Where to Go for Early Autumn Color in WV

Every year anticipation builds as fall approaches. Autumns can be glorious in West Virginia as leaves turn from green to gold. And every year we wonder what kind of a year will it be for color. Although much is known about why leaves change color, every year is different. So it’s difficult to predict how vivid the colors will be and what the timing will be. But here are some rules of thumb for where to best appreciate the first colors of autumn in West Virginia.

Highland Scenic Highway - 2012

Highland Scenic Highway

Leaves first start changing color at high elevation, so it’s best to start in the highlands. Although it varies yearly, fall foliage colors generally peak at high elevations in the last week of September to the first week in October. The Highland Scenic Highway (SR 150) is generally radiant with fall colors at that time of year. The Highway runs along the spine of the Allegheny Highlands in Pocahontas County, reaching more than 4,500 feet in elevation on Black Mountain. I like the Williams River Overlook for a panoramic view of fall color. About three miles north of the Big Spruce Overlook, you’ll find a host of brilliant red maples lighting up the hillside. 

Highland Scenic Highway - 2012

Summit Lake

Summit Lake (elevation 3,388), just 10 miles outside of Richwood on SR 39, is another early autumn venue for leaf color. Hillsides of brilliant color reflect in the lake, making an autumn paradise. Golden aspen trees line the trail to the fishermen’s dock. Summit Lake is a must for early fall color odysseys. It peaks about a week after the Highland Scenic Highway. 

Summit Lake - 2012

Blackwater-Canaan Area

Blackwater Falls State Park is another fall color hot spot. Particularly nice is the view of the Blackwater Canyon from either Lindy or Pendleton Points. Highway 32 south of Davis as it ascends to Canaan Heights often has spectacular fall colors. For that matter don’t forget Canaan Valley. The Beall Trails in the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge are good for color. And I would definitely take the Scenic Chairlift Ride at Canaan Valley State Park. 

Blackwater Falls - 2008

Dolly Sods

At 4,000 feet in elevation the color change occurs early at Dolly Sods in Tucker County, too. Although the trees at Dolly Sods can be beautiful, the main attraction is near the ground. At Bear Rocks at the north end of forest road 75, the blueberry shrubs that carpet the earth turn a brilliant red. Acres and acres of scarlet earth--it’s a sight to behold!  

Canaan Valley - 2015

Snowshoe Mountain

There are couple of places in the highlands of West Virginia that I haven’t seen in the fall, but can recommend anyway. One is Snowshoe Mountain Resort in Pocahontas County. At elevations of 4,800 feet, fall arrives early and in glory at Snowshoe judging by some photos that I’ve seen.   

Dolly Sods - 2008

Spruce Knob & Lake

In western Pendleton County, Spruce Knob is the highest point in West Virginia (4,863 feet). Leaves will turn quickly at that elevation. A fisherman friend of mine likes Spruce Knob Lake for autumn colors. Standing at 3,840 feet in elevation, it is the highest lake in West Virginia. In the autumn the lake is encircled with slopes of reds, golds, and yellows. 

Dolly Sods - 2015

Well, I’ve tried to hit the high spots (pardon the pun) of early autumn color in West Virginia. If I’ve missed some places, please leave a comment. In another post, I’ll mention some places in West Virginia that hit peak color in mid to late October. 

Back to the Blackwater River Trail: Canaan Valley

Where to you go hiking in Canaan Valley if you only have half a day? That was the question facing Phyllis and me last Thursday (Aug. 18, 2016). The answer was easy: the Blackwater River Trail of Canaan Valley State Park. As I wrote in an earlier post (Aug. 4^th), in my opinion this is the most scenic trail in Canaan Valley.

Instead of parking at the trailhead, we drove beyond it on a gravel road leading out of the golf course parking lot. The gravel road took us to a filtration plant and the location of our first photo op (GPS: Lat. 39.038629, Long. -79.456564). Here the Blackwater makes a lazy meander through the valley. Some teasel grows along the bank of the river making some lovely foreground for a landscape photo.

Blackwater Teasel

Blackwater Teasel

Next, we hiked west to join the trail. After hiking on the trail about 30 yards, we took a side trail down to the river’s edge. Here the Blackwater makes a sweeping “S” turn just about where a lone tree stands in stark contrast to flat, grassy meadows. It’s a picturesque scene worthy of many photos.

