Hiking the Waterfalls of Big Branch

If you like waterfalls, you’ll love the Big Branch Trail of the New River Gorge. Depending upon how you count them, you’ll see six or seven waterfalls in the space of ¾ mile. For the sheer joy of seeing water descend over rock, the Big Branch Trail is hard to beat. I won’t describe all the waterfalls in this blog, but we’ll take a look at most of them.

Big Branch Falls

Trailhead

The trailhead is about 4 miles from Hinton on the River Road—the road that takes you to Sandstone Falls. Look for the trailhead across the road from the Brooks Falls overlook. Starting at the trailhead, take the left-hand fork, which after about 500 feet of woodland walking leads to the streambed of Big Branch. At this point the trail crosses Big Branch for the first of four times. Since this stream doesn’t have a large watershed, it’s generally a trickle in summer and fall. But in winter and spring, it’s full enough that you should plan to get your boots wet when crossing.

First Waterfall

First Waterfall

Before crossing the creek, look for a trail running downstream and take it for about 100 feet. The first waterfall on Big Branch will be to your right. It’s a nice waterfall that takes about an 8-foot drop before spreading out across a large, flat bedrock surface. The water is shallow across the bedrock plain, so you can walk across it and set up a tripod wherever you please to snap a few photos of the falls. Backtrack to rejoin the Big Branch Trail, make the first stream crossing, and head uphill. 

Rocky's Falls

Rocky’s Falls

The trail hugs the course of Big Branch all the way to the top waterfall, so when you’re not relishing a waterfall you’re being serenaded by the music of a babbling brook. At the second crossing there’s a fair size riffle, but do continue for more waterfall action. The next waterfall is named after Randall Sanger’s dog “Rocky” who was fond of splashing in it and getting into the photos Randall was trying to take of the falls. Though “Rocky’s Falls” is just a 4 to 5-foot plunge, don’t let its size fool you. This is a very lovely and photogenic waterfall.

Double Falls

Double Falls

After the third creek crossing, you’ll come to “Double Falls.” Actually Double Falls is composed of several stair-stepping drops, but has two primary falls. The trail runs right above them and makes a perfect platform for some tripod locations. Or you can easily climb down to creek level for some shots. Continuing upstream you’ll pass “Log Falls.” It’s a small waterfall with a couple of prominent logs near it. 

Big Branch Falls

Big Branch Falls

Because of its 30-foot drop, the next waterfall is the main attraction on Big Branch. I call it “Big Branch Falls” because it is the largest waterfall on the creek. It sits in a semi-rounded cove and begs for exploration. Patience when approaching this waterfall is rewarded. Instead of bushwhacking a way to the falls when you first spot it from the trail, stay on the steeply inclined trail until you’re almost level with the top of the waterfall. At this point, an easy trail takes off downhill to the right and will deposit you at the base of the waterfall. The ground is relatively flat around the base of the falls, so you can move about freely. Right, left, and center, good photo ops abound. 

Top Falls

Tops Falls

After surveying Big Branch Falls, backtrack to the main trail and continue uphill. The next waterfall is not far. The Big Branch Trail flattens out for a bit and crosses Big Branch for the fourth time right above what I call the “Top Falls.” This waterfall is about ten feet high and sits across from the ruins of an old homestead. A rusty bucket and the remains of a stone house mark the location of the Berry family home. To learn the history of the home site check this web address Berry Homestead. 

At Top Falls I generally back track to the trailhead at Brooks Falls. But if you’re willing to hike another 1 ¼ mile, you can complete the loop trail. When the leaves are off, several scenic views of the gorge and river can be seen along the ridge top. The trail then descends steeply to the trailhead, offering scenic views of Brooks Falls along the way.

Bluebell Patch

Virginia Bluebell Patch

If you’re exploring Big Branch in early spring, you might find the Berry homestead covered in Virginia Bluebells. Indeed, the Big Branch Trail is a hot spot for early spring flowers. So you can enjoy both waterfalls and wildflowers on your trek up the trail. The Big Branch Trail is a win-win for day hikers.

The Wonder of White Oak Falls

“As I approached White Oak Falls on my second visit, a shaft of light was shifting across the face of the falls. I had to work fast to get this shot. I scampered up the rocks and into the basin below White Oak Falls, hurriedly set up my tripod in the stream bed, and, while trying to keep my wits, started shooting as quickly as possible. You just never know what you're going to find when you take a walk in the woods with your camera. The world changes day-by-day, minute-by-minute. How exciting!” from West Virginia Waterfalls: The New River Gorge by Ed Rehbein and Randall Sanger. Click HERE. 

