Did a quick stopover on the way to Hawk's Nest SP, and wow, this place is beautiful! One of the…read moremost frequently visited state parks in WV and it's easy to see why! The grist mill is absolutely iconic, sitting atop a picturesque waterfall. The park has a mountain lake for water activities, plenty of trails, and even cabins for longer stays! There's an Almost Heaven swing right by the mill and visitor's center, and the CCC stonework is stunning. The New River Gorge bridge is about 20-30 minutes away depending on how well you drive on mountain roads, and there's plenty to do in the area for a fun weekend or even longer! I will definitely be back myself!

We were in West Virginia for my husband's work and made it a little leaf peeping Excursion. Babcock…read moreis on the top of the list of places I like to go the mill and the lake plus the colors around the area are just gorgeous lots of Reds oranges and yellows. No fee to enter they have restrooms that are easy to access and flushy bathrooms. There is a Almost Heaven swing by the mill. But what the pictures don't show is the sound of the Rushing Water it's just all so beautiful. Recommend bringing snacks in a beverage have a little picnic. Fall is the prettiest time but I'm sure it's beautiful anytime of year I'm sure with some snow would be gorgeous but I'd be a little scared to tackle all the West Virginia curvy roads with some ice and snow. This year we had such a dry drought year that no one thought the fall was going to be worth seeing so we didn't make any Leaf peeping vacations. If he hadn't had this work trip we would have missed out on on this for the year. Considering the dryness the colors were doing pretty good around here we had went to other areas where the leaves were already down around black around Blackwater and Seneca Rock. But the bugs were quite annoying mainly lots of gnats that if you stopped moving they were really annoying. We've been here a few other times in other years and this is the only time that was an issue. At the lake they have porta potties and the moved them to block the lake view Which is unfortunate. Please move them. !!

I really enjoyed the view. WV is beautiful I never knew about this place. I've been to the Grand…read moreCanyon it is awesome but wv has so much to offer as well. It's a must see along with the new river gorge bridge.

Today, Kayla Beth Fields , Deacon and I were on our way to a Labor Day Cookout at my cousin, Wanda…read moreBlackwell home. We stopped at Grandview State Park to use restrooms, enjoy the Beautiful Famous Horseshoe Bend Vista and play on the playground. We had a nice little 20 minute break from the road. Deacon enjoyed himself.

Today, we took a Sunday drive to Hawk's Nest State Park in Ansted, WV. This was Kayla & Deacon's…read morefirst time there, but a trip down memory lane for Tony & I. It was fun reminiscing and sharing with them the way things used to be and the ways it looked! It's hard to believe it now so sad how changes with time makes so much of a difference. Deacon enjoyed his adventure. We found out the tram ride over the mountain has been broken 3 yrs and the state has not fixed it. Also found out might not get fixed for another couple years also...which is extremely sad news! Also, there is NO nature exhibit or museum display at Hawk's Nest Park. There is a power boat ride on the river that starts late May but is rather expensive about $30 per person so if your a family of 4 (average size) it's over $120 for about an hour before taxes.. Now a days, that's a little much in my personal opinion! But, if you got it..spend it ! Right!! ? Me, not so much! There is a restaurant and a small gift shop fairly priced..we purchased a few necessaries!! Definitely recommend to all in the area°

Cute spot for some great hikes. The short trails are easy , but the moderate trails require…read morephysical fitness ability. My husband and I did about half of the cliffside trail. One of the other more difficult trails was significantly overgrown and a guide warned us of snakes and bees. Great views

We planned to see as many waterfalls as we could in the Fayetteville area and Wolf Creek Falls is…read moreone of them. We accessed the falls via the Kaymoor trailhead. You just have to hike a short distance on the Kaymoor Trail from the trailhead. You will cross over a creek on a small bridge. It had been raining for a couple of days prior, so the waterfall was flowing really nicely. The unique thing about this waterfall is that a lot of the rocks had moss on them. It also continues to fall underneath the trail path. Definitely a nice waterfall to see, and a short hike from trailhead. The path is not paved though, so not stroller friendly. Get outside and enjoy friends!

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!!

The provenance of this site is somewhat unclear, but I think it falls under the federal government…read moreand putting up my national parks pass was successful in getting me through a visit without paying any additional parking fee. The main falls are two miles uphill from the parking lot, but the entire journey is a series of eminently worthwhile sights and sounds. Signs warned of challenging currents for anyone taking a dip in the water, which some people did. I would note that when I arrived a rescue operation was underway and emergency services did drive someone by me with what thankfully appeared okay. There are trails on one elevated bank and one closer to the water, as well as some offshoots and extensions. It's a great stretch of forest where you could easily spend more time than the couple of hours I did.

We've been lucky enough to visit a lot of national parks while touring the country and each one has…read moreits own personality. New River Gorge hits a little bit differently because we're such big fans of Fallout so seeing the bridge in person was especially cool. Driving over the bridge to get to the park almost made me feel like I was stepping into the game. That big beautiful arch stretching across the gorge was an incredible sight to behold but I was quickly overwhelmed by the incredible natural beauty all around me and soon forgot all about the game. I just wanted to explore this gorgeous place. The overlooks are easy to access and genuinely breathtaking. The gorge is dramatic and beautiful. The bridge is the star of course and the way it frames the landscape is stunning. It just felt so peaceful in scenic the whole time we were in this park. Of all the parks we visited, this one stands out because it blends natural beauty with something personal, so it wasn't just scenic, It was kind of an iconic moment. I'm so glad that I got a chance to come here and see it for myself.

