South River Falls Loop Trail, Shenandoah National Park

Elevation: 2954 ft.

This 3.3 mile loop trail that takes visitors to the South River Falls and then returns via the South River Fire Road is touted as one of the best areas for breeding birds found along Skyline Drive. A walk along this loop in late spring or early summer could produce over half a dozen breeding warblers including cerulean, Blackburnian, and black-throated blue warblers, northern parula, Louisiana waterthrush, and American redstart. Other species to be on the look out for include white-breasted nuthatch, red-eyed and blue-headed vireos, scarlet tanager, rose-breasted grosbeak, and eastern towhee. Don’t forget to search for butterflies while you are traveling such as spicebush, pipevine and black swallowtails, great spangled fritillary, common wood-nymph and red-spotted purple. As elsewhere in the park, it is always a good idea to keep on the look out for mammals such as white-tailed deer, bobcat, and black bear.

A map with additional information is available through the Shenandoah National Park website.

Note: Please be advised that this is a moderately strenuous hike with a 900′ elevation change up to the observation  point at the falls and a 1,200′ elevation change for the full 3.3 mile roundtrip hike.