The classic
Blackwater Falls State Park
Blackwater Falls and Lindy Point. Amber water over a 57-foot drop, then a five-minute walk to a rock outcrop over the canyon for sunset.
Full guide to Blackwater Falls State Park →Outdoor Photography
Common subjects include valley fog, the tannin-stained waterfalls of the Blackwater and Cranberry drainages, hardwood color that moves from the highest ridges to the valleys over roughly six weeks, and night sky photography inside the National Radio Quiet Zone, where restricted radio transmission coincides with very low light pollution.
The two most-photographed subjects in the state are Blackwater Falls in winter ice and sunrise at Bear Rocks. Both are accessible and both draw photographers in numbers, particularly on autumn and winter weekends.
Valley fog, tannin-stained water, roughly six weeks of autumn color moving downhill, and very low light pollution.
Our recommendations
Where we'd send you
The one worth the alarm
Bear Rocks Preserve
Bear Rocks at sunrise. Wind-sculpted spruce on bare sandstone with the Allegheny Front dropping away east. Arrive in the dark.
Full guide to Bear Rocks Preserve →The most photographed building
Babcock State Park
The Glade Creek Grist Mill at Babcock. Best in mid-October with low sun and full color on the creek behind it.
Full guide to Babcock State Park →Practical note
Fall color runs high to low over about six weeks — late September on the ridges, late October in the Ohio Valley. Peak color tracks elevation more closely than calendar date, so it is worth choosing the altitude rather than the week.
What to know before you go
- Blackwater Falls and Lindy Point at sunrise are the state's most-photographed frames
- Fall color runs high-to-low, roughly late September through late October
- Green Bank's radio quiet zone means exceptional astrophotography conditions
Regions that do it best
Highest terrain, ski areas, wilderness backpacking
Potomac Highlands
All terrain in West Virginia above 4,000 feet lies in this region, including Spruce Knob at 4,863 feet.
Sandstone climbing, big whitewater, a national parkNew River Gorge
The New River has cut a gorge roughly 1,000 feet deep through Nuttall sandstone, protected since 2020 as New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.
Rail-trails, limestone caves, gentle river paddlingGreenbrier Valley
The Greenbrier Valley sits on Greenbrier limestone, producing karst topography: sinkholes, springs, sinking streams and extensive cave systems, several with more than forty miles of surveyed passage.
Every place we cover for outdoor photography
Overlook · New River Gorge
New River Gorge Bridge
A 3,030-foot steel arch carrying US 19 some 876 feet above the New River — for decades the longest single-span arch bridge in the world, and still the image most people carry of West Virginia.
876 ft above the river3,030 ft arch span
Trail · New River Gorge
Endless Wall Trail
A 2.4-mile point-to-point trail along the gorge rim through hemlock and rhododendron, crossing Fern Creek on a footbridge and reaching Diamond Point, an exposed rock outcrop with a view up the gorge to the bridge.
2.4 mi point to pointDiamond Point the overlook
Trail · New River Gorge
Long Point Trail
About 3.2 miles round trip on mostly level old roadbed to a rock promontory below the rim, which provides the most-photographed view of the New River Gorge Bridge.
3.2 mi round tripFlat most of the way
Overlook · New River Gorge
Grandview
1,400 feet above a horseshoe bend in the New, with a seven-mile view up the gorge — the widest perspective anywhere in the park.
1,400 ft above the riverLate May rhododendron peak
River · New River Gorge
Sandstone Falls
The largest waterfall on the New River — not tall, but 1,500 feet wide, spilling across the full breadth of the river between islands at the point where the gorge begins to open.
1,500 ft falls width10–25 ft drop
Trail · New River Gorge
Kaymoor Miners Trail
A steep descent from the gorge rim to the ruins of the Kaymoor One coal mine and processing plant, including 821 wooden steps down the former haulage incline.
