Shenandoah National Park Day 2 - Dark Hollow Falls, Blackrock, Miller's Head Hikes

Shenandoah National Park Day 2 - Tuesday 4/7/15

Day two, weather-wise was a lot different from our first day of sunny and blue skies. Lots of clouds but at least it was not raining. We planned for three short hikes again with a stop for lunch at Big Meadows Wayside and then checking in to our room at the Skyland Resort.

Hike #1 Dark Hollow Falls, Mile Marker 50.7 
I had read that Dark Hollow Falls was a great hike for kids with a nice waterfall to see so we chose it as our first hike of the day. The hike takes you down to the waterfall and then you have to hike back up.

The kiddos liked to pretend the logs were balance beams. Things like this make the hike fun for them. The falls were really nice to see. They are 70' tall.

The hike back up wasn't too bad and the kiddos did awesome. The hike is a total of 1.4 miles. It's a popular hike so be prepared for lots of people.

Hike #2 Blackrock, Mile Marker 51.2  
We headed to Blackrock next as it was closeby and we read it was a very short hike and with great views. Thank goodness we were above the clouds as we still got views.

The hike is only .4 miles total, so a very short hike that leads to pretty nice views. I'm sure it would be even better on a clear sunny day.

After this short hike, we headed to Big Meadows Wayside where we had lunch at the restaurant. The food was ok, nothing great and the wait was long. We weren't in a hurry so it was fine, but if we had been, I would have been pretty upset with the service.

We then made our way to the Skyland Resort to check in and get the key to our room. We stayed in one of their traditional rooms and it wasn't bad. It had the lodge feel and needs updating but it was perfect for a night's stay. The back even had a nice sit down area outside with a view.

Hike #3 Miller's Head, Mile Marker between 42-43 

We wanted to get another hike in before the rain started, so we headed to Miller's head hike. It is very close to our lodge, so it was a perfect choice.

On the hike you will come across a communications cabin and then come to the Bushy Top View point. It's got nice views.

Along the hike we also caught glimpses of the Skyland lodging, where we were staying for the night.

There is a platform at the end of the hike where there are cool views. Here's a family pic.

The weather was starting to change with more clouds moving in, so we didn't hang out long. There are some downhills on the hike so be prepared for hills on the way back to the trailhead.

The kiddos and Hubby relaxed in our room while I really wanted to go for a run. I headed out from the lodge not really knowing where I was going until I hit a trail and just started following it. Before I knew it, I was on the hiking trail running to Little Stony Man. It was a tough run up but definitely worth it when I came to views like this.

I ended up doing 3.9 miles total on the run. It was a hard run but I'm so happy I got the run in during our trip.

After cleaning up we headed to dinner at the dining hall at the Skyland Resort. The food is decent, I ended up getting the crab cake burger and it was good. I'll end the post with a pic at night of the Skyland Resort.

 It was another great day in the park.