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 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!

Audra State Park is simply beautiful! It is a relaxing get away from the real world where you can…read moredisconnect. They do have WiFi close to the little shop in the campgrounds. The campgrounds are clean, as are the shower houses. The river was nice and cool when we were there and it was nice to see others enjoying the water. We tried one of the hiking trails, some parts were easier than others.

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,

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.

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.

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

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!