Blackwater Falls lives up to its hype as one of the most photographed and visited sites in West Virginia! It was, yet again, the perfect “storm” of events – I stayed on site at the Blackwater Falls State Park Lodge, the leaves were starting to turn color, the hikes were amazing, and the scenery breathtaking.
About the Park – Located in the Allegheny Mountains, Blackwater Falls State Park is named for the amber waters of Blackwater Falls, a 57-foot cascade tinted by the tannic acid of fallen hemlock and red spruce needles. The falls, along with a few of the park’s other features like Elakala Falls, Lindy Point and Pendleton Point Overlook, are some of the state’s most photographed spots. Visitors can enjoy the scenic views year-round by taking the steps to the falls, using viewing platforms or hiking the 20 miles of trails the park has to offer.
The Lodge was nice, comfortable and clean – it was originally built in the 1950’s and since then has been renovated. There is a restaurant called the Smokehouse – and as you can guess – heavy on meat, but even this pescatarian was able to navigate the menu. However, it was unfortunate that they were understaffed for the volume of people and the restaurant itself needs a makeover. The space is also very awkward and cavernous in my opinion.
Pictures: The Lodge | A King Room overlooking the Canyon
Pictures: Views from the back of The Lodge
The next day was dedicated to hiking. Elakala Trail was first hike – a modest 0.5 mile trail where you pass by Elakala Falls. The trail starts at the south end of Blackwater Lodge, bridges the upper section with a great view of Elakala Falls, continues along the canyon rim and ends at the main park road across from Balanced Rock Trail. And as a surprise to those who know me well, I did not check-in to win prizes. I must have been off my “challenge game” that day!
Pictures: The WV Waterfall Trail Challenge | Elakala Falls from the top
I continued on to Balanced Rock Trail – a 1-mile trail that is somehow marked as somewhat difficult to difficult by the park service – but I am not sure if I would go that far. The trail crosses Shay Trace and Red Spruce Riding trails, continues to Balanced Rock and ends near Cabin 13 and Park Forest Road. One of the things I learned about West Virginia is that the state flower is the Rhododendron and this was evident as I hiked Balanced Rock Trail – rhododendrons were everywhere. At the end of the trail there are a couple of surprise – a large Field of Cairns – if you build it, they will come – and of all things a pay phone. I guess because cell service is spotty, there’s an option to call home ET – provided you have exact change. Wow – two movie references back to back!
Pictures: Balanced Rock Trail
Pictures: The Field of Cairns
From here, I took a short walk up Park Forest Road until it connected to Shay Trace Trail. If you go left on Shay Trace you will end up at the base of the sled run, and if you go right – which I did – you will end up back at The Lodge. Along this trail you’ll cross Shay Run – the stream that flows over Elakala Falls that will give you a real sense of the amber waters in the area. I finished this hike at The Lodge for a total distance for this hike 2.4-miles.
Next it was off to Lindy Point Overlook. I drove there from The Lodge and decided to stop by the Sled Run and Nordic Center. Although not much to see at the Sled Run and Nordic Center, it was cool to see both. Back in the car and up to the small parking lot at the Lindy Point trailhead. Lindy Point Trail is an easy 0.7 mile out-and-back trail that sits at 3,000 feet and ends up overlooking the Blackwater Canyon. It was a bit wet and muddy the day I was there, but well worth the drive and short hike as you can see by the spectacular views.
Pictures: Views from Lindy Point Overlook
From Lindy Point, I drove back into the park past the Lodge to the parking area across from the maintenance area and the Gentle trailhead. Gentle Trail is a short – 0.25 mile out-and-back – paved path to an observation deck overlooking Blackwater Falls. You quickly realize why this park is so popular and why it is one of the most photographed places in West Virginia when you see the falls from the observation deck. You can also see the leaves had started to change and I can only imagine how amazingly beautiful this place would look in a couple more weeks when the leaves are in full color.
Pictures: The Gentle Trail | Blackwater Falls from the observation deck
Next, I took a shirt drive across the canyon, over the Blackwater River – where the amber color is even more deep and intense – to the Trading Post parking lot.
The Blackwater Falls Boardwalk Trail starts at the Trading Post parking area and leads to a stone patio and boardwalk more than 200 steps down to an observation deck beside Blackwater Falls. This is the main viewing area for the falls and you get a pretty awesome view of the falls. On the way back up, I stopped at the upper viewing area for another view of the falls, then took the trail to the left (not sure if it has a name) back up to the parking lot versus going up the stairs. The total distance for the loop is about 0.5 mile and you get a good aerobic workout on the way back up.
My next stop was Pendleton Point Overlook. It’s a short drive from the Trading Post parking lot, but as I felt like I was jumping in and out of the car, I decided to hike there. So I crossed the Blackwater Falls Road and up Picnic Acres Road to the Spudder Track Trail. In the winter time this trail is part of the beginner loop for cross country skiers. The trail goes behind the vacation-style cottages and by a picnic shelter, before you get to another parking area for Pendleton Point. It wasn’t the most scenic trail and only about 0.5 mile, but I did see some deer along the way.
Pictures: Someone has an itch | She didn’t like the fact that I interrupted her scratching
Finally it was out to Pendleton Point – a short 0.2 mile out and back trail. From Pendleton Point you get another breathtaking view of the canyon and you can see the Lodge across the canyon.
Pictures: Blackwater Canyon from Pendleton Point
The end of the hike was a bit anti-climatic as I walked along Blackwater Falls Road back to the Trading Post parking lot – about 0.5 mile. Total distance for this hike, including going down to the observation decks was 2.25 miles. All in all – a great experience, an amazing park and I’d highly recommend a visit!
Date of visit: 3-4 October 2022