821 steps2 mi round trip
Overlook · New River Gorge
Nuttallburg
An abandoned coal town at the bottom of the gorge with the most complete surviving coal conveyor and tipple complex in the country — a 1,385-foot inclined conveyor running straight up the hillside, once operated by Henry Ford.
1,385 ft conveyor1870s founded
Climbing Area · New River Gorge
Beauty Mountain
A long band of high-quality Nuttall sandstone on the gorge rim above Fayetteville, with a concentration of classic moderate trad and sport routes and one of the best views from any belay in the East.
Nuttall sandstoneTrad + sport mixed
State Park · New River Gorge
Babcock State Park
Home of the Glade Creek Grist Mill, the most photographed building in West Virginia — a working reconstruction assembled from parts of three historic mills, sitting on a boulder-strewn creek.
4,127 ac park1976 mill rebuilt
State Park · New River Gorge
Pipestem Resort State Park
A full resort park perched above the Bluestone Canyon, with an aerial tram descending 1,100 feet to a lodge on the river — the only state park tram in West Virginia.
4,050 ac park1,100 ft tram descent
State Park · New River Gorge
Hawks Nest State Park
A rim-top lodge above the Mill Creek arm of the New River Gorge with an aerial tram to a marina on the water.
276 ac parkTram to the river
National Park · New River Gorge
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve
Designated a national park and preserve in 2020, protecting roughly 53 miles of the New River where it has cut about 1,000 feet through Nuttall sandstone.
53 mi protected river1,600+ climbing routes
State Park · New River Gorge
Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park
A Civil War battlefield on a bluff above the Gauley River with overlooks into the canyon and trails dropping toward the water.
Local knowledge
156 ac park1861 battle
State Park · Greenbrier Valley
Beartown State Park
A half-mile boardwalk through a formation of large Droop Sandstone blocks separated by deep crevasses, some of which hold ice into early summer.
110 ac park0.5 mi boardwalk
National Forest · Greenbrier Valley
Cranberry Glades Botanical Area
The largest area of bogs in West Virginia — sphagnum and cranberry peat bogs holding plant communities left behind after the last glaciation, more typical of Canada than the mid-Atlantic, including carnivorous sundews and pitcher plants.
750 ac glades0.5 mi boardwalk
National Forest · Greenbrier Valley
Falls of Hills Creek
Three waterfalls in three-quarters of a mile, dropping 25, 45 and 63 feet — the last is the second-highest waterfall in West Virginia.
63 ft lower falls3 waterfalls
National Forest · Greenbrier Valley
Highland Scenic Highway
A 43-mile National Scenic Byway climbing over 4,500 feet across the Allegheny plateau between Richwood and US 219, with four major overlooks and access to Cranberry Glades, the Falls of Hills Creek and the Cranberry Wilderness.
43 mi byway4,500+ ft high point
State Park · Greenbrier Valley
Cass Scenic Railroad State Park
A preserved company logging town and a working fleet of Shay geared steam locomotives that climb the original grades to Whittaker Station and on to Bald Knob — at 4,842 feet the second-highest point in West Virginia, reachable by train.
4,842 ft bald knobShay locomotives
Overlook · Greenbrier Valley
Green Bank Observatory
The world's largest fully steerable radio telescope, at the center of the National Radio Quiet Zone — a 13,000-square-mile area where radio transmissions are restricted by law.
485 ft telescope height13,000 sq mi quiet zone
Cave · Greenbrier Valley
Lost World Caverns
A commercial show cave outside Lewisburg, entered by a long stairway into a single enormous chamber holding the 28-foot Snowy Chandelier stalactite.
28 ft snowy chandelier120 ft below surface
State Park · Greenbrier Valley
Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park
The site of the largest Civil War battle fought in West Virginia and the state's oldest state park, with a lookout tower over the Greenbrier Valley, short trails and a museum.
1863 battle1928 park established
Wilderness · Potomac Highlands
Dolly Sods Wilderness
A 17,371-acre federally designated wilderness on a plateau largely above 4,000 feet, containing wind-flagged red spruce, heath barrens, sphagnum bog and exposed rock.
