Lewis Falls Trail Loop (Shenandoah National Park, VA)

Although not the best waterfall hike in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park (see here and here for better ones), the Lewis Falls Trail offers a fine view of one of the park’s highest cascades, while a short jaunt on the Appalachian Trail (AT) completes the circuit and features fantastic views of the Shenandoah Valley. The loop …

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South River Falls Loop (Shenandoah National Park, VA)

At its peak flow in spring, South River Falls in Shenandoah National Park is easily one of Virginia’s most spectacular waterfalls. Here the South River, barely a trickle a mile upstream, catapults 83 feet down a two-tiered drop, forming a thundering sound that reverberates throughout the rocky gorge. Most hikers turn around at the first …

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Falls Nature Trail (Catoctin Mountain Park, MD)

Cunningham Falls in northern Maryland tumbles 78 feet down a set of cascades, making it the tallest waterfall in the state and a popular getaway destination for residents of the DC/Baltimore area. Most visitors hike to the falls by way of Cunningham Falls State Park—but it is also possible to reach from neighboring Catoctin Mountain …

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Upper Fish Creek Falls (Routt National Forest, CO)

While many visitors to Steamboat Springs, Colorado flock to Fish Creek Falls Recreation Area to the see the state’s second-highest waterfall, there are in fact two significant waterfalls in the vicinity: the famous 284-foot Fish Creek Falls and the lesser-visited Upper Fish Creek Falls. While significantly shorter in height, Upper Fish Creek Falls is charmingly …

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Fish Creek Falls Loop (Routt National Forest, CO)

At 284 feet, Fish Creek Falls is the second-highest waterfall in Colorado and is easily accessible from popular resort town Steamboat Springs. For visitors with an hour or less, a 0.8-mile loop provides a look at the falls from two different vantage points: a high overlook with views from a distance and a look up …

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Mount Tammany Loop (Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, NJ)

Mount Tammany, Red Dot Trail, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, May 2018 At the Delaware Water Gap, part of a broader National Recreation Area bearing its name, the Delaware River slices through a weakness in the mountains, forming a picturesque valley on the border of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Two peaks, part of the …

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Raymondskill Falls Trail (Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, PA)

The 150-foot Raymondskill Falls, when at full strength, is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the Mid-Atlantic and the tallest in the state of Pennsylvania. Nestled in a shaded valley in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, the three-tiered falls are reached by way of a short but steep trail. While Raymondskill is just …

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Butcher Branch Falls (New River Gorge National River, WV)

Southern West Virginia’s New River Gorge National River includes dozens of waterfalls, some easier to reach than others. Among the relatively simple is Butcher Branch Falls, which, despite being less than a half-mile from the Kaymoor Top Trailhead, is rarely crowded. The moderately difficult hike drops 150 feet from the western rim of New River …

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Fayette Station Road (New River Gorge National River, WV)

Before the New River Gorge Bridge—the longest arch bridge in the western hemisphere—was constructed in 1977, travelers across New River Gorge in southern West Virginia were forced to descend and ascend more than 800 feet in elevation on the slow and winding Fayette Station Road. The road also serviced a pair of small mining towns, …

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Whiteoak Canyon – Cedar Run Trail Loop (Shenandoah National Park, VA)

Cedar Run Falls, Shenandoah National Park, April 2018 The nearly 8-mile trail up Whiteoak Canyon and down Cedar Run is easily one of the most scintillating loop hikes in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park and features a string of excellent waterfalls that is perhaps unparalleled in the state. Except for a dull connector trail between the …

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