Whiteoak Canyon - a moderate day hike

This is the third and final of the three day hikes I explored during my recent vacation - Whiteoak Canyon. I chose the downslope approach, which requires a drive on the eastern border of the Park. You pass Old Rag Mountain (photo here, and there is a blog entry in November 2007) on the way to the trailhead.

The hike is included in the "Easy Day Hikes" book, but it is listed as the most difficult. If you do the whole route, it entails climbing up or down the entire ridge of the Park...as with many of the SNP hikes, this means either starting with a downward or upward climb, and reversing on the way back.

Here is a part of the review from the "ajheatwole.com" site (review of the route starting from Skyline Drive):

"Whiteoak Canyon has been called the "scenic gem" of Shenandoah, which is an understatement. It's a place of wild beauty—a shady place of great boulders under tall hemlocks, of cascades and pools and sheer rock walls, and a steep gorge with six waterfalls. The trail, from the Drive to the first (and highest) waterfall, is in good condition, and the walking is easy. But farther down it gets steeper, and parts of it are rough and rocky.

As you might expect, this has always been one of the most popular places in the Park. Long before there was a Park, Whiteoak Canyon was the principal playground for the guests at Skyland. At that time the first falls could be reached by road. At the top of the falls were a bridge, a dam, a swimming pool, and bath houses. This spot was the scene of picnics and barbeques throughout the summer. Now the top of the falls has partially returned to its original wild state. But its popularity continues. The parking area holds 40 cars; on summer weekends you'll find the parking area full, and the canyon disappointingly crowded."



After parking at the trailhead - on Friday morning, there were about 10 cars in the lot - the route crosses private property on the way to the trailhead. Once there, at the eastern entry, there is a gently sloping walk for about 3/4 miles. At first, the trail crosses stream beds, sometimes on bridges like this one - some of the streams are dry and others have water in them.

Hiking in the woods along these streambeds reminds me of so many other hikes - even Yosemite - but during this hike I also remembered a short walk to a waterfall in the Black Forest of Germany. I was with a group tour heading to Lucerne and we'd stopped for lunch (and most of the others were led to a cuckoo clock shop).

My plan was to hike the whole canyon and catch all of the falls - there are many in this canyon, some of the most scenic ones in the Park.

This last photo for the day is of a small ford of the stream - the trail across leads to another wilderness route through the forest. From here, the trail begins to climb more steeply, while the stream bubbles and gurgles over rocks and through pools, as gradually you come to the first of the falls.

I'll continue the review of this hike in tomorrow's entry.