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.

I've been to so many parts of this forest that it's mind boggling. It's beautiful in ways that…read morewords could never describe. There is so much to see and so many cool places to explore. One of my favorite parts is Bickle Knob because the views from the fire tower are beyond spectacular. Bowden Cave is also a great place to explore as well. There is a ton of great places to camp, mountain bike, and hike. If you are ever able to stop in any part of the Monongahela National Forest please do yourself a favor and do it. Have fun and be safe!

Driving through WV, Monongahela National Forest is a must do. It's absolutely beautiful with tons…read moreof hiking trails. Many of the trails have adequate parking spots and restrooms. We went through the Cranberry Glades and also found a random trail that led to waterfalls. This forest is GIANT. We want to come back again and find a camping ground because this national forest is truly stunning.

My wife wanted camping on a river for her birthday. We found Audra in our search for State Parks…read morewithin about four hours of Columbus Ohio. We chose a site that was not riverside. Being that we had never been to Audra we were not sure of the lay out but were not too keen on folks possibly traipsing through our campsite to access the river. I am glad that we chose an electric site across from the Middle Fork because it meant that we had a view of the river from the camper. (We have a Sol Dawn made by Intech that has a massive picture window just off the dinette/bed area.) We camped in mid May for three nights at site 11. There was a great view of the full moon through the tree tops. Would definitely come back to this site but there's so many other WV State Parks to visit. There's no cell service within 20 minutes or so of the campground/sate park. (We have Google Fi, which uses various towers.) However the wifi from the camp store/office was great. It reached out campsite so that we still felt a little connected (as in we could make a wifi call if we needed) or if we wanted to check the weather (without turning on the weather radio). The folks in the camp store were pleasant & helpful. Always shared treats with our doggo. This is a compact campground but with the trees and majestic azaleas it felt like there was still a lot of privacy. Our travel trailer is on the small side, it's about 16 feet including the length of the tongue. If you have a 'standard'/full size camper you should probably consider other state parks. Look at the site size when you're booking if you have a larger unit. Only a few of the sites seemed large enough for a big camper. There's a potable water fill up across from the camp store. Enough space to stop and fill up on the way to your site. Unfortunately we didn't know prior to coming so we traveled from Ohio with a full fresh water tank. The dump station is tucked off the road to the right on the way out. Quick in and out to dump the waste tank. The road into and out of the campground, much like the roads just outside the state park, are quite narrow. If your unit is wide, proceed with caution on the way into Audra State Park. We hiked the 2.7/3 mile Alum Creek & Cave trail (which is referred to as a loop, but personally I would avoid walking down or up that quite steep gravel hill connecting the top and lower trails.) The trail was wide at the start/end but fairly narrow and full of rocks and roots near the middle. We passed no one on the hike but it's fairly nicely blazed with old paint marks and tacked on trail markers. We hiked lower to upper and I am glad that we went that direction. Started out along the river, went up in several short but at times severe inclines. Be sure to bring water and wear proper footwear. This trail is marked as easy, I would not consider this an easy trail. I would say moderate at best. If it was indeed easy I think I'll stick to easy trails at West Virginia State Parks.

I absolutely loved this park and boardwalk. If you are in the mood to get out and about, check…read moreAudra State Park out. The Boardwalk and scenery is definitely worth the trip! Check Them Out!

I love this placemy fiancé and I along with our daughter enjoyed this beach thoroughly. We started…read moreoff with a kayak where you actually pull off from the beach area in you in at the beach. It's a little steep from the top to the bottom but otherwise great location really nice if you just want to come sit out get some sun and watch her kids play in water that it's very shallow To front desk people are very helpful and explained that the beach is completely free and it's swim at your own risk they also tell you the rules of what you canning cannot take down there the only complaint I have is that everything where you can eat and grill is at the top of the heel you have a lot of stairs to walk down so you have to be extremely careful if carrying a cooler chairs and things like that so just be aware of that when you have a chair or chairs or cooler maybe put everything in a backpack or give everyone in your party one thing to carry. The area to swim is very shallow and roped off so you really do not have to worry about your child going to far out as they really can't!Great place for the summer we will definitely be back

not very disability accessible. wasn't aware that there was no ramp until we already got our…read morewristbands. had to take our wagon down the MANY many steps and walk my autistic sister down with it while making sure she didn't breakdown. the rest was fine though! would've appreciated a heads up on that though LOL

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.

