls. One, a non-venomous black racer snake, crossed the trail right as we walked by.

The other one, a unidentified brown-colored snake, possibly a rattlesnake, was sneakily hiding behind some rocks. It freaked us out at first, but in the end, it was a pretty memorable wildlife sighting—one of the many reasons I love Shenandoah National Park so much.

 I don’t know if it’s a coincidence that both of them were hanging out near the water, but I thought I’d mention it. Just watch where you place your feet.

You may also want to look into the following hikes in Shenandoah National Park: Big Meadows, Turk Mountain, Trayfoot Mountain-Paine Run, Dark Hollow Falls and South River Falls.

Other Amazing National Park Day Hikes

• Skyline Trail Loop in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
• High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park, California
• Observation Point Trail in Zion National Park, Utah
• Precipice Trail in Acadia National Park, Maine
• Bright Angel Trail in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona