Pipestem Falls: Making a Come-Back

For 20 years, I drove within yards of beautiful Pipestem Falls, yet knew nothing of them. The falls weren’t on road maps or in tourist guides. The Internet provided scant information and very few photos. To add to the mystery, it was obvious that at one time these falls were a roadside attraction. A broad, grassed-over parking area, a weather-beaten picnic table, an overgrown trail, and a worn trailside fence mutely testified that Pipestem Falls was once a popular destination.

Lower Pipestem Falls

But that’s all changed now. The roadside parking has been improved; a road sign marks the falls, and brush obscuring the view of the main falls has been cleared. Pipestem Falls has made a come-back. 

Lower Pipestem Falls

To find Pipestem Falls (GPS: Lat. 37.5478, Long. -80.9596) drive 2.7 miles south of the Pipestem State Park entrance road on State Route 20. Look on the right for a broad, grassy area on the inside portion of a long curve. Parking is easiest at a wide, graveled patch at the downhill end of the parking area. 

Upper Pipestem Falls

Pipestem Falls are really four waterfalls strung together. The first three are about six feet high and form the upper falls. The lower or main falls is about 30 feet high. To view the upper three falls, take the trail leaving the uphill portion of the parking area. Here Pipestem Creek runs over several shale riffles and sandstone steps in a somewhat open bedrock basin, before taking the main plunge below. The main plunge cannot be seen from this trail, but a view from the parking area has been cleared. 

Upper Pipestem Falls

If you’re willing to do a little bushwhacking, the main falls can be seen by descending a short, indistinct trail down to the creek bottom that begins at the lower end of the parking area. A rocky scramble upstream will reward the avid waterfall hunter with a close-up view of these lovely falls. Once neglected it’s great to see these waterfalls make a come-back.