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.
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. Short trails along the riverbank and through the old mill town site.
Know before you go
- Rocks near the falls are slick and the current is stronger than it looks
- Mountain bike trails have been developed on the ridge above
What you can do here
Ledge drops on the Tygart Valley River are the subject, and they sit close enough to the parking that you can work them through changing light. Rocks near the falls are slick and the current is stronger than it looks, so choose tripod positions carefully. The old mill town site offers a second set of subjects away from the water.
Overlooks here
Short riverbank paths and routes through the old mill town site are what the walking amounts to inside this 1,145-acre park. That suits an afternoon rather than a long day out. Mountain bike trails have been developed on the ridge above, so check at the park which routes are shared and which are foot traffic only.
Overlooks here
Local organizations
The ledges draw playboaters when the Tygart is at the right level, and that condition is the whole story: this is a level-dependent spot, not a run you drive to on faith. March through May is when the water usually shows up. Scout from the bank first, since the current through the drops is stronger than it looks.
Overlooks here
Local organizations
The Tygart Valley River steps down through ledges here, and ledge water means pools and eddies that hold fish in fairly predictable places. Nothing is published about what is stocked or caught in this stretch, so check WVDNR regulations before you go. Rocks near the falls are slick and the current deceptive, so fish from footing you can hold.
Overlooks here
Trails have been developed on the ridge above the falls, which is newer riding than the riverbank paths most visitors walk. Mileage and difficulty are not published here. Ask at the park office what is open and how it is signed, then work out whether any of it links beyond the park's 1,145 acres.
Overlooks here
Local organizations
Guides, gear and lodging near Valley Falls State Park
Place-level placement for operators within range of this trailhead, put-in or crag.
List your business hereNearby in the Mountaineer Country
Coopers Rock State Forest
A 12,747-acre state forest above the Cheat River Canyon.
Cheat Canyon
One of the classic big-water runs of the East: roughly 11 miles of Class IV–V through a remote gorge below Albright, with named rapids including Big Nasty, Coliseum and Pete Morgan.
Mon River Rail-Trail System
About 48 miles of connected crushed-limestone rail-trail through Morgantown: the Caperton Trail along the riverfront downtown, the Mon River Trail running north to the Pennsylvania line and south toward Prickett's Fort, and the Deckers Creek Trail climbing 19 miles east to Reedsville.
Mountaineer Trail Network Recreation Area
Purpose-built modern singletrack in Preston County, the anchor project of a regional effort to link northern West Virginia into a single mountain bike destination.
Big Bear Lake Trail Center
A long-established private trail center in Preston County with dozens of miles of cross-country singletrack and doubletrack around a lake, plus camping.
Cathedral State Park
133 acres of virgin eastern hemlock, the last substantial stand of old-growth mixed forest remaining in West Virginia.
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.