Falling Spring Falls is an 85-foot travertine waterfall on Falling Spring Creek in Alleghany County, Virginia, viewed from a roadside overlook on US 220 north of Covington. Thomas Jefferson wrote about it in 1781.
The falls
The creek leaves the lip in a sheer 70-foot plunge, then slides another 15 feet down terraces of travertine. Lidar data put the 85-foot total; Virginia's state conservation agency gives 80 feet, and earlier surveys listed 69 feet. The falls today stand about 0.1 mile south of where Jefferson would have seen them; the creek was diverted at some point, though sources disagree whether road construction or mining operations caused the change.
Getting there
The falls are a state-owned site maintained by Douthat State Park. A roadside parking area on US 220, about five miles north of Covington, sits at the head of a short paved walk to the overlook, roughly 100 feet from the car. The address is Hot Springs Road, Covington.
When to go
A landscape photographer recommends spring and autumn and names the north-facing roadside vista as a sunset spot. How the flow changes through the year isn't documented.
On site
The view is from an overlook, with a fence beyond it. Going past the overlook is strictly prohibited — dangerous and illegal. The state lists picnic areas at the site but no restrooms, and there is no cell service.
History and name
Jefferson described Falling Spring in 1781 as a waterfall of some 200 feet, reportedly comparing it favorably with Niagara Falls. MeadWestvaco donated the falls and about 19 acres to the state on November 28, 2004.
Nearby
Stony Run Falls is about 6.5 miles away, Blue Suck Falls about 7.4 miles and Roaring Run Falls about 11.2 miles. Douthat State Park maintains the overlook.
Distances are straight-line.