White Oak Canyon to Upper Falls

Luray, VA
4.8
9 Reviews
White Oak Canyon to Upper Falls
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Details

Distance
4.28 miles
Elevation Gain
866 ft
Route Type
Out-and-Back

Features

Waterfall
Food Nearby
Dog Friendly
River
Forest
Easy Parking
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About this place

Added by Christin Healey

White Oak Canyon to Upper Falls is an easy hike with one of the best falls in Shenandoah National Park. There is also easy access to lodging, restaurants and facilities when you are finished hiking at Skyland.

Between mile 42 and 43 of Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park is the trailhead for WhiteOak Canyon. Begin at the trailhead from the parking lot and cross the Limberlost Trail in .3 miles. Continue on and you will cross your first footbridge shortly. After another mile you will cross the second footbridge and turn left to get to the lookout for the falls. This is well marked. In a few hundred feet you will reach the best lookout of the falls on a rocky outcrop, and it's also a great stop for lunch or a snack, and of course some photos. Then just retrace your steps to complete this easy 4.3 mile out and back! This is one of the most popular hikes in the park, so go early or later in the afternoon during the weekend or holidays. The elevation gain is 1,200 ft, but it's gradual so an easy hike for the entire family.

You can extend this hike with a couple of other options:

White Oak Trail to Lower Falls - 6.7 miles, 2,000ft elevation gain

White Oak Canyon Cedar Run Loop - 7.7 miles, 2,250ft elevation gain

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Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and be sure to follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly.
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Savannah Knutsen
8/20/2022
Beautiful views
The falls were amazing. We climbed down them the hard way, the rocks are very slippery so be careful. The trail going down to ...
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Cynthia Sularz
8/25/2017
Amazing But Crowded
Best to visit early if you want to really immerse yourself. The waterfalls make the hike worth it though even in the busiest of seasons.
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Jess Fischer
2/15/2017
Crowded, but beautiful
This is another Shenandoah National Park favorite and you can find hundreds of visitors here during the warmer months. However, the waterfalls along the ...
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Brandon Dewey
12/31/2016
Lots of Great Waterfalls on One Hike
White Oak Canyon has some amazing waterfall right off the trail. This is one of the most popular trail in Shenandoah so expect ...
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Heidi
11/17/2016
Great Views and Fun Trails
Hiked this trail in the summer and loved it! There were tons of waterfalls and even one that you can slide down into a ...
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Kelly Park
11/2/2016
Waterfalls Galore!
Fun and challenging with waterfalls galore! The rock slide is fun if you go in the summer but the frozen waterfalls look amazing ...
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Elias King
11/2/2016
Make it a loop with the Cedar Run trail!
I would recommend doing Whiteoak Canyon in concert with the Cedar Run trail in order to catch the natural water slide on the latter ...
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Gen Utz
6/25/2016
Great!
It's a great hike for beginners. It's the perfect length for its terrain. You'll definitely work up a sweat hiking up the slight slope. ...
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Nick Boehm
3/6/2016
One Of The Best Summer Hikes
Gets super busy but this is one of the best summer hikes in the area. Lots of swimming holes to cool off in. Be watchful for snakes.
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