Tony and I went for a nice hike today at Valley Falls State Park in Fairmont WV…read more The Park is lovely and the Park is free to enjoy with plenty of picnic tables, restrooms, grills, playground, and the gorgeous waterfalls

Valley Falls State Park. Fairmont, WV. My husband and I visited this scenic West Virginia State…read morePark in Sept, 2025. Its highlight is a series of four cascading WATERFALLS on the Tygart Valley River that are easily accessible by a short path from the parking lot. There are large flat rocks right next to the falls, allowing for scenic photographs but no swimming. (Fishing with license and whitewater kayaking are allowed). Fun Fact: this is one of the sites for West Virginia's "Almost Heaven" swings, installed by the state's Department of Tourism across the state for photo opps. This particular swing has the falls in the background. (As of late 2025, there are 51 swings in the state). We had a unique experience at the park in that we were approached by a park volunteer in an ATV offering us a ride down to the falls, and then continuing along some park paths with his commentary about the history of the site as a 19th-century mill town, and pointing out some gristmills. Both park admission and the ATV ride were free although we did give the volunteer a tip. There are 18 miles of trails for hiking and mountain biking, ranging from easy to difficult. We didn't do any hiking on this visit, but did eat our picnic lunch at one of the conveniently located picnic table. There is a gift shop on-site, as well as clean restrooms. It's also a site on WV's Waterfalls Trail, wherein you can earn prizes for checking it at specific WV waterfalls. Note that this is a day-use park, so no camping is allowed. Wi-Fi connectivity is low to non-existent. We approached the park from the south, near Pruntytown, WV, and while the distance was short (about 12 miles), it took us about 25 minutes to reach because of curvy roads. On our return, we went to Tygart Lake State Park, via Grafton, where we camped for the night.

Beautiful scenic views of the water falls and canyons! Nice hikes with good signage and ample…read moretrailhead parking.

The views were breathtaking. Not handicapped accessible though. If you have trouble walking or…read morecan't walk it's not a place for you which is extremely unfortunate because the waterfall I was able to walk to was beautiful.

We had a wonderful few days camping at Coopers Rock! The…read moresites are a good size and decently spaced apart so we have a good amount of privacy. The campsite bathroom was clean, well stocked and regularly maintained. All of the employees at the trading post were friendly as well! Park rangers drove around regularly (4-5 time through the campsite a day I'd say). My only wish would be adding closure information onto the website so people know ahead of time. During our visit the main overlook was under construction/maintenance so there was no access to it. Which was a little disappointing since it looks beautiful online! But it was a short 5 minute walk out to the overlook so it was easy to get back to a different trail. (It is clear the individuals who work and manage the park take great pride in it, and take care of the facilities wonderfully!).

My husband and I just went on a camping trip to Coopers Rock and loved our time there! The views…read morewere beautiful, the trails were well cleared, and the bathroom at the main overlook site was one of the cleanest bathrooms we've ever been in. The Ravens Rock trail has a beautiful outlook with cool, large rock structures. And the rock city trail was super fun too! The free maps of all the trails are very helpful. Some blazes could've been marked a bit clearer and some signs for trail heads could be adjusted as well. There is limited parking at trail heads so be sure to get there early to beat the crowds. The trading post was a fun addition with Coopers Rock merch, stickers (our personal fav), some local goods, firewood, some camping supplies, and even some ice cream treats! Overall we had a really nice stay!

Nice paths, old-growth trees, waterfalls, slow waters, wild birds, dragonflies!…read more Swallow Falls State Park near Deep Creek Lake, MD, is a nice park with well-marked paths and plenty of parking. We hiked half-a-day (Jun 2026) from the parking lot to scenic waterfalls in forests where Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and Harvey Firestone camped-in 1921. We saw some of the 37-acres of 360-year-old eastern hemlock and white pine trees, the largest of the few areas in Maryland that have never been logged, bypassed during the eastern-US logging boom of the the late 1800s and early 1900s. They tended to look a little scraggly around the base, i suppose from living an un-trimmed life in the un-tamed weather and climate. We were thrilled to read that, on June 16, 2026, the removal of old-growth forests that were threatened by bridge construction on Swallow Falls Road was blocked by the courts. Thank-you to the folks of Garrett County and the Chesapeake Legal Alliance!!! We love these old trees :-) We heard twittering birds, possibly blackburnian warblers, chickadees, nuthatches, and kinglets. We followed a rising rumbling sound, and found ourselves at a tall waterfall that roars and mists. We were careful to avoid rushing waters, and found that wading and crossing were pleasantly refreshing and not too slippery. We saw kayakers, and one paused to explain they liked these calmer waters for beginners and for staying in condition in less challenging settings. We loved the gold and black "black-shouldered spinylegs" dragonflies, we and may have glimpsed a rare all-black "sable clubtail" dragonfly, who flitted about but didnt wait for a photo or an entomology app. Let's say we saw one :-). It was a lovely cooler half-day deep in nature in a not-too-challenging environment in rare-these-days old-growth forests.

