Rose River Falls

Our first hike of the was the Rose River Falls Loop located in the central portion of Shenandoah National Park. 

As we wrote before, we have set two hiking goals for this year and figured we might as well get started right away.  So, on New Years Day, we were blessed with beautiful weather and set out on this 4.4 mile hike.  The hike begins just north of the Dark Hollow Falls parking area where it picks up one of the many Big Meadows Horse trails for a bit and then turns off towards the Rose river.  The majority of this hike then follows the many cascades and waterfalls of this beautiful river.

A little further down-stream and you come upon the centerpiece of this hike, the roaring falls.

The river continues gurgling along the path as you advance toward Dark Hollow Falls passing the remnants of an old copper mine.  There's not much left of the old mine except the base of one of the flumes used to transport the copper from the mine to the river.

Just before you reach the fire road at Dark Hollow, you cross the river over a scenic footbridge.

The rest of this hike passes over the horse bridge at Dark Hollow Falls and follows the fire road back to the parking area.  This trail was rated number 4 on the list of most popular trails and we can easily see why.  The hike is not strenuous and is very scenic the majority of the time.  We highly recommend this hike, especially after a rainy period when the water is flowing strongly.

 

Waterfalls in the winter offer unique perspectives that you don't see any other time of the year.  Cold weather allows some of the mist to freeze and accumulate on nearby objects creating beautiful icicles which capture the light.  There is also a remarkable sense of renewal when you see the beautiful, still green ferns and moss against the winter landscape.