I have heard so many people tell me that there is nothing to do in West Virginia. Let me tell you,…read moreyou have to visit the state at least once and if you have to do one thing, it's visit New River Gorge National Park. NRG is the newest national park on the list so when we went it was busy but not as crowded as the others. When we went t the park was free to enter. They have a nice welcome center where you can get souvenirs and maps. The park is breathtaking. There really is not a bad spot to see. The main highlight is the New River Gorge Bridge. It's a popular spot and that does get crowded. We had to wait 30 minutes to get a good view. When we went the roads can be confusing. Since it is a new park, they are working on signs to put on the roads. We got lost getting to certain trails due to lack of signage. Also keep in mind there are a lot of cliffs on the hiking trails that do not have safety rails or bars. It can be dangerous so be mindful. (Don't do what I did and try to get a photo by the edge).

Here for three train rides with my train loving husband…read more All employees were friendly, from the trains themselves to the stores. Company store had a plethora of items for all ages; hubby had a field day!! Beautiful area and very remote . Bus tours came daily, but not excessive as seating on the trains is limited, so good crowd control lol These trips book up months in advance; my husband booked it a year ago so don't drive up thinking you can get a seat. Three trips: ( different Shay locomotives too, but I am not the expert with this). 1. Bald Knob : a 4.5 hour train ride up the mountain. It was an open car, and it was pretty cold, even for those prepared. The scenery was pretty but I saw zero wildlife. We were going to have a hot cocoa, but after waiting on line for over 10 minutes, they ran out. There was a guy reading over the P.A., giving some history. They give you a " hobo lunch" : bun, turkey and ham, pasta salad, applesauce, chips, water bottle, 2 cookies and mustard and mayo. Bring additional snacks/ drinks as it's a long trip...and gloves and hats if during fall trips. 2. Greenbriar River: a more pleasant ride, 2.5-3 hours, enclosed car with table seating. Narrated as well at parts, but P.A. was terrible. Lunch was at a restaurant ( make your own sandwiches) in Durbin, our stop, and there were three choices which they determined. Saw 2 turtles and one bird. Highlight was meeting the people who Sartre across from us. 3. Whittaker Station: about a 2.5 hour trip, also on an open car. This trip had the most informative and interesting narration of the three. Got my hot cocoa lol and some pretty photos. Interesting town history. A cool experience for train buffs and company houses are available to stay in. Beautiful area.

In full disclosure, I privately messaged them this experience when I was sent an email after our…read moretrip and no one responded so I've decided to write this review to warn others so that they will be prepared in case this happens to them. Honestly our ride was awful. What was supposed to be a 4.5 hour trip ended up being 6 hours. When we were stopped with what I assume was some breakdown, no one said anything or told us what was going on. Instead we sit there looking at woods for what seemed like forever. Then on the way back we stopped at the Whitaker overlook, why I have no idea. No one told us we were stopping, we had no idea how long we were stopping for. The only reason I can gather is so you all could make more money at your concessions and most of us were cold and wanted to get back and instead we're left waiting for idiots too selfish for their nachos or hot chocolate and wouldn't come back to the train when the whistle was blown. They should've left without them. We had reservations at a bed and breakfast and were charged extra because we weren't able to get back before check in hours. It was honestly a miserable trip. I hope that they improve the way they conduct trips in the future as this could've been such an enjoyable trip. Also, we visited the general store the next day (had to make the 45 minute trip back to Cass since there was no time to visit the shops after getting in so late the day before) and made a significantly large purchase after being told that yes they give military discounts but after the clerk processed our sale she said "oops, I forgot to give you your discount", with no suggestion that she rering the sale to include the discount. Just the cherry on the top of a disappointing visit to Cass. The only good thing about the whole trip was a nice man named Danny who let us see the informative video in the theater earlier than the official next showing which wasn't for another hour.

Unfortunately, it's a dive. Splash pad doesn't work and the grounds are poorly maintained. Giving…read moreit one star is too much

This is a pretty fun place that my family and I went and visited while we were on our adventure…read morethrough 14 different states. First date that we went through with West Virginia so we decided to stop at this Magic Island Park. It was raining that day so we did not get to spend too much time here unfortunately but the little amount of time that we didn't get to spend while the sun was out my children have fun and it was nice to see

The riverfront in Charleston is very artificial, with a high riverbank necessary, it seems, to…read moreprotect the town from flooding. The park here contains some sidewalks both at street level as well as closer to (but not on) the water, as well as an amphitheater and a few other facilities. I visited once when the street was closed to make way for a festival; festivals are nice but the notion of closing a street rather than having a real park seemed not that great. When there's no event going on, it's not the most happening place. Some work has been done on the area, and perhaps more will be done.

It is a nice recreational area along the Kanawah Blvd. On Fridays, there are food trucks and a DJ…read morelive with great music. You can stroll down for a while, grab something eat, and enjoy the breeze from the river. It has a beautiful view. Also, there are public bathrooms, very clean, and an area with tables and a playground for kids. If you are visiting, I suggest walk around the area and check-it out.

David assesses clients' need so well and provides the best possible instructions/knowledge sharing…read moresessions. I and two friends of mine had amazing weekend taking two full days climbing classes and we're thrilled to learn so much David offered. He is the most knowledgeable and supportive climbing teacher I've ever met.

I purchased a groupon for a 4 hour climbing/rappelling class months ago, and finally got around to…read moreusing it Columbus day weekend. The trip was planned via email and they were really flexible with us rescheduling due to a rainy forecast. It did end up raining the day of our trip, but our instructor (Dave Wolff) was great and brought us to a place with overhanging rock so we could climb in dryer conditions. He was really great at explaining different techniques, how all the gear works and was very encouraging. We spent more time climbing than I had expected which was great! It was definitely worth the trip and I can't wait to get back out there.