Waterfall 50 km

The 8th annual Waterfall 50k will be held on Sunday, January 14, 2024. Start time for what is affectionally known as the WTF 50k is 8 am, so you can sleep in for the full day on the trails that will await. Waterfall is a tough, rocky, winter-time run in the central Massanutten Mountains near US Route 211.

In the past, this slot on the trail running calendar was filled with a variant of the “Gap to Gap” run at the southern end of the Massanuttens. This 50 km is yet another variant on that theme, but with a mighty kick. And oh what a kick it is…

Course description

Runners should refer to the turn sheet for detailed directions, but this will give you the big picture.

The course is a figure-8, the centerpiece of which is the chin-scraper climb up Waterfall Mountain, which runners do early in the run and then again about halfway through.

Starting from the parking area on US Route 211, the course follows the white-blazed Massanutten Connector Trail to the orange-blazed Massanutten Trail at the base of Waterfall Mountain. From there, runners make the 700 foot climb up to Crisman Hollow Road and continue on the Massanutten Trail to Kerns Mountain, which they follow north for a little less than 5 miles to Jawbone Gap. Along the way, note the prominent peak off to your right, Duncan Knob, and the saddle below it. You will be there soon enough.

At Jawbone Gap the course leaves the Massanutten Trail, descending the east side of Jawbone Gap on the blue-blazed Gap Creek Trail down to the first aid station at Gap Creek (also an aid station at MMT).

From the aid station, runners continue on the Gap Creek Trail, crossing the footbridge over Passage Creek, and begin the climb up to Peach Orchard Gap for the 0.5-mile total out-and-back to the spectacular view from Duncan Knob.

After taking in the view, return back to Peach Orchard Gap and then take a left, continuing on the Gap Creek Trail to the orange-blazed Massanutten Trail. You will take a right on orange, which ascends Duncan Hollow. After topping out on the ridge, runners stay on orange and descend a short way down to a four-way trail junction at Scothorn Gap.

At this four-way intersection, runners take a hard left and continue on the orange Massanutten Trail, descending along Big Run (a creek) down to the base of Waterfall Mountain.

With the northern loop done, runners stay on orange and climb Waterfall again, this time turning left at the top onto Crisman Hollow Road and taking that down to the Massanutten Visitors’ Center and the second aid station.

If you’re not feeling it, this is a good place to cut the run short and take an easy 2 mile downhill jog back to your car.

From the Visitors’ Center, runners climb Bird Knob on the white-blazed Wildflower Trail and the orange-blazed Massanutten South Trail to a spectacular view of the Shenandoah Valley from Bird Knob.