White Oak Falls

The Great Mystic

White Oak Falls is the great mystic of southern West Virginia waterfalls. A beam of light seemingly sent from the heavens illuminates the falls adding a magical quality that few other waterfalls possess. What’s more it happens regularly—usually mid to late afternoon. Photographs of this blade of light crossing the face of White Oak Falls create a uniquely moody waterfall image.

White Oak Falls

Easy to Get There

White Oak Falls is both easy and difficult to get to. It’s easy in that it’s about a 1.75 mile hike from Brush Creek falls (described in an earlier post BRUSH CREEK FALLS). The trail is very gently graded and follows Brush Creek to its confluence with the Bluestone River. It then parallels the Bluestone River to its confluence with White Oak Creek. 

White Oak Falls

Difficult to Climb

It’s difficult in that the trail ends at the shores of the Bluestone where White Oak Creek meets the river. The lower falls of White Oak Creek begin right at the Bluestone, where White Oak Creek makes a couple of short drops and runs before flowing into the river. The upper falls, barely visible from the bottom, are sheltered by a large rock amphitheater protected on both sides by steep slopes.

White Oak Falls

Worth the Effort

Looking up at the falls, the right-hand side seems to be the easier path to the amphitheater. But there is a tight spot where you must hug a small round cliff to get upstream. It’s easier, but riskier. The left-hand side requires more climbing, mostly on very steep soil slopes, but I believe with a good pair of hiking boots, it’s the safer way. At any rate, it’s a difficult ascent but for the hale and hearty it’s worth the effort. 

White Oak Falls

For more about White Oak Falls see my new book “Exploring the Wilds of West Virginia: A Hiker’s Guide to Beauty off the Beaten Path.” Click here for a VIDEO and for more info or to purchase click HERE. 

Six Waterfalls of the Midland Trail

“The Midland Trail is more than a road; it’s a virtual history book. Originally a crude pathway worn by buffalo and the early pioneers, it stretches from White Sulphur Springs westward to Kenova, zigzagging along rivers, over mountains and through lush valleys. Along the way it touches just about every aspect and time period of West Virginia’s story—coal mines and chemical plants, Civil War battlefields and historic churches, ancient Native American burial mounds and African-American slave quarters” (Highway to History, by James E. Casto).

To celebrate this historic road, I’ve chosen to highlight some of the waterfalls that line U.S. 60 from just east of Gauley Bridge to Charlton Heights. Some of these waterfalls, like Cathedral Falls, are well-known landmarks. But most are smaller and lesser known seasonal waterfalls that flow best in the winter and spring months during periods of rain and thaw. Although they don’t run all year long, when in season, these waterfalls are as pretty as any the State has to offer. So starting at Cathedral Falls and running west on U.S. 60 here are photographs of six waterfalls along the Midland Trail.

Cathedral Falls

Cathedral Falls

Cathedral Falls is located at a roadside stop a mile east of Gauley Bridge on US 60. This is one of the premier waterfalls of West Virginia. Lucia Hyde Robinson mentions in her Forward in West Virginia Waterfalls: The New River Gorge, a book of waterfall photography by Randall Sanger and me, that Cathedral Falls might have been named by her father, the renowned West Virginia photographer, Arnout Hyde, Jr. That would be fitting because more than any single individual, Arnout Hyde, Jr. popularized the natural beauty of West Virginia.

Hidden Falls

Hidden Falls

Lying on Laurel Branch, Hidden Falls is about a half a mile west of Cathedral Falls on U.S. 60. To be sure, this waterfall seems unimpressive, if visible at all, from the highway--thus the name Hidden Falls. But there are pull-offs on the river side of the highway for parking, and the hike up to the falls is short. Your hike will be rewarded by a waterfall with a single vertical drop of about 60 feet. Hidden Falls has the distinction of being the last waterfall in the New River Gorge. Just a half a mile downstream, the New River merges with the Gauley River to become the Kanawha River. In addition to being the last waterfall in the Gorge, it just might be the tallest, too. 

Riggs Branch Falls

Riggs Branch Falls

Another hidden, but very attractive waterfall lies on Riggs Branch just off of U.S. 60 about a half a mile west of the Glen Ferris Inn. There’s a large parking area on the river side of the road just before the highway crosses the railroad tracks. This is the safest place to park since the shoulders of U.S. 60 are quite narrow and the highway is close to the rail line at Riggs Branch. The falls at Riggs Branch are protected in a narrow cove in the sandstone cliffs near the road. 
The watershed for Riggs Branch is even smaller than that of Laurel Creek, so the best time to visit is definitely in late winter or early spring. Although not as tall as the waterfall at Laurel Branch, when the water is running well, Riggs Branch Falls are very photogenic. Half way down its vertical plunge, the waterfall strikes a hollowed out ledge in the sandstone cliff. Hitting this ledge, the water is thrust up and out before making the last vertical descent into the plunge pool. The effect is striking and dramatic making it a wonderful waterfall to photograph.

