Kanawha Falls is a 15-foot waterfall in Fayette County, West Virginia, where a sandstone ledge runs the full width of the Kanawha River about a mile below the point where the New and Gauley rivers join to form it. A low dam sits on top of the natural falls, and the whole scene can be viewed from the roadside on US 60.
The falls
The river features a single drop of 15 feet over a crest averaging 2,350 feet wide, with a sharp horseshoe-shaped notch on one side. The ledge crosses the river on a diagonal. A low concrete overflow dam built on the crest in 1920 diverts part of the river to a hydroelectric plant on the west bank at Glen Ferris, which was rehabilitated from 2010 and fully back in operation in 2012. The World Waterfall Database suggests that before the dam the falls likely ranked among the 25 most voluminous in the country.
Getting there
The falls lie outside New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. From the Canyon Rim Visitor Center, take US 19 north 4.8 miles to US 60, then continue west on US 60 for 17 miles through Ansted and past Hawks Nest State Park. A dirt parking area sits 0.75 mile beyond Gauley Bridge, and no hike is needed. Flooding on August 16, 2026 damaged US 60 at Kanawha Falls with rocks and mud, and state highway crews worked to reopen roads there later that month; check road status before driving.
When to go
The falls are worth seeing at any water level.
On site
Picnic tables stand near the parking area. The falls have long blocked fish from moving upstream, creating different species distributions above and below the ledge, and several West Virginia fishing records have come from here. The water below the ledge is hazardous: on September 19, 2022, a kayaker flipped, swam into a dangerous pocket and was rescued after grabbing an installed safety chain. The falls are on the state's Waterfall Trail.
Nearby
Sandstone Falls, on the New River, is about 32 miles away, Brooks Falls is about 34.6 miles away, and Falls of Hills Creek is about 47.7 miles away. Hawks Nest State Park lies on the drive in along US 60.
Distances are straight-line.