Try chasing waterfalls this summer with West Virginia’s Waterfall Trail, a growing list of destinations that now includes more than 43 waterfalls.
One of the greatest rewards when hiking is coming across a glittering waterfall flowing beside the trail; sometimes, that magical water show is the destination itself. In West Virginia, they’ve designated an entire statewide Waterfall Trail — the first of its kind here in the United States — that is the perfect adventure for those who love seeking out these beautiful natural cascades.
This past spring, I traveled to West Virginia to check out the trail for myself. In the span of a couple chilly April days, I hiked with my husband to the Loopemount Waterfall, Big Branch Falls, and Sandstone Falls. The latter two are located in the newest addition to the east coast national park system: New River Gorge National Park.
Despite the constant struggle to keep TLC’s “Waterfalls” song from playing on repeat in my head (with “Country Roads” often rushing in to take its place…), my brief time exploring the Waterfall Trail in West Virginia involved beautiful hikes through woods, a bike ride along the state’s longest rail trail, and a boardwalk stroll to view a few of the area’s sparkling water features.
What is the West Virginia Waterfall Trail?
The Waterfall Trail was introduced to the public in 2022 and currently features 43 waterfall locations throughout the state. The three newest locations on the roster — Clear Fork Rail Trail Waterfall, White Oak Falls, and Devil’s Sawmill — were added this past May. Waterfall enthusiasts have been flocking to the state to explore the unique trail. According to the latest update from the West Virginia tourism department, it has reached 88,000 visitor check-ins from visitors traveling from 50 states and 41 countries.
As to how these visitors are checking in? It’s easy: register for the free Waterfall Trail Digital Passport on the West Virginia Tourism website. Once on the app, hikers can find the waterfall location they’re currently visiting and check in within five miles of their location — a radius that comes in handy when you don’t have internet access right at the base of the falls, which was the case for me.
West Virginia Waterfall Trail Passport: Navigation
Wherever you are in West Virginia, the easiest way to find the nearby waterfalls is to simply scroll through the West Virginia Tourism webpage for the Waterfall Trail (or the Digital Passport mentioned above) where it lists all locations. Each waterfall location includes coordinates, a map, and a description of which trail you’ll need to hike to get to it.
It’s advised that you do a bit of research on the mileage and difficulty level of each trail you plan on taking; that way, you can prepare by packing proper footwear and adequate water before you hit those country roads. And if you’re traveling in early April like we did, bring warm layers! Winter’s chill is still lingering that time of year, though it’s a great time to visit if you prefer to avoid summer crowds.
Waterfall Trail Hikes: My Recommendations
We visited two beautiful falls — Big Branch Falls and Sandstone Falls — located in New River Gorge National Park & Preserve. Having parked our car at Hinton’s Brooks Falls Roadside Park, we began our hike on the appropriately named Big Branch Trail.
The first half of this two-mile loop winds upward at a fairly steep angle, so I was glad to have a good pair of hiking shoes and legs accustomed to clambering up challenging Colorado trails. Once we reached higher ground and the path started leveling out, we were thrilled to find the ground carpeted with emerald-green undergrowth and cheerful indigo bell-shaped flowers known as Virginia bluebells. At this point we could hear the therapeutic sounds of rushing water, and the trail soon led us to the 8-foot curtain of crystal droplets that is Big Branch Falls. The remainder of the hike followed closely along the winding creek (featuring plenty of gurgling mini-falls) as we looped back to our parked car.
Then, a ten-minute drive down the road brought us to another location on our list: Sandstone Falls, the largest waterfall on the New River. Strolling along the sturdy boardwalk — which was thoughtfully designed to be ADA-accessible, so it’s a great bet for all hikers — we were able to admire the 1500-foot-wide cascade at a few different angles from the viewing platforms. The foaming, tea-colored water crashing into itself was mesmerizing to watch, and we enjoyed the roaring sound of rushing water as we walked the easy Island Loop Trail that winds through the woods nearby.
We also loved Loopemount Waterfall, and it’s a great pick if you want to rest your hiking legs and try a different form of transportation (or not — you can hike it, too). We picked up rental bikes at Hammer Cycles in Lewisburg. From there, we drove just a few minutes to the Greenbrier River Trail and hopped on the bikes to ride the wooded gravel path.
This 78-mile former railroad is the longest rail trail in the state, but we only needed to pedal about six miles to get to the Loopemount Waterfall. As our tires crunched pleasantly on the gravel, we enjoyed watching the scenery whiz by — a sloping hillside of trees on our left and the fast-flowing waters of Greenbrier River on our right. Before long, we came upon a bright blue sign indicating that we had reached one of West Virginia’s many waterfall locations. This small yet cheerful cascade gushed over a few tiers of stone shelves carved in the hill and flowed briskly under the trail to join the river. After snapping some photos, we enjoyed a bit more time biking along the trail before heading back for lunch.
Seen in: Hikes, Hiking, West Virginia