I love visiting Cass. It's quite the trek out to this part of WV, but it's worth it!…read more Cass Scenic Railroad State Park, as the name indicates, is both a state park and a heritage railroad. The park also includes the former company town of Cass, but for this review I'll focus on the railroading experience. Historically this railroad was used for logging, which is why the locomotives you see here will look a little different than the typical steam train. Most of the engines that pull and push trains here today are Shays, which are geared steam locomotives. To keep it simple: these engines are designed to slowly and steadily climb steep grades without slipping and sliding on the track (while standard locomotives are made to steadily zip along relatively level tracks). These unique engines are why the drive to Cass is worth it: because you'll get to ride in a train being pushed or pulled up and down the mountains of West Virginia. There's nothing quite like it! That said, I definitely have tips for first timers. One: earplugs. The coaches used for these trains are not 100% enclosed; they're actually historic converted log cars. That means there is absolutely nothing to muffle the sound of your train's whistle. (I can't believe I have to say this, but: trains are loud!) And two: layers. The weather as you climb the mountain is not going to be the same as the weather in the railroad parking lot. At a minimum it's going to be chillier. During one of my visits it was actually rain pouring at the summit that the engine took us too, but it stayed clear and sunny down below - so much so that I came back to a completely dry car. Don't forget to go into the museum to read about the town of Cass during your visit; it adds so much historical context and makes the whole experience that much more special. Just be sure that you don't miss your train!

I have to say a 4.5 hour train ride in an open rail car was a long trip. This trip teaches you what…read morea difficult job getting logs out of the mountains by train was. If you enjoy trains and coal powered steam engines this could be a trip for you. The best part of the trip was getting to the Bald Knob overlook. View is very nice. Also on the way down the mountain you stop at a logging camp to take a look at how the workers lived - you had to be a hardy and tough individual to have worked in the logging business. This trip is "not" something I would do again but it was a way to experience how difficult working in the outdoor resource business really was! If you enjoy trains this might be for you. It was 4.5 hours of smoke, whistle's and clanking track,

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.

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

I stopped by recently for a little adventure :)…read more I've been here more times than I can count and at all times of the day and the night, but I never get tired of this place. The peace and tranquility here is off the charts. It was a beautiful day, the temperature was about 68, and the sky was perfect. Every time I leave here I go a different way out to try and get lost, but after about two hours of exploring and finding some cool new roads and places, I made it back onto US-33 off of Glady Fork Rd by The Lodge in Alpena. What a great place to relax and unwind and learn news roads in and out. I have always loved this whole area and I always will. I'll be seeing you again very soon Spruce Knob :D

Road was super curving and some was gravel . We stopped at a overlook and even though the light…read morewas going away it was a great view. I def wish we had more time and better light to appreciate it. We saw so many deer which i loved seeing. in the end light was going too fast we made it to the lake but didn't make it to the top because sun was going down. driving those roads in low light was a bit scary. I know my husband really had wanted to be heading home much earlier and not be driving those roads in the dark. But once he realized I was wanting more exploring he went with it. I really would like to return. I wish we had spent more time in WV and skipped skyline drive. I have fell in love with WV. He kept wanting to move on to SKyline drive and down to Gatlinburg. I was wanting all WV.

Fantastic trails and so well groomed. Love the amenities- water bowls for dogs and restroom…read morefacilities for humans!

Cute, wide ipen spaces for your dogs to run and play. Trails and an off leash area. Two parking…read moreareas, one upper and a lower one next to a creek. There is a picnic area at the lower parking lot.

Someone from my friends church recommended this place to them because they knew they loved to hike…read morewith me so my friend told me about it and we planned a trip to the area to see what it was like. Wow!!! How in the world did I not know about this park while being to almost every single place in the surrounding area? Crazy! Thank you to the person who told my friend about it and thank you to my friend for taking me here because I had a great time :D It's not a very big state park in regards to acreage but it's very dense and beautiful in every possible way. The trails are great and the hemlock trees are well worth every single step you will take to see them. They are huge and captivating! I am sure I will be back again because I had a great time and I truly enjoyed every single aspect of this place. Enjoy!

Super nice trails. Small park but beautiful trees. Get a trail map as some trails have signs from…read moreonly one direction.