This is an easy hike with a lot of great water views. The trail is in good shape and easy to…read morenavigate. The area had over 2 inches of rain so the water was flowing quickly during our hike. If you take kids on this hike you will need to keep a close eye on them.

We were driving the back road of Rt 50 on our way into Maryland for our adventure and just before…read morewe were to reach Cathedral State Park in Aurora WV area we happened upon this Yard Sale at the Aurora Area Historical Society building...oh wow, two birds with one stone Yard Sale shopping and seeing historical artifacts but that was not the case. The ladies at the Yard Sale were busy putting things out. It was about 8am. They first told us that they were not ready for us to look around but if we needed to go for it. Then when I started into the building (both doors open wide) they stopped me..the museum was closed. So I guess nothing good about this stop. Didn't buy anything, didn't get to see anything in the museum so we went on down the road..after my hubby Tony used the port a potty on site. Oh well, saved me time and money!!

Yesterday after Joshua and I had a great lunch, we decided to check out the Edith B. Barill…read moreRiverfront Park & Trail in Star City area of Morgantown. The park is free to enjoy. There is plenty of parking. Some decking style docks along river to stroll, a gazebo, a few shelters & picnic tables (no grills) there is a very nice bathroom facility near the oversized Children's fabulous playground with swings. Plenty of signage depicting the history with photos along with name plaques for the trees. Some beautiful wildflowers and wildlife including plenty of ducks with babies. Definitely a great little place to enjoy some fresh air. There is also a shaved ice truck and you can rent paddle bikes for the river. Several nice memorials including one of President JFK

Dilapidated and dangerous playground facilities. This playground needs to be torn down. The…read morebathrooms along the rail trail are nice.

A great addition to our trip to Ohiopyle and the beautiful Laurel Highlands. We did the…read morearchitecture tour that included access to the entire house, guesthouse and grounds. The information provided on the site is excellent and the check-in easy. Our guide was very engaging and knowledgeable about the history and home. I enjoyed learning about how FLW integrated the design into the natural surroundings and his inspiration for some of the features. I was also impressed by the art collection within the home. Tours are tightly timed and ours had a slight delay at one point to accommodate a couple of visitors slower pace up stairs because of mobility. This is a hilly area and the home is not fit with an elevator. There are stairs and tight passageways. My mom and I walked the grounds after our tour, enjoyed a pastry and latte in the cafe and did some shopping in the store. Don't miss the exhibit of old photos of the Kauffman family, owners of Fallingwater when it was a residence. Overall, an enjoyable way to spend half a day and well worth admission.

A great visit if you're into architecture or FLW in particular. There's a pretty large and nice…read morevisitor center including indoor and outdoor spaces plus restrooms, etc. then a bit of a walk to the house. Be aware there's no air conditioning in the house which normally isn't an issue due to the elevation and normally decent temperatures but in a big summer heat wave it can be an issue for many. Do a tour and upgrade if you can, we splurged for a Focus Tour and it was awesome despite crazy hot temperatures. Everybody at Fallingwater was so friendly and knowledgeable, it gets very busy but is a great visit for those who will appreciate it.

Beautiful area just a short walk to the falls. Easy access and walk. Additional trail, short,…read moreacross the parking lot. Take a rain coat!! Enjoy

We went in the midst of a 90 degree plus heat wave, the falls were more of a trickle…read more Reaching the falls requires a nice little walk through the woods on a paved path.

Lost River state park has so much to offer:…read more Cranny Crow Overlook is 4 mile hike with the great views and worth the effort. Riding stables are great place to have a beginner get a first horseback riding experience. ($26/hour). Sulphuric spring is an interesting historic and wonder list place. The water spout is wonderful color due to water content. Cabins seems a great base for nearby fishing spots. Worth visiting for the reasons above.

Definitely a hidden gem!! Everyone here was so friendly and the cabin i rented was so nice…read more everything i could need (countless cooking utensils, plenty of towels, guides, and ice already in the trays) was provided. i cant tell you enough about the trails. my above all favorite is the white oak trail to cranny crow. cant beat the price, experience, or service. i'm returning in october.