17,371 ac wilderness4,000+ ft plateau
Overlook · Potomac Highlands
Bear Rocks Preserve
The northern edge of the Dolly Sods plateau, owned by The Nature Conservancy: bare Pottsville sandstone slabs, one-sided spruce sculpted by prevailing wind, and blueberry heath dropping east into the Allegheny Front with a 3,000-foot view over the Potomac Highlands.
4,000 ft elevationTNC owner
Overlook · Potomac Highlands
Spruce Knob
At 4,863 feet, the highest point in West Virginia and the high point of the entire Allegheny range.
4,863 ft state high point0.5 mi summit loop
Climbing Area · Potomac Highlands
Seneca Rocks
A 900-foot fin of near-vertical Tuscarora quartzite standing above the North Fork of the South Branch — the most recognizable rock formation in the eastern United States and the only true summit in the East that can only be reached by technical climbing.
900 ft above the riverTuscarora quartzite
State Park · Potomac Highlands
Blackwater Falls State Park
A 57-foot falls where the Blackwater River drops into an eight-mile canyon, its water stained amber by hemlock and spruce tannins.
57 ft falls8 mi canyon
Trail · Potomac Highlands
North Fork Mountain Trail
A 24-mile ridge trail along one of the driest mountains in the eastern United States, running through pine and oak with repeated Tuscarora quartzite outcrops looking down into Germany Valley and across at Seneca Rocks.
24 mi lengthDry no water on ridge
Climbing Area · Potomac Highlands
Nelson Rocks / NROCKS
Twin parallel quartzite fins in Pendleton County, home to one of the original American via ferratas — a guided cable-and-rung route with a 200-foot suspension bridge strung between the two fins, roughly 150 feet above the ground.
200 ft suspension bridge~1,000 rungs & cable feet
State Park · Potomac Highlands
Lost River State Park
A 3,712-acre CCC-era park in Hardy County with cabins, stables and the Cranny Crow Overlook — a rock outcrop at 3,200 feet with a view said to reach into four states.
3,712 ac park3,200 ft cranny crow
State Forest · Mountaineer Country
Coopers Rock State Forest
A 12,747-acre state forest above the Cheat River Canyon.
12,747 ac forest1,200 ft above the cheat
State Park · Mountaineer Country
Cathedral State Park
133 acres of virgin eastern hemlock, the last substantial stand of old-growth mixed forest remaining in West Virginia.
133 ac old growth90+ ft hemlock height
State Park · Mountaineer Country
Valley Falls State Park
A series of ledge drops on the Tygart Valley River near Fairmont, popular with photographers, picnickers and — at the right levels — playboaters.
1,145 ac parkLedges river drops
State Park · Mountaineer Country
Audra State Park
A compact park on the Middle Fork River built around a boulder-strewn swimming area and the Alum Cave boardwalk, which runs beneath an overhanging rock shelter above the river.
355 ac parkAlum Cave rock shelter
State Park · Mountain Lakes
Holly River State Park
West Virginia's second-largest state park at 8,101 acres, in a narrow valley of hemlock and hardwood with waterfalls, cabins and a rugged trail network.
8,101 ac park2nd largest state park
National Park · Eastern Panhandle
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
Where the Shenandoah meets the Potomac and three states meet at once, with the Appalachian Trail running straight through town and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy headquartered a block off Washington Street.
3 states visible~24 mi at in wv
State Park · Eastern Panhandle
Berkeley Springs State Park
The oldest spa in the country — warm mineral springs flowing at a constant 74°F that George Washington visited as a young surveyor.
74°F spring temperature1776 town chartered
State Park · Mid-Ohio Valley
Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park
An island in the Ohio River reached by sternwheeler from Parkersburg, holding a reconstructed 1800 Palladian mansion, horse-drawn wagon tours and quiet riverbank walking.
