May 9th, 2022: Our First Hike Together ❤️ But We Get Lost 🫠
The Cedar Run and Whiteoak Canyon Loop was me and my husband’s (then boyfriend) first hike together! I was very much into hiking since I was a little kid, and he had been on a few hikes before. But this 8-mile hike to see a total of 8 waterfalls was the longest hike my husband has ever done. He was very excited for this adventure, and so was I!
We started hiking the Cedar Run and Whiteoak Canyon Loop counterclockwise by getting onto the Cedar Run Trail first. This trail was super rocky and also slippery since it had rained the day before. We both ended up slipping and falling on our butts!
The two Cedar Run waterfalls made it worth every slippery step. They were gorgeous! I want to hike this section again and go down the natural water slide. It’s the first waterfall you get to along the Cedar Run Trail and, according to local people, you can slide down this one. Sounds like fun! Of course, go at your own risk.
We continued onto the Whiteoak Canyon Trail. This portion of the hike wasn’t as rocky or slippery as Cedar Run Trail but still rocky… and a bit slippery. But no butts were hurt here.
If you didn’t know already, Whiteoak Canyon Trail has SIX waterfalls! We arrived to the first one, and I didn’t know it at the time, but that one would be my favorite of the six waterfalls. Super beautiful, easily accessible, and has a nice swimming hole (just be safe and careful!).
The next five waterfalls were also amazing. As we reached the last waterfall, we took a break at the overlook. We were almost done with the loop! Or so we thought.
There was an intersection in the trail at the Upper Whiteoak Canyon Falls. The sign on the post said “Skyland-Big Meadow Horse Trail”. I remember the directions I read stating that we would have to get onto a horse trail and follow the yellow blazes (trail markers). I also remember reading this sentence on the NPS website, “Follow the road to the Skyland-Big Meadows Horse Trail”. That’s where I messed up. I got the directions confused in my head. I should’ve screenshotted them to confirm.
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Anyway, I think you can guess what happens next. We accidently took the Skyland-Big Meadows Horse Trail. We were supposed to get on the Whiteoak Canyon Fire Road but missed it because we didn’t walk down far enough. Big oof!
We finally reached a parking lot… but it wasn’t THE parking lot our car was parked at. I was extremely confused. Thankfully I had a tiny bit of service, so I was able to look up a map. I realized where I went wrong. 🤦🏻♀️
After being upset about my poor directional skills, we had to come up with a new route. Since we were at the Limberlost Parking Area, we decided to get on the Limberlost Trail. Going counterclockwise, we reached an intersection. We took a left and got onto the Crescent Rock Trail. We crossed the highway and got onto the Appalachian Trail. We hiked south until we reached the Hawksbill Gap Parking.
Finally! After about 12 miles of hiking, we were back to where we started. We both had not hiked that far before. I may have in the past on a backpacking trip with my dad, but I don’t remember. So it’s been a while! We were both so DONE! For us at the time, it was a long and grueling hike. We were so hungry and thirsty! Thankfully, we made it back safely.
Learn from my mistake! Always make sure you fully understand your route. Study the map and have a copy on hand. And make sure you understand the trail(s) you need to take and which direction you need to go. Hiking in the woods (on designated trails) is a great activity but can be dangerous if you get lost. Always be prepared!
Our Rating of Cedar Run and Whiteoak Canyon
We give this trail a big 9/10!
What we liked: well-maintained trail; six amazing waterfalls along Whiteoak Canyon Trail; beautiful cascades and two waterfalls along Cedar Run Trail; many swimming holes; challenging & fun hike; me and my husband’s first hike together.
What we didn’t like: getting lost… but that was my fault for not paying closer attention to the directions.
