The
Two RV Gypsies
at Dark Hollow Falls
Rose River Trail in Luray, Virginia
on Skyline Drive Loop and milepost 50.7
July 11, 2023
This is said to be one of the most popular hikes in Virginia
and it is part of Shenandoah National Park. Due to the short length
of the trail to the LOWER part of the falls, it is a quick hike for
some, but maybe not so easy for everyone. Since there is a 440-foot
elevation change on this hike, the hike back up is more strenuous. There
are not enough places to rest along the way back up. Benches would be
appreciated but there were no here on this date.
The hike is almost 1-1/2 miles each way. The trail is well maintained,
but very steep and rocky so there are always spots where everyone must
be careful. It is NOT wheel chair accessible.
The two RV Gypsies only hiked to the lower part of the falls. Pets are not allowed on this hike. It is said to allow a hour and 15 minutes for this hike. There was no activity fee here on this date.
Below: Lee Duquette usually leads the way on hikes. So Karen Duquette usually snaps some quick photos along the way. But as shown below, they are not always in focus because sometime she takes the photos as she walks, and therefore mostly photographs Lee's backside. But they still represent the trail and the hiking experience. Often, Lee turns around to be sure Karen is still on the trail.
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Below: The two RV Gypsies were grateful that they each had a hiking stick.
Below: Sometimes, Lee Duquette turns around to get a few photos of Karen Duquette on the hike.
Below: Views of the waters flowing downhill along the trail.
Below: The two RV Gypsies reached the waterfall. They really were not impressed by this waterfall. It definably is not the most photogenic of waterfalls, but it was still nice enough. There were quite a lot of people on the trail on this date. It is not a hike that the two RV Gypsies would return to though.
Below: The 70-foot drop down the side of the mountain.
Below: Karen Duquette tried to get around the big rock to walk in the waters. But it was very slippery, with nothing to really hold on to.
Below: As Karen Duquette managed to work her way around the big rock and step into the water, she discovered that the water was ICY cold. It was also very slippery, so she decided not to try to get under the waterfall as she had originally hoped to do. She also noticed that even the young people had trouble getting out of the water and needed help. And one young boy almost fell, but someone caught him.
Below: Then it was time to hike back to the parking lot.
