In Blackwater Falls State Park near Davis, Blackwater Falls drops about 50 feet where the amber Blackwater River enters Blackwater Canyon in Tucker County, West Virginia. Two short walkways provide access to viewing decks beside and opposite the cataract.
The falls
The river pours over a single ledge of hard Pennsylvanian sandstone, composed of the Connoquenessing sandstone of the Pottsville Formation. Tannic acid from fallen hemlock and red spruce needles tints the amber water, giving the river its name. Lidar measurements place the drop at around 50 feet at most; older surveys showed 62 feet, while park signage lists 57 feet.
Getting there
The park is run by West Virginia State Parks at 1584 Blackwater Lodge Road in Davis, and opens daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. The Blackwater Falls Boardwalk Trail begins at the Trading Post parking area and runs 0.25 mile, past a stone patio and down more than 200 steps, to an observation deck beside the falls. For a view without stairs, the Gentle Trail on the opposite bank provides a short paved path of 0.25 mile to its own overlook deck.
When to go
The falls remain viewable year-round from the walkways and platforms. The park campground operates from April 28 to October 31.
On site
The rocks around the falls have a deadly history, including a drowning during a flood in 1933, a fatal cliff dive in 1937, and two deaths in 1973 when a woman slipped and her husband was lost trying to catch her. Visitors should remain on the boardwalk and designated decks.
History and name
Leases and donations from the West Virginia Power and Transmission Company protected the falls and opened them to visitors starting in 1934, leading to the formal establishment of the state park in 1937.
Nearby
Inside the park, the Elakala Trail runs 0.5 mile from the south end of the lodge past Elakala Falls on Shay Run, and the 0.3-mile Lindy Point Trail ends at an overlook above Blackwater Canyon. Farther afield, Falls of Seneca is about 20.4 miles away, and across the Maryland line Swallow Falls is about 26.6 miles and Muddy Creek Falls about 27 miles.
Distances are straight-line.