Seasonal Falls

Seasonal Waterfall

Just 2000 feet south of Riggs Branch Falls lies an attractive seasonal waterfall. Its watershed is small, so it’s best to catch it after a very heavy rainfall or several days of steady rain. Nevertheless, when the creek is full, the waterfall is quite pretty. It stair-steps over several sandstone ledges as it descends to the Kanawha River. It’s easy to find as a large pullout is right at the falls. 

Lower Wall Falls

Wall Falls

About a mile south of the previous waterfall on U.S. 60 and just before the town of Charlton lies a waterfall I’ve dubbed the “Wall Falls.” At the head of the waterfall is a wall about 20 feet high constructed of stone blocks. Although I’ve asked, no one yet has been able to tell me why the wall was built. It does form a retaining wall for the creek crossing of an old road that sits atop the wall and perhaps that’s its purpose. The watershed for this falls is quite small, so you have to also catch it in periods of heavy flow.  If you climb to the top of the wall, at Wall Falls, you’re treated with a second waterfall that descends in stair-step fashion over a substantial drop. So the Wall Falls are really two waterfalls in one. 

Upper Wall Falls

This brings our tour of the waterfalls of the Midland Trail to a close. These seasonal waterfalls along U.S 60 are at their very best in late winter and early spring. When winter seems to be its dreariest, I suggest you take a drive along the historic Midland Trail and visit these beautiful waterfalls

Five Waterfalls of the New River Gorge

Nestled in the steep slopes of the New River Gorge are hundreds of rugged waterfalls. These waterfalls are fertile ground for nature lovers offering challenging hikes and striking landscapes. Having published a photo book of the waterfalls of the New River Gorge, I’d like to share five of those waterfalls that really stand out. 

Cathedral Falls

Let’s start with picturesque Cathedral Falls, which is located on US Highway 60 one mile east of Gauley Bridge, WV. Since the falls are located at a roadside rest stop, access is easy. You can literally step out of your vehicle and start photographing the falls. Descending 60 feet in a series of three dramatic drops within a large semi-circular rock amphitheater, Cathedral Falls is as photogenic as they come. Easy access generally means plenty of visitors and photographers, so you have to be patient and creative to get a photograph. To eliminate people in the foreground, I generally work my way around the left side of the rock amphitheater for close-ups of the falls. 

Cathedral Falls

Turkey Creek Falls

The next waterfall is only six miles down the road. From the parking lot at Cathedral Falls, turn left onto US Highway 60 and drive to Hawks Nest State Park. From the State Park Lodge take the tram from the cliff top down to Hawks Nest Lake. From the tram station pick up the Fisherman’s Trail, which skirts the northern shore of Hawks Nest Lake. A pleasant 0.8 mile walk along the lake ends at the falls on Turkey Creek. This waterfall is best photographed after some heavy summer rains. At full flow the falls split into three segments at the top, which merge in the middle and split again into three segments at the base. Total drop is about 35 feet. 

Turkey Creek Falls

Fern Creek Falls

The next stop is one of the classiest and most unique waterfalls in the Gorge. Starting at the parking lot at the Canyon Rim Visitor Center, turn right out of the lot and drive 1/10 of a mile. Make a very sharp right hand turn, and proceed downhill another 1/10 of a mile to the junction with Fayette Station Road. Turn left and go yet another 1/10 of a mile to a pull out on the right-hand shoulder of the road, which is the trail head parking. It’s only a mile to Fern Creek Falls, but the trail is rocky and uneven. Indeed the path is merely a bushwhacked trace forged by rock climbers seeking access to the base of the cliffs that rim the uppermost portion of the Gorge. Although the trail forks from place to place, if you hug the base of the cliffs, called the Endless Wall, you won’t go wrong. The trail ends at the falls, so you can’t miss them. 

Flanked by the 60 foot high Endless Wall, Fern Creek Falls epitomize a New River Gorge waterfall—rough and rocky. Fern Creek Falls are really two falls in one. During average runoff, the falls are confined to a deep, vertical cleft in the cliff. At high water, the best time to visit the falls, part of the waterfall shoots over the cliff edge and plunges for about 50 feet into a pool below. 

Fern Creek Falls

Wolf Creek Falls

The next waterfall is just across the Gorge. From the Fern Creek trailhead parking, backtrack and drive down Fayette Station Road, which goes under the New River Gorge Bridge, winds down the side of the canyon, and crosses the New River at Fayette Station Bridge. After crossing Fayette Station Bridge, drive one mile to the second hairpin curve in the road. There’s parking in the curve for the Kaymour Trailhead. Wolf Creek parallels the road at this point and is well named. It’s a untamed torrent that charges down the slopes of the New River Gorge like a wild animal. 