Blackwater River

Then we hiked about 1000 feet on a relatively straight stretch of river until we came to another sweeping bend. On this day we were fortunate; wildflowers were blooming in abundance along the river bank. Vervain, sneezeweed, St. John’s wort, and butterfly bush added colorful foreground accents to all the river shots.

 Blackwater in Bloom

Sneezeweed

To add to the beauty the cloud action was brilliant. All in all the Blackwater River Trail did not disappoint.  

The Second Most Popular Waterfall at Blackwater Falls State Park

Almost everyone knows about Blackwater Falls. But did you know there are at least a dozen other waterfalls at Blackwater Falls State Park? Tributaries to the Blackwater River such as Pendleton Run, Shay Run, and Falls Run tumble down the steep slopes of the Blackwater Canyon creating waterfall after waterfall. To be sure, they don’t match the 63 foot drop of the river wide Blackwater Falls. And they don’t have boardwalks built to them either. Nonetheless, they are charming and picturesque in their own right and are well worth a trek off the beaten path.

Elakala Falls

One of those waterfalls is Elakala Falls, which is probably the second most visited waterfall in the Park. To see Elakala Falls start at the Blackwater Lodge. The trailhead to the falls is at the western end of the Lodge parking lot (GPS: Lat. 39.107630, Long. -79.497965). The trail to the falls isn’t more than 500 feet and leads to a bridge that spans Shay Run right at the falls. From the bridge, you get a great overhead view of the falls.

Elakala Falls

But the view from the bridge doesn’t do this waterfall justice. To fully fathom its beauty some off-trail scrambling is required. Continue on the Elakala trail for another 50 feet or so. Then look to your right for paths that scramble down to creek level. I can’t say it’s an easy scramble. There are lots of tree roots and rocks. But it’s sure worth the effort if you can do it.

Elakala Falls

From creek level you can better appreciate the flow of the water as it cascades over the main fall and then diverges into multiple flows.  You can also get a clearer view of the brilliant green moss covering the rocks near the falls. The honey-colored water from which Blackwater gets its name is unique and beautiful as well. All in all, there’s much to admire about this waterfall, and it keeps photographers happy for hours.

More about the other waterfalls in future blogs, but for now I hope you plan a side trip to Elakala Falls.     Waterfalls at Camp Creek    5 Waterfalls of the New River Gorge     Brush Creek Falls     Sandstone Falls

The Most Scenic Trail in Canaan Valley

Besides a haven for wildlife, Canaan Valley is one of the most pristine and picturesque spots in all of West Virginia. Everywhere beauty abounds, and so much of it is accessible to the public. Between Canaan Valley Resort State Park and Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge more than half of the valley is public land (22,500 acres).  

Blackwater River Trail

Where do you begin to explore such a vast area? After hiking and photographing this Valley for a decade, my favorite trail is the Blackwater River Trail. The Blackwater River Trail makes an easy 3/4 mile loop through mixed northern hardwood stands and follows the Blackwater River as it begins its meandering journey through Canaan Valley. Picturesque views of the river, wildflowers lining its banks, and adjacent meadows delight the eye and have inspired some award-winning photography. On this self-guided nature trail are unusual limestone outcrops resembling tombstones and the largest Bigfoot aspen in the park.

Blackwater River Trail

The trailhead (GPS: Lat. 39.036278, Long. -79.457983) is adjacent to the golf course parking lot and just a mile and a half from the Park Lodge. To begin hiking the trail, I usually take the right-hand fork. This path leads through a stand of prickly Hawthorne trees and then gently slopes down to the river. Once on the level, the trail turns left, but I suggest first taking a faint path to the right, which after 300 feet will put you on a scenic spot on the river. Then back track and continue on the main trail.

Blackwater River Trail

Take the first turn out path to the right to access the Blackwater River. It’s a beautiful scene worthy of a photograph. If you’re lucky, you might see some Canada geese paddling down the stream. The main trail then parallels a straight stretch of the Blackwater River. Be sure to stop at a point where the trail turn sharply to the left following a meander in the river. There are lots of scenic photo shoots here, too. The trail parallels the river again and then makes another sharp turn to the left to leave the river. At this point, look for a path leading to the right for more scenic views along the shore line of the Blackwater. The trail then begins a gradual incline through the forest back to the trailhead.

Blackwater River Trail

There you have it—3/4 miles of sheer beauty! For a copy of a Hiking Trail Map of the Park click http://www.wvstateparks.com/canaan/canaanvalley.pdf .

Happy Trails!  More about The Blackwater River Trail