Your Guide to this Spectacular Waterfall Season

Spring is a great time to get outside and enjoy Mother Nature’s handiwork.  Whether

Cathedral Falls Raging photo by Leann Arthur/The Register-Herald

you’re taking just a short trip down a path or going on a longer day-hike, Southern WV is full of great places to explore.

Here a nice spring full of rain makes for one fantastic waterfall season.  Most waterways are running at their peak for the weekend and offer some of the prettiest scenery WV has to offer.  If you have a few hours to kill and would like to see some of this breathtaking country – here’s an itinerary just for you:

1) Hinton, WV
Exit 139 off of Interstate 64
Follow Route 20 South into Hinton and onto River Rd (co rt 26)
Here lies Berry Hollow and the Big Branch Trail, with its own tale to tell. A steep hike leads to several waterfalls; parking for this hike is shared with the overlook for Brooks Falls.  This entire area is known to locals for lots of Native American legends.

2) Continue following River Road to experience the railroad town of Hinton, you’ll want to cross the river to experience Southern WV’s biggest waterfall — Sandstone Falls.  This beauty spans an impressive 1500 feet across and signs point out native birds.

Sandstone is one place that the insertion of a nice boardwalk opened up this beauty to the world.  The boardwalk, built in the 1980s by the National Park Service, is a great addition to the park area.  This is also a place where the water is impressive no matter the rainfall.

3)Continue back to Interstate 64
Follow Interstate 64 W to Beckley
From Beckley, follow US. 19 north toward Oak Hill, then drive north on WV Route 41 toward Prince, turn right onto Glade Creek Road, follow road for 7 miles to trailhead.
For smaller yet more serene viewing, the Glade Creek Area Trail is a must.  The trail offers views of some great cascades and small waterfalls, where in season you’re bound to catch a kayaker or two playing in the holes.

Glade Creek is also known for its great trout fishing – where watching a true angler can be like watching the ease of a conductor of a symphony orchestra.

To us, this would be a perfect Chasing Waterfalls weekend.