Local knowledge
500 ac islandSternwheeler access
River · Metro Valley
Kanawha Falls
A wide ledge falls at Glen Ferris where the Gauley and New join to form the Kanawha — a well-known bank fishing spot for hybrid striped bass, walleye and catfish, with roadside access and a historic inn across the highway.
Confluence new + gauleyRoadside access
State Park · New River Gorge
Camp Creek State Park & Forest
An unusual pairing of a small developed park inside a much larger state forest in Mercer County, with two waterfalls on Camp Creek, mountain bike and equestrian trails, and camping.
Local knowledge
550 ac park5,300 ac forest
State Park · New River Gorge
Pinnacle Rock State Park
A small day-use park in Mercer County built around a jagged sandstone fin standing above the highway, with a stairway to the top and a view over the southern coalfields.
400 ac park3,100 ft rock elevation
State Park · Mountain Lakes
Watters Smith Memorial State Park
A preserved nineteenth-century homestead in Harrison County with a museum, farm buildings, a swimming pool and quiet woodland trails.
532 ac park1796 settlement date
State Park · Metro Valley
Tu-Endie-Wei State Park
The smallest park in the system, at the confluence of the Kanawha and Ohio rivers in Point Pleasant, marking the 1774 Battle of Point Pleasant.
4 ac smallest state park1774 battle
Wilderness · Potomac Highlands
Roaring Plains West Wilderness
6,792 acres of high plateau immediately south of Dolly Sods, running from 3,000 feet on the southern edge to over 4,700 feet at the top of Mount Porte Crayon.
Local knowledge
6,792 ac wilderness4,700+ ft mt porte crayon
Trips built around it
3 days · Sept–Oct
Gauley Season Weekend
Six weekends a year, Summersville Dam opens and the Gauley carries the most concentrated whitewater in the eastern United States.
2–3 days · Jun–OctDolly Sods Backpacking Loop
Heath barrens, sphagnum bog, wind-flagged spruce and tannin-dark creeks on a plateau above 4,000 feet.
3 days · Dec–MarCanaan Valley Winter Weekend
The most reliable snow belt in the mid-Atlantic, with three downhill areas and a Nordic center within twenty minutes of each other, and two small towns to come off the hill into.
3 days · Late Sep–OctPotomac Highlands Fall Color Tour
Color starts on the ridges in late September and runs downhill through October.
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Guides and rentals for outdoor photography
Reserved for a West Virginia operator serving this activity. The listings above and below it are unpaid.
List your business hereQuestions people ask
When is peak fall color in West Virginia?
Roughly late September at the highest elevations in the Potomac Highlands, moving downhill through mid-to-late October in the valleys and the Ohio Valley.
Organizations, agencies and resources · 5
Groups that handle access, maintenance, licensing and conditions data for this activity. Starred entries publish updates worth following.
Friends of Blackwater
Blackwater River, Blackwater Canyon, public lands, trails and recreation conservation in the Potomac Highlands.
Visit New River Gorge National Park & Preserve
Federal lands
America's newest national park — 53 miles of protected river, 1,600+ climbing routes, hiking, rafting and mountain biking.
Visit Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
Federal lands
Where the Appalachian Trail crosses the Potomac — hiking, history and the psychological midpoint of the AT.
Visit Nature's Mountain Playground — Pocahontas County
Tourism
Snowshoe, Cass, the Greenbrier River Trail, Cranberry Glades and the National Radio Quiet Zone.
Visit Get Tuckered — Tucker County
Tourism
Davis, Thomas, Canaan Valley, Blackwater Falls and Dolly Sods — the state's highest-density adventure county.
Visit
Related activities
Every organization we link to: local tourism offices, the state and federal agencies that manage the land, the nonprofits and clubs that keep access open, and the universities doing the research.
West Virginia has roughly 1.5 million acres of public land and a handful of places that carry almost all of the attention. The consequence is that a great deal of very good ground sits nearly empty, usually for one of three reasons: nobody has heard of it, the road in is gated or rough, or it is undeveloped and has nothing to advertise. Those are the places below — of them across regions.