Seven More Wonders of West Virginia

Recently I posted on my blog about “The Seven Wonders of West Virginia.” For such a scenic state, seven is too few. I can think of seven more wonders of West Virginia that need to be mentioned. This is a list of “must-see” sights in West Virginia, five natural and two man-made. Some are well-known, others not so much. From north to south, here they are:

8. Blackwater Falls
9. Spruce Knob
10. Highland Scenic Highway
11. Beartown
12. New River Gorge Bridge
13. Babcock State Park
14. Hanging Rock Raptor Observatory

Blackwater Falls

Blackwater Falls

Blackwater Falls State Park is located in the Allegheny Mountains near the town of Davis in Tucker County. After meandering leisurely through Canaan Valley, the Blackwater River at the state park picks up pace, takes a breath taking 62-foot leap, and begins a wild and tortuous eight-mile rush down the Blackwater Canyon. It’s one of the most photographed sights in West Virginia drawing nearly a million visitors a year. The falls are accessible from steps, boardwalks, and platforms on the north side of the river and a wheelchair accessible viewing platform on the south side. This is a wonder you don’t want to miss. 
Website: Blackwater Falls

Spruce Knob

Spruce Knob

At 4863 feet in elevation, Spruce Knob in Pendleton County, is the highest point in West Virginia. The peak is also the highest point of the Allegheny Mountains and Appalachian Plateaus. Good gravel and paved roads from three directions converge on the top. For driving directions check this link: Spruce Knob.  A short hike to a one story observation tower yields panoramic views to the west. For great views in other directions hike the half-mile Whispering Spruce trail which circles the knob.  

Highland Scenic Highway

Highland Scenic Highway

The Highland Scenic Highway is the highest-elevation major highway in West Virginia. Beginning in Richwood of Nicholas County as State Route 39/55, the road runs 21 miles east, following the valley of the North Fork of the Cherry River to Kennison Mountain and then on to the Cranberry Mountain Nature Center. But the part I want to highlight is the 23-mile portion called State Route 150. It begins at the Cranberry Mountain Nature Center and crosses the spine of the Allegheny Highlands before terminating at U.S. Route 219, about seven miles north of Marlinton. Four scenic overlooks with picnic shelters provide gorgeous views of the surrounding ridges and valleys of the Allegheny Highlands. Forming the eastern boundary of the Cranberry Wilderness Area, the Parkway also provides access to four wilderness trailheads. 
Website: Highland Scenic Highway

Beartown State Park

Beartown

This smallest of the scenic wonders is packed with curiosity. Nestled in the hills of Greenbrier County, Beartown State Park is a 107-acre natural preserve perched on the eastern slopes of Droop Mountain seven miles south of Hillsboro on U.S. 219. Rocks, picturesque and beautiful, are the main attraction at Beartown. Composed of the Droop Mountain Sandstone, these rocks have been carved by time and the elements into angular boulders, rounded stones, and narrow crevices. The crevices cris-cross the area dividing the bedrock into large stone islands. To preserve the natural beauty of Beartown and make it more accessible, boardwalks and wooden steps wind through the rock crevasses. The intersecting crevices resemble streets, and the stone islands look like city blocks. Couple this with a natural habitat for bears in the clefts and caves, and you have the name Beartown. 
Website: Beartown State Park

New River Gorge Bridge

New River Gorge Bridge

Although not a natural wonder, the New River Gorge Bridge is acclaimed world-wide and surely belongs on a list of must-see sights in West Virginia. At 3,030 feet long and 876 feet high, it is the longest steel arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere. Opened and dedicated on October 22, 1977, the span has since become the symbol of West Virginia appearing on the back of the State’s commemorative quarter. Trails, walkways and stairs, and a visitor center help you learn about and explore the bridge. You can even take a guided tour of the cat-walk that runs beneath the bridge. On Bridge Day, the third Saturday in October, the bridge is closed to vehicular traffic and open to pedestrians. What’s more extreme sports enthusiasts are allowed to BASE jump and rappel off the bridge. Over 100,000 people have attended the festival making it the largest gathering in the State and the largest extreme sports event in the world. 
Website: New River Gorge Bridge

Babcock State Park

Babcock State Park

Mention Babcock State Park and most people immediately think of the grist mill. And why not? The Glade Creek Grist Mill is one of the most photographed sights in West Virginia. You’ll find pictures of the mill at Babcock on calendars and postcards, in magazines and travel brochures. The grist mill is a great ambassador of travel and tourism for southern West Virginia. Indeed more than 200,000 people visit Babcock every year. The grist mill at Babcock is really three mills in one, which were salvaged from around the State–the Stoney Creek Grist Mill near Campbelltown in Pocahontas County, the Spring Run Grist Mill near Petersburg, and the Onego Grist Mill near Seneca Rocks in Pendleton County. Parts of each mill were disassembled piece-by-piece and reassembled on Glade Creek in Babcock. The reconstruction was completed in 1976. As mentioned in the Babcock State Park Brochure, the mill is a “living monument to the over 500 mills which thrived in West Virginia at the turn of the century.”
Website: Babcock State Park

Hanging Rock Raptor Observatory

Hanging Rock Raptor Observatory

Balanced atop a 3,812-foot-high peak in Monroe County, the Hanging Rock Raptor Observatory (HRRO) has much to offer—unsurpassed vistas coupled with a unique opportunity to observed raptors in the wild. It deserves to be on every nature lovers bucket list. On top of Peters Mountain on the Eastern Continental Divide, the HRRO has a 360 degree unobstructed view of the mountains and valleys of southern West Virginia and Virginia. Fifty miles to the east, the Peaks of Otter on the Blue Ridge Parkway are visible. Looking north, Cold Knob and the Beech Ridge Wind Farm in Greenbrier County, though 40 miles distant, are clearly seen. And the verdant valleys of Sweet Springs and Potts Creek stretch out for miles on either flank of Peters Mountain. Though the views are truly telescopic, there’s more to see at Hanging Rock. It’s a raptor observatory after all. On a good day more than 500 migratory hawks can be spotted. Rarer but still seen are eagles, ospreys, and falcons. 
Website: Hanging Rock Raptor Observatory