Blackwater Falls State Park

The falls, and the color of the water

The Blackwater River is genuinely dark — amber-brown, like strong tea — and the cause is tannic acid leached from the red spruce and hemlock needles upstream. It is why the falls photograph the way they do.

The main falls drop over a series of layered ledges into the canyon, reached by a boardwalk and stair system from the park's viewing area. Published heights differ between sources, including within the park's own materials, which is worth knowing before you repeat a number.

Elakala Falls is the one most people miss. It is a short walk from the lodge and drops into a mossy hemlock slot — better to photograph than to look at, and one of the most atmospheric spots in the park.

Overlooks

Pendleton Point is the widest and deepest view of the Blackwater Canyon, at the end of the park road past the lodge, with boulders to sit on and no walking required. It is the easiest big view in the park.

Lindy Point is the famous one: a short walk through spruce, ending on a railed rock ledge above the canyon. It faces the right way for sunset and it is the single most photographed viewpoint in West Virginia. The platform is small, so in October you will be sharing it — arrive with time in hand.

The park's own materials also list it among the best winter overlooks, for post-snowfall canyon scenes.

Trails

The park publishes a substantial trail inventory — well over twenty named routes — and almost nobody walks more than three of them. The Gentle Trail is a short accessible-oriented route to a falls viewpoint. Elakala and Pendleton connect the lodge area. The Blackwater Canyon Rail Trail leaves the park down the canyon on an old railroad grade and runs for miles toward Hendricks, giving a long, gentle, scenic walk or ride.

For something rougher, Canaan Mountain and the Plantation Trail system nearby offer real highland hiking, and Douglas Falls with its coke ovens is a short drive out toward Thomas.

Staying there

The park has a lodge, cabins and a campground, and it books up. State park cabins in West Virginia generally open for reservation about a year ahead, and Blackwater in October is one of the harder bookings in the system.

Worth knowing: no West Virginia state park charges an entrance fee. That is written into state code and it is unusual among state systems. Day use here costs nothing.

Winter

This is one of the snowiest places in the state and the park leans into it. Sledding has historically been a signature attraction, though it has been listed as closed in some recent seasons — confirm before you plan a trip around it. Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and winter canyon walking are all excellent.

Timberline, Canaan Valley Resort and White Grass are all within a short drive, which makes the park a viable base for a ski trip as well as a waterfall one.

When to go

October for color, arriving earlier here than lower in the state because of the elevation. March through May for full water in the falls and views through bare trees. Late summer for cool air and blueberries on the nearby barrens.

The one thing to avoid is expecting solitude on a fine October weekend. Go on a weekday, or walk half a mile past where the crowd stops.

Questions

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