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 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.

Excellent hiking. Hiked on father's day 2025 with my wide…read more The main attraction being the cave and the waterfall, you have to exit the "loop trail" in order to access the cave and waterfall. Once you hike back up, youd imagine when continuing to walk the East trail to finish the loop, you'd exit near the entrance. Thats not the case. The east trail past the cave/waterfall trail does not loop back around. Theres no trespassing signs and the trail dead ends. I recommend after hiking back up from the cave/waterfall to go straight back the way you came instead of waisting your time. Happy hiking!​

Piatt Park contains a stunning gorge with a cave and waterfalls. When you first enter the park, you…read morefind a small campground (10 sites) with amenities - a shelterhouse with picnic tables, both pit toilets and a shower/toilet combo with running water and electric, and a very nice playground in the center. There is a small pull off near the shelterhouse for parking if you don't have a campsite reserved. There are a couple of trailheads that lead down to the trail that heads into the woods and down to the gorge. The scenery itself is beautiful and very interesting, but the hike is complicated by being a little bit confusing. The trails aren't always very clear and the map is a little basic - previous hikers tried to help by adding notes and markers to the maps that are available along the trail. So I'm going to dish the dirt on the trail, because there were some serious surprises we encountered. There are multiple ways down from the campgrounds, and you come to an area by a bench that's at the top of a hill. Once you head down the hill, which is a bit steep, you come to a split that offers East or West Rim Trail. This can be used as a loop trail, since it does connect, or you can do out and back. We started out to the west and came around to a section that overlooked the gorge. It was a lovely view, but be aware that it's a pretty sheer drop and the chain "fencing" was gone in some sections. We then reached a section where we could choose to turn back or head down into the gorge. It was, again, a sheer drop but there were some stairs with railings available to help. This let us access the large cave area and then head further down to view the main waterfall. Because of how dry it was, the main waterfall is the only one we saw and it was a bit of a trickle, but it was still an enjoyable view. At this point, we may have chosen to turn around and head back out the way we came, had we realized what the rest of the loop entailed, but we did not and we forged on. This section is much more difficult and if you have small kids or pets with you, or you yourself have a fear of heights, this is significantly trickier. Unless your pet is a mountain goat, than perhaps it would be helpful as it could show you the best places to step. There's really no railings for the majority of this sheer climb up, and in one section, you actually pull yourself up hill via chains attached to trees. There are a couple of spots with tiny steps to help you get up too. When you reach the top, you'll soon find yourself back at the beginning of the loop and can head back up the first hill. The scenery is beautiful, though it would be nice to have a better idea of what to expect when hiking, thus I share with you my novel on getting in and out of the gorge!

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.

There's good spots for sightseeing at both the top and bottom of the dam. We stopped here on a road…read moretrip to stretch our legs and this was a good spot to get some fresh air. There are bathrooms and water fountains, but they were off for the winter. :( There's also a playground, picnic tables, and a pavilion that you can rent to reserve.

Sutton, WV was first settled in 1792 in what was then Bath County, Virginia. It served as a…read morecrucial spot in the Civil War for the Union. In the mid 1800's Confederates burned most of the town to the ground. We rebuilt. This review comes from my memoirs. Wait, I haven't written them, but, if I did, I would give at least one chapter to my teenage years spent partying and hanging out at Sutton Lake. I went to high school in Sutton, and, we often skipped school and headed for the lake for a day of fun filled drankin' and smokin' and, well, you know. The early 80's were for socializing and partying with my gang of peeps. It's amazing I graduated. That any of us did, for that matter. Everytime I go home, I always visit the lake. When I was going there in my teens, it was simply a beautiful lake enveloped by the beautiful Appalachian Mtns, with picnic areas. Sometimes it felt as if those mountains were hugging you. Today, there is much more recreation to be had, but, this review is about my memories. All through high school, this was the spot. I had a music (Jazz Chorus) teacher who knew what was going on, so he would sometimes show up and stay with us. I didn't realize what he was doing until I became a mature adult. He was our protector, not, enabler. In the 80's, where I was from, kids would be kids. No matter what ma' and pa' said. I lived 40 miles from the school. If I missed the bus, which I often did, I had to hoof it home on my thumb. Many a time I would arrive home at 2100 or later, drunk, high, sober, hungover and famished and tired, only to be met at the door with my very angry grandmother (God love her, she raised me) and a fist full of brier switches! Let me tell you, that is the best time to take a beating because you are so numb you feel nothing. It's like, "Hey! You missed a spot!" I miss those years. I like to refer to them as my "rebel without a clue years", and, I have not one regret! Thanks for letting me share my personal story!

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!).

Tony and I stopped at Cooper's Rock near Bruceton Mills to enjoy the beautiful weather and to enjoy…read morethe Almost Heaven Swing located there Its free to enjoy with tons of trails for hiking

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.

The USDA Forest Service website is really confusing for this recreational area, which apparently…read moreconsists of several unlinked areas across southeastern Ohio. The address for this listing is for the Marietta Unit, which was the closest official address I could find. I'm still not totally sure where the trailhead was (obviously, I was not the one who drove up), but the trail we took was the "Scenic River Trail." There wasn't much of a view due to all of the trees still being leafy, but it was a good challenging hike. We actually did not make it to the end of the trail, and I'm not really sure how far we went since the trail did not seem to have mile markers. There were the yellow diamond trail markers and some posts in the ground, but neither were labeled. It would be lovely to take the trail again when the leaves start to change, and again when the leaves are down and you can actually see the "Scenic River."

I really enjoyed walking the boardwalk and seeing the beautiful sites at this State Park especially…read morethe Falls. I also love all the information you can read about the history of the park and all it entails along the way. Want to get Out and About? Check It Out!

This stop was our two-day "play and reset" window between Acadia NP and New River Gorge NP -- a…read morequiet breather in the beautiful WV mountains. We stayed at the lodge and had breakfast there both mornings, mostly because options nearby are... well, nonexistent. Luckily the buffet was generous, the food was decent enough to fuel the day, and the views helped everything go down a little easier. Service, however, could definitely benefit from a hospitality tune-up -- a smile and a bit of warmth go a long way before coffee! That said, the park itself is lovely. We enjoyed peaceful trails surrounded by lush forest, and the falls are truly worth the trip -- dramatic and grounding. I got in a few good hikes, while my husband happily took in the waterfall views from the accessible paths, which are thoughtfully laid out and easy to navigate. In short: Beautiful park Scenic lodge views Buffet that gets the job done Service that could caffeinate their cheerfulness Perfect little nature pause before hitting our next national park.

Zen City!!!! It's an…read moreeasy little walk down to the falls. I've been here on days it is packed and the water flow is minimal and on days it's completely empty when the water is high. Either way, there are many ways to see the falls in all of its glory whether being above them or below them. I truly enjoy being close to the falls with the nice chill in the air by being under one of the many rock formations. It's a great place to cool off after a long day of hiking and/or biking at Ohiopyle. Check it out the next time you're in the area. Enjoy :D

Cucumber Falls, while it was a bit underwhelming due to low water levels, definitely tickled my…read morepickle and made me smile. The water, which resembled that of my tap water (except cleaner), proved to be a great hand cleanser as my fingers were filthy after searching for a worm to feed my little birdie. Several people visiting the falls were underdressed, but they paid for it by failing to put on sunscreen and ended up torching their torsos. Beautiful scenery.