Great fishing! Came here on a weekend trip when the water was pretty low so I could wade out pretty…read morefar. Will be back!

Great playground and view . Son enjoyed playing while I enjoyed the view of the water.read more

This is a great waterfall hike. It's one of the bigger waterfalls that I've seen on East Coast and…read moreit's great because we're situated. It feeds into a small recreational swimming hole area. Highly suggest changing into a bathing suit and doing the approximate 2 mile hike to the falls. On the way, you'll see a lot of smaller falls and some spots where you can go and splash your feet in the water. I came after a spotty storm and the trail was a little bit wet so it'd be good to bring some grippy shoes. There are a couple of stones and rocks and roots to wander through. It's definitely worth a trip and the three dollar parking fee charge since it's a national car unless you have a national park pass that you can leave on your dash the national Park pass is roughly 60 or $70 per year unless you're military or have a disability and you can get it for free. There are a couple of bathrooms at the start of the trail and nowhere near the Falls to change

Tony Vanoy and I went hiking today at Cascade Falls in Pembroke, VA. Started out really great, we…read morethought it was 1.5 or 2 mile loop hike but OMG it turned out to be 5.57 miles roundtrip!! It cost a $3 per car to park and if you have America the Beautiful Card its free!! It was a beautiful day, but it was so long and so many stairs!! Over 1,000 stairs!!

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,

Saturday, June 15th, 2019, hubby Tony and I crossed the bridge over the New River on Rt 20 and…read moreentered this old town. There are so many empty houses and empty commercial buildings, so sad. The historical Train Depot is located down hill off the main drag towards the river and it is still in operation today. Hinton is an Amtrak station in Hinton, West Virginia, served by the Cardinal. The station is a former Chesapeake and Ohio Railway depot, and is located in the Hinton Historic District. Constructed in 1905, the brick building includes wood canopies supported by heavy brackets featuring a wood-fan pattern trim. Tony and I parked beside the building and got out to walk around and enjoy the beauty of this old building. The train tracks are active so keep that in mind when playing around it and checking things out. I was able to peer into the windows, because the place is closed only open hours when the train is suppose to stop. Some of my photos are of some old photos of the location. Very interesting history for this building. It was the hub of the hub-lub in the area back in the day.... .

I was able to go inside the waiting room of the depot last week because the Cardinal was scheduled…read morethat day. Clean and historic. I only wish the city or someone would be able to open the rest of the depot as a museum.

Stopped for a short hike on our road trip. Beautiful views of the river along the rim trail and…read morethe castle rock trail has some really cool cliffs and rock walls of you don't mind a little more difficult terrain.

Perfect name for this park. It is a grand view. If you are feeling adventurous you should try the…read moreCastle Rock trail. Good hike and fun terrain. Not overly long but a nice moderate effort hike. Need to wear shoes with good traction. Trail offers get views of the rock facings. Highly enjoyed this area.

What a stunning national park! We made the 5 hour drive from Louisville, and weren't sure exactly…read morewhat to expect. We were blown away with how beautiful and full all the trees were. While we decided to just stick with hiking, the national park offers rafting, fishing, hunting, and bridge walking. The canyon rim visitor center was packed with useful information and history, the staff were friendly and helped us map out our day. This national park has free entry which was a nice bonus! If you're camping go early because you can't reserve campsites and they fill up fast. We couldn't find a spot for the first night and ended up having to stay at a paid campground outside the park. The second night we found a spot at Meadow Creek campground, it's an open field surrounded by trees. Don't miss the waterfall or the old railroad town of Thurmond! Those were the highlights of our trip.

The newest National Park!…read more We did the Bridge Walk and drove the Fayette station road. Both highly recommended! You'll cover all angles of the bridge (well, not an aerial view) by doing both. The bridge walk was a unique, bucket list experience and the 8 mile one way drive was very picturesque. I wish we had time to do the whitewater rafting. It's class 4, so if you're inexperienced you definitely need an outfitter and a guide. Next time! Make sure you visit the Canyon Rim visitor center too which has an epic view of the bridge and canyon in back!

A large storm the day before made this waterfall simply spectacular! You can see it from the tiny…read moreparking lot. Otherwise it is an uneven path to get there but less than 50 steps away. See it if you can!

Tony, Kayla, Deacon & I went on a Sunday drive up river towards Hawk's Nest stopping st several…read moreother locations along the way. We stopped at Catheral Falls and the parking lot was full. We took a walk to the base of the falls. Deacon was so brave. He said "Come on Maw Maw YoYo let's go" he says he's braver when I hold his hand. I love it that he has adventure in him. He loves to pose for pics! Reminds me of my Poppie McCormick, except Poppie never made faces or stuck out his tongue Great time! Great Memories!

A cute local park! Where it lacks trails, it more than makes up with the creek, tiny foot bridge,…read morepicnic shelter with a grille, and children's playground with swings and slides. There's a portaloo on one side of the gravely parking lot, and there's enough grassy space for a lazy wander. A gem!

The New River is apparently quite long, because this is nowhere near the more reputed New River…read moreGorge National Park. However, even in Virginia it is quite majestic. The main park office lies in a historic hamlet surrounded by farms. A parking charge applied, and if you parked somewhere else along the extensive trail perhaps you could get by without it, but the sights were certainly well worth seeing. I made it maybe a mile down the trail to a riverbend overlooked by a bluff ideally suited for sunsets, but there was a lot more to explore. Some boating was available, and a horse seemed interested to meet me as I departed.

See my Review for Shot Tower. It's the same. I wish I was a cyclist. But I am a hiker and I can't…read morehike a gravel road for miles. All good. Beautiful area!! River is so nice.