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.

Fun, shady hike. Large waterfall, nice place to wade. Not…read moretoo crowded. Plenty of parking.

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

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.

What a wonderful afternoon out in nature! The falls were beautiful and the hike was pretty easy. We…read morewere visiting some friends up in deep creek and we decided to take it outside and enjoy this beautiful day. So glad we did, it was one of the first "nice" days of spring when we attended. It was pretty crowded, but we still had no issues parking and even enjoyed the scenic drive to the park.

Tony and I were driving South on RT 26 from Bruceton Mills to Kingwood in WV. I saw a sign about…read moreVirginia 1847 Iron Works Furnace part of the River of Promise Trail. Located on the Banks of Muddy Creek that flows into the Cheat River. The park is Free to enjoy with Free parking along the road. Across the street is abandoned road side picnic area and shelters from the 40s to the 60s. Once we went down the steps to the abandoned iron furnace works, I saw an amazing waterfall along the rocks The falls were gorgeous. I will definitely go here again. If you swim, it's not super deep but enough room to get wet and enjoy but remember No Lifeguard...

This is a very impressive, 53 foot waterfall located in Swallow Falls State Park. It can be found…read moreon the Swallow Falls Canyon Trail and can be viewed both from above, via a nice overlook, or from water level by heading down the stairs to the trail. It's a beautiful view!

Great walking trails in this park. Located at the top of the hill with free parking near the round…read morestadium where they play WVU basketball. I have placed this place every day in my past and never knew it was there. The parking lot is FREE and its great to stop here and take a quick little hike. This is a four seasons hiking park which is very nice. The trails are nice and the scenery is lovely. I wish I had found this place sooner, cause I would have definitely spent more time hiking in this lovely park. It is so peaceful and so quiet with different flowers and trees to love. The traffic is crazy sometimes trying to get out of the parking lot, but other than that..definitely worth it. Definitely worth the quick 30 minutes hike.

This green space rides a fairly steep hill. A small parking lot is at the top, or one can walk in…read morethrough various trails. The university's marching band was audible from across the road. Due to the steep elevation it is a bit of a tough area, but it is geologically interesting and quite a pleasant green space. Crossing the paved trail at the bottom leads to some fairly modest views of the river, which is mostly obscured by thick greenery (at least in summer).

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!).

My husband and I just went on a camping trip to Coopers Rock and loved our time there! The views…read morewere beautiful, the trails were well cleared, and the bathroom at the main overlook site was one of the cleanest bathrooms we've ever been in. The Ravens Rock trail has a beautiful outlook with cool, large rock structures. And the rock city trail was super fun too! The free maps of all the trails are very helpful. Some blazes could've been marked a bit clearer and some signs for trail heads could be adjusted as well. There is limited parking at trail heads so be sure to get there early to beat the crowds. The trading post was a fun addition with Coopers Rock merch, stickers (our personal fav), some local goods, firewood, some camping supplies, and even some ice cream treats! Overall we had a really nice stay!

Peaceful 170-acre park in the Morgantown hills not too far off the beaten path. White Park consists…read moremostly of unpaved walking trails and several adult and youth-sized baseball fields. Supposedly the entire park encompasses five miles of trails. Everything I saw was pretty easy walking with gentle inclines. I was able to park (for free) in an enlarged shoulder of the road just off of Mississippi St and access the trails right away, but there aren't clear trailhead markers or maps to let you know where you are. In fact, maintenance seems to be pretty hands off. Watch your step right after the rains as things can get muddy and slippery! I didn't see much by the way of wildlife while walking around, but the Cobun Creek Reservoir is a nice backdrop for the fall foliage. There were wooden benches every now and then for resting and enjoying the scene. Ran into a few other locals walking their dogs, trail running, or just enjoying a mid-day stroll.

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.

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.

I wish I had more time to explore the park as a whole, but I had an aggressive agenda where I had…read morepreset times to tour two Frank Lloyd Wright residential masterpieces, Kentuck Knob (review: https://yelp.to/_zBjRXaWxl) and the legendary Fallingwater (review: https://yelp.to/hQ179hIMk_). Motoring in my rented SUV through the gorgeous Laurel Highlands region, I had roughly an hour to drive the seven miles between the two homes right through this park. Right in the heart is a most worthwhile stop, Ohiopyle Falls, a twenty-foot waterfall that spans the wide Youghiogheny River over a couple of dramatic levels. The parking lot was huge and pretty empty, and it was a quick stroll to the broad observation decks that jut out over the river. There was a group of kayakers huddled together as they were preparing to navigate the whitewater torrents. The hamlet of Ohiopyle provides a welcome coffee break. RELATED - Exploring the greater Pittsburgh area? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/JIi0cQGNmO

Easy to navigate to. Free parking. Plenty of parking…read more Excellent clear trails and walking spaces. Clean atmosphere.