Hiking Twin Falls State Park
Sep. 23rd, 2023 05:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
canyonwalkerWest Virginia Travelog #19
Saulsville, WV - Tue, 19 Sep 2023. 4pm
Tuesday afternoon it was time for our West Virginia swan song. By "swan song", of course, I mean our last act, not an actual song. If it were a literal song, though, it would be "Take Me Home, Country Roads". In West Virginia all songs are "Take Me Home, Country Roads". 😅
Our last activity in the state was hiking a pair of waterfalls at Twin Falls State Park. As much as you'd think this hike would be the standout feature at this park— the proposition that you can visit two waterfalls here is literally in the park's name— the trail is a like a forgotten stepchild. The park, in a remote part of the state about 45 minutes southwest of Beckley, seems more focused around having a golf course and a lodge marketed to senior citizens and church groups. Well, we managed to get past all the touristy stuff with only slight allergic reactions, and laced up our boots for the hike.
We encountered Marsh Fork Falls after a few minutes of hiking. We could hear the churning water of the falls from the creek nearby even though it wasn't visible from the trail. A bit of bushwhacking took us to the overview in the photo above. A bit more bushwhacking, combined with careful rock-hopping, took us down to the edge of the pool at the base of the falls. We enjoyed the scene for a while before climbing back up the rocks and through the trees to continue the trail.
The second of the twin falls— which are really not twins, as you'll see in a moment— is Black Fork Falls. This one was much deeper into the woods from the trailhead.
Black Fork Falls pours over a rocky lip and falls 20-25 feet to the level below. The rock under the lip has eroded out, forming a deep hollow. It's more than deep enough to walk behind— which we did. Again we spent a while enjoying the scene here before scrambling back up to the main trail.
Soon it will be time to get back in the car and drive hundreds of miles, but for now.... In beauty we walk.
Saulsville, WV - Tue, 19 Sep 2023. 4pm
Tuesday afternoon it was time for our West Virginia swan song. By "swan song", of course, I mean our last act, not an actual song. If it were a literal song, though, it would be "Take Me Home, Country Roads". In West Virginia all songs are "Take Me Home, Country Roads". 😅
Our last activity in the state was hiking a pair of waterfalls at Twin Falls State Park. As much as you'd think this hike would be the standout feature at this park— the proposition that you can visit two waterfalls here is literally in the park's name— the trail is a like a forgotten stepchild. The park, in a remote part of the state about 45 minutes southwest of Beckley, seems more focused around having a golf course and a lodge marketed to senior citizens and church groups. Well, we managed to get past all the touristy stuff with only slight allergic reactions, and laced up our boots for the hike.
We encountered Marsh Fork Falls after a few minutes of hiking. We could hear the churning water of the falls from the creek nearby even though it wasn't visible from the trail. A bit of bushwhacking took us to the overview in the photo above. A bit more bushwhacking, combined with careful rock-hopping, took us down to the edge of the pool at the base of the falls. We enjoyed the scene for a while before climbing back up the rocks and through the trees to continue the trail.
The second of the twin falls— which are really not twins, as you'll see in a moment— is Black Fork Falls. This one was much deeper into the woods from the trailhead.
Black Fork Falls pours over a rocky lip and falls 20-25 feet to the level below. The rock under the lip has eroded out, forming a deep hollow. It's more than deep enough to walk behind— which we did. Again we spent a while enjoying the scene here before scrambling back up to the main trail.
Soon it will be time to get back in the car and drive hundreds of miles, but for now.... In beauty we walk.
