Southern West Virginia Waterfalls
Sandstone Falls – New River Gorge National River
Among the scenic Southern WV hills, flowing with rivers and streams, you can discover cliffsides covered in cascading waterfalls.
Some of the most beautiful are only a short hike away from the winding WV roads. Others lie more tucked away, hidden from the average traveler, a treat for the true explorers.
Here are some of the region’s best waterfalls to enjoy:
Flowing more than 100 feet down a steep mountain canyon, you can get great view of the last 60 feet of the stream from the roadside on the scenic Midland Trail. Stop off for a short walk to gaze up along the seemingly never-ending falls. The flow is ever-changing, but it’s always a stunning sight.
Unique from the high, tumbling falls, Sandstone stretches 1,500 feet wide. The road out to the falls is a beautiful scenic drive with plenty to stop and marvel at. Learn more about the New River Gorge at the Sandstone Falls Visitors Center, then view the aerial vista of the falls from a stop along Route 20. Or, hike the boardwalk out to view the flowing falls up close.
Along the route, you can spot a plant life pocket you can only see a few places in the state. You can fish below the falls, or put on a life jacket and safely swim around.
Brush Creek Falls
A picturesque sight, Brush Creek Falls cascades over the cliffside in tiers down 33 feet. You can gaze upon the area’s rare florals or wildlife as you hike the trail that may once have been the road to the mills that used to sit along the banks of the falls. It’s a great stop on a day of wilderness exploring, with camping and fishing available in the surrounding park.
Pipestem Falls
The rare treat of Pipestem Falls can sometimes be difficult to see through the lush greenery surrounding it. You can sometimes spot the stair-stepping waterfall from its historic marker and stop, but if not, a smaller fall is visible after a short hike upstream.
Black Fork Falls
To trek out to Black Fork Falls, you will hike past Marsh Fork Falls, the shorter of the two cascades that give the surrounding Twin Falls park its name. Black Fork Falls tumbles far over the cliffside like a movie waterfall, with plenty of room behind, like a secret hideaway.
A great way to find off-the-beaten-path waterfalls is through geocaching. Many of the hidden cache boxes in Southern WV take seekers on remote hikes to gorgeous settings. You can look through the descriptions of hikes for mentions of waterfalls.
What’s your favorite Southern WV waterfall?