Accommodations
Cabins, campgrounds, resorts, and the occasional splurge - everywhere we've actually laid our heads.
On our way to the cabin for our anniversary getaway to Cabins, WV, we made a quick stop at Blackwater Falls State Park. Not familiar with Blackwater Falls? Read more about it here. We didn't do a full hike this time — just the walk down to see the falls and a stop in the gift shop — but it was worth every minute of the detour.
It was the middle of the day in July, and the parking lots were fairly full, but the viewing areas down by the falls were surprisingly quiet. From the main lot, it's a short walk to the stairs, then it's just steps down (and later, back up) to the falls, with several viewing platforms along the way. We stopped at each one, taking in a different angle of the canyon each time, and noticed the rhododendrons growing along the trail.
You hear the falls well before you see them. By the time we reached the last lookout, the sound was tremendous — you could really feel the power of all that water dropping over the ledge. A group of kids ran past us on the way down, too excited to wait, which is honestly the correct response to a 57-foot waterfall.
The climb down (and back up) was fairly easy, nothing technical. If stairs are a struggle for you, here's the move: go all the way down first, then take your time on the way back up, using each viewing platform as a built-in rest stop with a different view of the falls.
We didn't make it out to the Almost Heaven Swing, which is apparently just off the main overlook trail near the ADA-accessible walkway — next time.
Back at the top, we stopped into the gift shop, which had the standard lineup: hats, shirts, stickers, magnets, water bottles. There may have been food available too, and there are picnic tables outside if you want to eat before getting back on the road.
This wasn't the centerpiece of our trip — just a stop on the way to the cabin — but it didn't need to be. Blackwater Falls is an easy detour with a big payoff, and the parking is close enough to the stairs that there's really no excuse not to stop.
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