Walk Behind A Waterfall For A One-Of-A-Kind Experience In Virginia

It’s difficult to say exactly what’s so alluring about waterfalls. Of course there’s the element of natural beauty, with gallons of rushing water tumbling over rocks and the spectacular gorges below. And yet there’s something else that’s almost mesmerizing about them. Virginia has a multitude of waterfalls, each with their own special characteristics. Upper Little Stoney Falls is particularly intriguing because it invites visitors to swim nearby and even get behind the actual falls. So if you’re not afraid of some cool mountain water, you’re in for a real treat.

Side note: As with all water exploring, it’s always best to use extreme caution because the underwater rocks can be very slippery.

Eli Christman/flickr

Curt Fleenor/flickr

Upper Little Stoney Falls can be accessed by the Little Stoney National Recreation Trail near Dungannon. This rail-trail is located within southwestern Virginia's Jefferson Forest and offers incredible scenery in its 2.8-mile duration. Most hikers enjoy the trail for its series of waterfalls, the most notable being Upper Little Stoney.

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The waterfall can be viewed from the above footbridge, which saves travelers from a slippery crossing, but there's another perspective of the waterfall that you can try out. Because the base pool is rather shallow, hikers can wade in and explore the small cove behind the fall. As you can tell by the above photographs, the size of the falls largely depends on the amount of rain.

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WooglesOutdoors/YouTube

WooglesOutdoors/YouTube

Here's the perspective from behind the impressively-long falls. During drier seasons, the fall may just be a small trickling of water, making the swimming hole look even more inviting.

DM/flickr

WooglesOutdoors/YouTube

Whether or not you venture behind the falls, you'll enjoy the beautifully maintained trails as well as views of other nearby falls. During the summer season, be sure to keep your eyes out for beautiful blossoms, too.

Have you visited the Little Stoney Falls recreation area? We’d love to hear about your experience there!