Not surprisingly, Wolf Creek Falls are rough and rugged, too. They aren’t visible from the road, so most visitors drive right passed them. The falls are below the road and a little downstream from the trailhead parking. Walk downhill on the outside edge of the switchback in the road until you notice a few indistinct paths dropping down to the creek. These lead to Wolf Creek Falls. Be forewarned; the descent is short, but steep, rocky, and choked with rhododendron. The bushwhack trail opens up halfway down with spectacular views of the falls to your right. Making your way to the base of the falls, you can enjoy the emerald-green plunge pool and vividly colored boulders. 

Wolf Creek Falls

Sandstone Falls

No tour of the New River Gorge waterfalls would be complete without a stop at Sandstone Falls. According to a database of waterfalls world-wide, Sandstone Falls rank 19th by width and 33rd by volume. 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 up the road to Sandstone Falls.

Sandstone Falls are easily explored by a ¼ mile, handicapped accessible boardwalk that crosses two bridges and leads to islands and observation decks offering views of the falls. But for the finest views, it’s best to leave the boardwalk for a little off trail scrambling. Just a few feet before the end of the boardwalk, there’s a path leading to the right. It leads to a shallow water crossing and onto an island. At this point, I prefer to bear a little to the left and head toward the river bank. This takes you to two more small water courses that separate islands and puts you on the lead island that sits right in front of Sandstone Falls. The falls can be viewed along the full length of the upstream edge of the island, which is fortunate, because Sandstone Falls are not just one waterfall, but many. The main falls are more than 800 feet wide, average 20 feet high, and are composed of many segments of distinctive character. To me this is one of the most magnificent views in all of West Virginia. 

Sandstone Falls

Many more falls line the New River Gorge, but I hope these five whet your appetite for waterfall hunting in the Gorge.  Sandstone Falls   Marr Branch Falls
New River Gorge Waterfalls Photo Book   Ramsey Branch Falls   
Pipestem Falls   Elakala Falls   Brush Creek Falls

New River Gorge Waterfalls: Award Winning Photography Book

What others are saying about West Virginia Waterfalls: The New River Gorge by Ed Rehbein and Randall Sanger. 

“More than 100 waterfalls grace the cliffs and canyons of the New River Gorge and its tributaries. This book invites you the savor this untapped wealth of beauty in two enjoyable ways—by viewing photographs of these waterfalls and by experiencing them for yourself. 

Laurel Creek Falls

“Photographers, hikers, and nature lovers Ed Rehbein and Randall Sanger have photographed some of the most beautiful places in the New River Gorge, plus—provided maps and information on how to visit each waterfall yourself. The pull-out hiking guide will keep you on the path to your own Appalachian Adventures.” Book Cover

Pirate's Cove

“The New River Gorge is such a beautiful place that it is often said photos don't do it justice. This photography certainly does. Ed Rehbein and Randy Sanger have successfully captured not only the beauty of these waterfalls, but the emotion and the majesty they impart. These two avid hikers have also provided all the information necessary should one want to experience any of these locations firsthand. Their book is a combination of breathtaking photography and informative yet succinct details. It belongs on the coffee tables of outdoor enthusiasts and fine art lovers everywhere.” Audrey Stanton-Smith, Former Editor, West Virginia South Magazine 

Turkey Creek Falls

“Every one of all ages can appreciate the sheer beauty of one of nature’s most delicate and breath-taking works of art, the waterfall. It wasn’t until I experienced these glorious masterpieces through the pages of “West Virginia Waterfalls: The New River Gorge” that I could truly appreciate the natural beauty of the Mountain State. The captions bring a vivid experience through the personal thoughts of the photographers as they make their way through the wilderness to the falls.  I could feel their heart-pounding anticipation as they began shooting the photographs. This book captures the whole experience of visiting these falls without leaving home!  I, for one, must dust off my hiking boots and get going!”  Karen G. Lilly  

Ramsey Branch Falls

 “Readers of Wonderful West Virginia magazine know the hallmarks of an Ed Rehbein outdoor adventure story: writing that conveys a deep reverence for nature and stunning photography. In this beautiful book, Ed and fellow photographer and nature lover Randall Sanger give readers not only breathtaking images of waterfalls but engaging and lyrical anecdotes about how they discovered and captured the views. Their stories of slippery slopes and treacherous descents are nearly as breathtaking as the falls! This rare volume, truly a labor of love, will soon have you packing a lunch and heading off to the New River Gorge.”  Sheila McEntee, former Editor of Wonderful West Virginia.

Turkey Creek