Virginia trails · Cedar Run Trail
Cedar Run Trail
A 8.9-mile loop in Virginia, with 2,226 ft of climbing. Reaches Hawksbill Gap. Managed by the National Park Service.
Elevation profile
The climbing leans toward the first third: 50% of the ascent falls between mile 0.0 and mile 3.7. It gives back about 4,251 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Hawksbill Gap (pass)
Heads up
Getting there
Hawksbill Gap Trailhead — parking nearby. 38.55615, -78.38686 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:14 a.m., the sun rises at 6:41 a.m. and sets at 7:45 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 8:12 p.m. (EDT) — 13 h 04 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 8.9-mile route takes roughly 4 h 26 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 11:07 a.m. — 8 h 38 min before sunset.
Loop options
- Cedar Run Trail + Hawksbill Trail/Byrds Nest #2 Road + Hawksbill Trail-Upper — 7.8 mi loop, 3,502 ft gain
- Cedar Run Trail + Whiteoak-Cedar Run Link Trail + Whiteoak Canyon Trail — 12.4 mi loop, 5,459 ft gain
Nearby trails
- Skyland-Big Meadows Horse Trail — 0.0 mi
- Whiteoak Canyon Trail — 2.3 mi
- Nicholson Hollow Trail — 4.2 mi
- Ridge Trail — 4.8 mi