Trails / Virginia / Shenandoah National Park

Rockytop and Big Run Loop

Shenandoah National Park, South District (Browns Gap, near Skyline Drive mile 83)

Big Run drains a valley below the crest in Shenandoah National Park’s South District. This loop crosses the talus slopes of Rockytop on the way down and follows Big Run Portal Trail back up the stream.

The NPS trip guides call the Big Run drainage a “wilderness valley” with “excellent camping and fishing,” and Johnny Molloy included a Rockytop-Big Run loop in his list of Virginia backpacking trips for the state tourism office.

The hike

Virginia Trail Guide hiked the loop over two days in September 2020, starting at the Browns Gap parking lot near Skyline Drive mile 83. Day one follows the Appalachian Trail north about 0.6 mile to a cement post at the blue-blazed Big Run Trail, then 0.65 mile more to a four-way junction. Go straight on the Rockytop Trail, past the Austin Mountain Trail junction at 0.4 mile and the Lewis Mountain Trail at 1.8 miles.

For the next 3.5 miles, Rockytop crosses open talus with views of Massanutten Mountain and Lewis Peak. “It’s like walking on a balcony affixed to the side of a mountain; with continual views as you go,” the guide wrote, but also warned that “parts of the trail are not really even trail – it’s just blazes and talus slopes.” The last two miles drop nearly 1,500 feet into the Big Run basin. Turn right on the yellow-blazed Big Run Portal Trail and follow an old roadbed about half a mile to a metal bridge over Big Run. The guide camped just past it, about 7.4 miles in.

Day two heads upstream on Big Run Portal, crossing the stream many times and passing the Rocky Mountain Run and Patterson Ridge trail junctions. After about 4.5 miles on the Portal trail, turn right on the Big Run Loop Trail. The guide called the 1.2-mile climb back to the four-way junction “brutal and relentless.” From there, retrace the Big Run Trail and the AT to Browns Gap, for about 6.9 miles on day two.

The NPS offers gentler versions from the Big Run Overlook and Doyles River parking at mile 81: 2.2 miles down Big Run Loop to the Portal trail, then 0.5 to 4 miles downstream to find a site, out and back or returning by the AT. Blue Ridge Outdoors notes the valley has open harvest fishing. The NPS asks campers not to stop at the Big Run Loop and Portal intersection, which is too close to the stream.

For a shorter loop just to the south, see Riprap and Wildcat Ridge, and for the AT through the park, the Shenandoah National Park AT page.

Tips

• Check the forecast. The NPS warns that Portal crossings can be knee to waist high after rain.
• Look for blazes on islands. Virginia Trail Guide lost 20 minutes when a blaze sat on a midstream island.
• Wear boots with grip for the talus on Rockytop.
• Carry a backup water treatment. Virginia Trail Guide’s filter clogged, and they switched to drops.

Camping

You need a backcountry permit from Recreation.gov for every night. The park’s 2026 compendium allows up to 10 people per group and no more than two consecutive nights at one location. Camp at least 10 yards from water, 20 yards from trails and unpaved roads, 50 yards from other parties, ruins, and “no camping” posts, and a quarter mile from Skyline Drive. Fires are prohibited except at hut and shelter fireplaces. Food goes in a bear-resistant container or is hung at least 12 feet up. Virginia Trail Guide carried a small bear canister.

The NPS trip guides send campers 0.5 to 4 miles down Big Run Portal from the Big Run Loop junction and say legal camping can also be found along the AT section of the circuit, at least a quarter mile from the Drive.

Inside Intel: Virginia Trail Guide’s sites just past the metal bridge on Big Run Portal were “clear, flat, and nicely set back from the stream,” and the authors wrote, “The campsite was the real bonus of the trip.”

Trail facts

• Distance: 14.3 miles (Virginia Trail Guide); 13 miles (Molloy)
• Route type: Loop (AT, Big Run, Rockytop, Big Run Portal, Big Run Loop)
• Difficulty: Strenuous
• Campsites: Dispersed along Big Run Portal; not at the Portal/Big Run Loop junction
• Water: Big Run and its tributaries; treat it
• Permits: Backcountry permit required (Recreation.gov)
• Food storage: Bear-resistant container, or hang 12 feet up
• Dogs: Allowed on a 6-foot leash
• Trailheads: Browns Gap (about mile 83); Big Run Overlook/Doyles River parking (mile 81)
• Last verified: October 12, 2026

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

• Virginia Trail Guide: Rockytop - Big Run Loop
• National Park Service: Big Run Loop and Big Run Portal backcountry trip (#8)
• National Park Service: Big Run Loop and AT Circuit backcountry trip (#97)
• National Park Service: Shenandoah Superintendent’s Compendium
• Virginia Tourism Corporation: 10 unforgettable Virginia backpacking trips
• Blue Ridge Outdoors: Ten spectacular overnight trips in Shenandoah National Park

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.