This 8.1-mile circuit gains about 2,794 feet and is rated very strenuous, combining Cedar Run’s cascades with Whiteoak Canyon’s falls in one loop from Hawksbill Gap. Most hikers plan on roughly 6 to 7 hours. Dogs are permitted.

Go counterclockwise — the alternative sends the steepest climbing to the very end of the day, when legs are already tired. The Cedar Run slabs get genuinely slick when wet, and ankle injuries here are common enough in summer that it’s worth treating the footing with real caution rather than trail-running momentum. This is not a beginner’s introduction to Shenandoah waterfalls; it shares a trailhead area with the shorter Hawksbill Summit Trail, but is a substantially longer and more demanding route.