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. 

Exploring the Rock Pinnacle at Meadow River

Towering sandstone cliffs, a boulder-lined riverbed, and rolling whitewater rapids–sounds like the New River. But it isn’t. And there’s more. A rock walled grotto, a 30-foot sandstone pinnacle, a little stone chapel, and a couple of waterfalls. Where is this place? I’m referring to the Lower Meadow River. In some respects, it’s like the New River and then some. Indeed, if I had only one day to hike in Southern West Virginia, I’d head for the Meadow River. It offers so much and is so accessible. In my new book “Exploring the Wilds of West Virginia,” I point out a couple of hikes and points of interest along the Meadow River. Let me mention one of those in this blog—the sandstone pinnacle. 

Meadow River

How Do You Get There?

So how do you get to this wild river? It’s surprisingly easy. The best access is at the Kevin Ritchie Memorial Bridge, which crosses the Meadow River on U.S. Highway 19. While driving U.S. 19, I noticed from time to time a few cars parked off the berm just north of the bridge (GPS: Lat. 38.15305, Long. - 80.92434). I made a mental note to check it out some day. And my only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner. As it turns out, this is a great spot from which to explore the Meadow River both upstream and downstream. By the way, if you enjoy exploring areas that are off the beaten path, then be watchful for parking spots such as this one. They may lead you to some interesting places.

At any rate, hike down the dirt road that parallels U.S. 19. After passing a waterfall on your left, a few yards further down look for an obvious fork in the road. It’s next to a large rock outcrop with an overhanging ledge. The left fork is the best way to explore the Meadow River upstream. Take this road to its end at the Meadow River and turn left on a road that runs along the north side of the river. 

The First Buttress

Upper Meadow Walls

To explore the upstream cliffs called the “Upper Meadow Walls,” hike the road for about three quarters of a mile. Look for a faint path breaking off to the left toward the cliffs. If you come to a little camp by the river’s edge, you’ve gone too far. Backtrack about 80 paces to find the trail to the cliffs. 

The Pinnacle

The Pinnacle

The trail leads to the base of one of the tallest set of cliffs that I’ve seen in the New River Region. Called the First Buttress, it’s a vertical to slightly overhanging wall of sandstone some 120 to 140 feet high. The wall is orange and brown from weathering and will have you craning your neck to appreciate it. Continue to the right along the base of the cliffs to the Second Buttress, and remember there are surprises around every corner. In this case, you’ll be amazed by a column of sandstone some 30 to 40 feet high. Pinnacles or pillars of stone are fairly rare around here and are exciting to find. This one is mushroom shaped with a tree growing on top. The pinnacle guards the entrance to a deep V-shaped notch in the cliff wall. This secluded cove of stone, called the “Grotto” by rock climbers, has a couple of small caves, some overhanging roofs of stone, and a trickle of water down the back wall. 

The Pinnacle

There’s much more to explore at the Meadow River all of which is covered in my new book “Exploring the Wilds of West Virginia: A Hiker’s Guide to Beauty off the Beaten Path.” 

For more info or to order book online click HERE.

Fascinating Places Described in “Exploring the Wilds of West Virginia”

A New World Emerges at Summersville Lake 

When the Corps lowers the water to winter levels at Summersville Lake, fascinating landscapes emerge. Nestled in the woodlands of West Virginia, an island of dry, desiccated, desert-like scenes arise from the once water-covered land. 

Long Point

Beautiful Boulders

Perhaps the first thing you’ll notice are bold, beautiful, snow-white boulders of all shapes and sizes. The rocks are rough and angular and piled chaotically. It’s like a scene from another world. The rocks are brilliant white because they’re below the water level during the summer and being submerged for so much of the year, they aren’t stained by the oxidation and weathering of iron-bearing minerals. So the rocks are in their most pristine state. 

Long Point

Stunning Cliffs

These beautiful boulders have fallen from the gorgeous cliffs that circle Summersville Lake. Long Point stands out like a stone fortress. It’s a photographer’s delight presenting dramatic poses from several viewpoints. At Pirate’s Cove a waterfall pours over the cliffs, and at Whippoorwill trees precariously cling to the cliffs. 

Long Point

Phantom Forests

You’ll also notice tree stumps poking up between the boulders. The stumps were left when the Corps cleared the slopes of the lake in the early 1960's prior to filling it. Since all the soil has been winnowed away by the waters of the lake, the roots of the trees have been laid bare and resemble the arms of an octopus. The textures of the tree stumps are fascinating, too. The bark is gone, but the wood beneath is not rotten. Rather it’s dried, cracked, and desiccated and either chocolate brown or silver gray in color. A cluster of these old tree stumps looks like a phantom forest. 

Pirate's Cove

Three Handy Access Points

So how do you see these unusual sights? Three handy access points are described in “Exploring the Wilds of West Virginia.” One is Long Point, which is reached by a 1.75 mile trail that starts near the archery range at the lake. Second is near Pirate’s Cove. The trailhead is just north of the US 19 bridge crossing the lake. And the third is off Whippoorwill Road just south of the bridge. All three hikes are described in detail in the book.

Whippoorwill

As I mentioned, the terrain below the water level at the lake resembles a desert. The rocks are bare and craggy, and the vegetation is sparse. If you didn’t know better, you might think you were in Arizona or New Mexico. But for West Virginia, it truly is a new world.

Pirate's Cove

For more information about the book or to purchase click HERE