According to a database of
waterfalls world-wide, Sandstone Falls ranks 19th by width and 33rd by volume. In
southern West Virginia we’re lucky to have this world class waterfall in our
backyard. Here are some tips to get the most out of a trip to Sandstone Falls.
You might want to begin your trip at the National Park Service’s (NPS)
Sandstone Visitor Center at the intersection of State Route 20 and I-64 (exit 139).
According to the NPS, “the Visitor Center has excellent exhibits on the New
River watershed, water resources, and natural and cultural history of the upper
New River Gorge, plus park maps and information.”
Sandstone Falls
From the Visitor Center
take State Route 20 south into Hinton. On the way to Hinton, you’ll want to
stop at two overlooks. The Sandstone Falls Overlook (GPS: Lat. 37.752460, Long.
-80.903900) provides an aerial view of the falls from 600 feet above the river,
while the Brooks Overlook looks down on the mile-long Brooks Island, where bald
eagles nest. In Hinton at the end of the bridge crossing the New River, turn
right and take the River Road for 9 miles to Sandstone Falls. There are plenty
of good viewpoints of the New River along the way, including a roadside picnic
area at Brooks Falls, about half way along the road to Sandstone Falls.
Sandstone Falls
Supported by an elaborate
¼ mile structure of boardwalks and bridges, the NPS Sandstone Falls Day Use
Area (GPS: Lat. 37.75935, Long. -80.90498) makes access to the falls easy. The
first bridge crosses a man-made channel once used to power a gristmill for
local farmers. The boardwalk leads to an overlook of the lower falls, which has
about a ten-foot drop. The ½ mile Island Loop Trail strays from the boardwalk
to explore a unique botanical ecosystem in West Virginia--the Appalachian
riverside flat rock plant community. The second bridge spans a wide, natural
channel where swimmers and fishermen congregate. The boardwalk ends at the main
overlook where the falls are 20 to 25 feet high.
Sandstone Falls
For a closer peek at the
falls, look for a path leading to the right just a few feet before the end of
the boardwalk. It leads to a shallow water crossing and onto an island. After
crossing, bear a little to the left and head toward the river bank. After
crossing two more small water courses, you’ll be on an island that sits at the
brink of Sandstone Falls. You can stand in front of and no more than a stone’s
throw from the surging waters of the New River. Here volumes of water that dams
are built to hold back rush toward you, leap over a stony ledge only to turn
aside at the last second, and flow harmlessly beneath your feet. This is one of
the most magnificent views in all of West Virginia.
Sandstone Falls
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