Beecher Ridge / Overall Run (Shenandoah NP) July 2014

This hike is supposed to have fantastic waterfalls and springs, etc.  Pro tip: if you go in the summer, none of these things will be true.

Despite the above, I enjoyed this hike for the solitude (with one exception-- a stretch of about a mile that goes really close by Mathews Campground, so there are a lot of people going out to the overlooks).  My main complaint about SNP in general is how crowded some of the trails can be, because I'm cranky, so this one was really nice and quiet for almost the entire thing.  Unfortunately, the group of people I was with was quite spirited, so our chances of seeing a bear went down quite a bit.  

The trail itself is well-maintained, and most of the hike is in a forest.  You get one really nice view once you get up the ridge, and you continue to be able to have somewhat nice views from the trees because you walk along the ridge for a bit.  This trail also has some steep sections but nowhere near as crazy as White Oak Canyon.  I hear this hike is even nicer when the waterfalls are flowing.

We used the directions from hikingupward (http://www.hikingupward.com/SNP/OverallRunBeecherRidge/).  It gets really confusing at a few points, and we had to backtrack a few times, adding on a few miles to our day.  We got a crazy early start so we were totally fine with this, but definitely bring a good trail map and directions-- and even so, build in extra time.  There are a ton of different trails that wind in and out in this part of the park.  

You also don't have to pay anything if you park where we did, in the small area down Thompson Hollow Rd (take Route 613 to 630 and you'll come to it).  Which is always a plus if you don't have an annual parks pass (even though you should).  We kept expecting to see a ranger station, but we didn't.

Trail name: Beecher Ridge / Overall Run
Distance (RT): 8.5 miles
Elevation change: 2,000 ft.
Time: 4-4.5 hours (probably around 5 if you get lost like us)